Hyperleptinemia in Ay/a mice upregulates arcuate cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript expression

2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (4) ◽  
pp. E967-E973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshio Tsuruta ◽  
Hironobu Yoshimatsu ◽  
Shuji Hidaka ◽  
Seiya Kondou ◽  
Kenjiro Okamoto ◽  
...  

The effects of leptin on cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and agouti-related protein (AGRP) expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of obese Ay/a mice were investigated. CART mRNA expression was upregulated by 41% and AGRP mRNA downregulated by 78% in hyperleptinemic Ay/a mice relative to levels in lean a/a mice. The mRNA expression of these neuropeptides in either young nonobese Ay/a mice or rats treated with SHU-9119, a synthetic melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) antagonist, did not differ significantly from that in the corresponding controls. After a 72-h fast, which decreased the concentration of serum leptin, CART and AGRP mRNA expression decreased and increased, respectively, in Ay/a mice. The expression levels of these neuropeptides in leptin-deficient Ay/a ob/ob double mutants were comparable to those in a/a ob/ob mice. Leptin thus modulates both CART and AGRP mRNA expression in obese Ay/amice, whereas leptin signals are blocked at the MCR4R level. Taken together, the present findings indicate that differential expression of these neuropeptides in Ay/a and ob/obmice results in dissimilar progression toward obesity.

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Suzuki ◽  
Keiko Nakahara ◽  
Keisuke Maruyama ◽  
Rieko Okame ◽  
Takuya Ensho ◽  
...  

The contribution of hypothalamic appetite-regulating peptides to further hyperphagia accompanying the course of lactation in rats was investigated by using PCR array and real-time PCR. Furthermore, changes in the mRNA expression for appetite-regulating peptides in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) were analyzed at all stages of pregnancy and lactation, and also after weaning. Food intake was significantly higher during pregnancy, lactation, and after weaning than during non-lactation periods. During lactation, ARC expression of mRNAs for agouti-related protein (AgRP) and peptide YY was increased, whereas that of mRNAs for proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and cholecystokinin (CCK) was decreased, in comparison with non-lactation periods. The increase in AgRP mRNA expression during lactation was especially marked. The plasma level of leptin was significantly decreased during the course of lactation, whereas that of acyl-ghrelin was unchanged. In addition, food intake was negatively correlated with the plasma leptin level during lactation. This study has clarified synchronous changes in the expression of many appetite-regulating peptides in ARC of rats during lactation. Our results suggest that hyperphagia during lactation in rats is caused by decreases in POMC and CCK expression and increases in AgRP expression in ARC, the latter being most notable. Together with the decrease in the blood leptin level, such changes in mRNA expression may explain the further hyperphagia accompanying the course of lactation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Fang Yang ◽  
Jinhong Cai ◽  
Chunmei Huang ◽  
Zhengkun Wang ◽  
...  

The hypothalamus and leptin play a key role in the regulation of food intake. The present study investigated the effects of 4 weeks of short- or long-photoperiod on serum leptin levels and food intake in relation to mRNA expression levels of neuropeptide Y, agouti-related protein, pro-opiomelanocortin, and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript in the hypothalamus of Chevrier’s field mouse (Apodemus chevrieri). There was a significant difference in body fat mass, food intake and neuropeptide Y mRNA expression between the two groups, but serum leptin level, agouti-related protein, pro-opiomelanocortin, and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript mRNA expression in the hypothalamus were not difference between the two groups. The elevation of neuropeptide Y mRNA regulated neuropeptides in the hypothalamus suggests a physiological role of neuroendocrine factors in food intake during the different photoperiod. We conclude that leptin may be involved in energy balance and body mass regulation.


Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 148 (11) ◽  
pp. 5442-5450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamás Füzesi ◽  
Gábor Wittmann ◽  
Zsolt Liposits ◽  
Ronald M. Lechan ◽  
Csaba Fekete

CRH-synthesizing neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) integrate neuronal and hormonal inputs and serve as a final common pathway to regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. One of the neuronal regulators of CRH neurons is neuropeptide Y (NPY) contained in axons that densely innervate CRH neurons. The three main sources of NPY innervation of the PVN are the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and the noradrenergic and adrenergic neurons of the brainstem. To elucidate the origin of the NPY-immunoreactive (NPY-IR) innervation to hypophysiotropic CRH neurons, quadruple-labeling immunocytochemistry for CRH, NPY, dopamine-β-hydroxylase, and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase was performed. Approximately 63% of NPY-IR varicosities on the surface of CRH neurons were catecholaminergic (22% noradrenergic and 41% adrenergic), and 37% of NPY-IR boutons were noncatecholaminergic. By triple-labeling immunofluorescence detection of NPY, CRH, and agouti-related protein, a marker of NPY axons projecting from the arcuate nucleus, the noncatecholaminergic, NPY-ergic axon population was shown to arise primarily from the arcuate nucleus. When NPY was administered chronically into the cerebral ventricle of fed animals, a dramatic reduction of CRH mRNA was observed in the PVN (NPY vs. control integrated density units, 23.9 ± 2.7 vs. 77.09 ± 15.9). We conclude that approximately two thirds of NPY-IR innervation to hypophysiotropic CRH neurons originates from catecholaminergic neurons of the brainstem, whereas the remaining one third arises from the arcuate nucleus. The catecholaminergic NPY innervation seems to modulate the activation of CRH neurons in association with glucoprivation and infection, whereas the NPY input from the arcuate nucleus may contribute to inhibition of CRH neurons during fasting.


2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 5027-5035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su Qian ◽  
Howard Chen ◽  
Drew Weingarth ◽  
Myrna E. Trumbauer ◽  
Dawn E. Novi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Agouti-related protein (AgRP), a neuropeptide abundantly expressed in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, potently stimulates feeding and body weight gain in rodents. AgRP is believed to exert its effects through the blockade of signaling by α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone at central nervous system (CNS) melanocortin-3 receptor (Mc3r) and Mc4r. We generated AgRP-deficient (Agrp−/− ) mice to examine the physiological role of AgRP. Agrp−/− mice are viable and exhibit normal locomotor activity, growth rates, body composition, and food intake. Additionally, Agrp−/− mice display normal responses to starvation, diet-induced obesity, and the administration of exogenous leptin or neuropeptide Y (NPY). In situ hybridization failed to detect altered CNS expression levels for proopiomelanocortin, Mc3r, Mc4r, or NPY mRNAs in Agrp−/− mice. As AgRP and the orexigenic peptide NPY are coexpressed in neurons of the arcuate nucleus, we generated AgRP and NPY double-knockout (Agrp−/− ;Npy−/− ) mice to determine whether NPY or AgRP plays a compensatory role in Agrp−/− or NPY-deficient (Npy−/− ) mice, respectively. Similarly to mice deficient in either AgRP or NPY, Agrp−/− ;Npy−/− mice suffer no obvious feeding or body weight deficits and maintain a normal response to starvation. Our results demonstrate that neither AgRP nor NPY is a critically required orexigenic factor, suggesting that other pathways capable of regulating energy homeostasis can compensate for the loss of both AgRP and NPY.


2004 ◽  
Vol 180 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
LE Pritchard ◽  
D Armstrong ◽  
N Davies ◽  
RL Oliver ◽  
CA Schmitz ◽  
...  

Interactions between pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides, agouti-related protein (AGRP) and the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R) are central to energy homeostasis. In this study we have undertaken comprehensive pharmacological analysis of these interactions using a CHOK1 cell line stably transfected with human MC4-R. Our main objectives were (1) to compare the relative affinities and potencies of POMC-derived peptides endogenously secreted within the hypothalamus, (2) to investigate the potency of AGRP(83-132) antagonism with respect to each POMC-derived peptide and (3) to determine whether AGRP(83-132) and POMC-derived peptides act allosterically or orthosterically. We have found that beta melanocyte-stimulating hormone (betaMSH), desacetyl alpha MSH (da-alphaMSH) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone all have very similar affinities and potencies at the MC4-R compared with the presumed natural ligand, alphaMSH. Moreover, even MSH precursors, such as beta lipotrophic hormone, showed significant binding and functional activity. Therefore, many POMC-derived peptides could have important roles in appetite regulation and it seems unlikely that alphaMSH is the sole physiological ligand. We have shown that AGRP(83-132) acts as a competitive antagonist. There was no significant difference in the potency of inhibition by AGRP(83-132) or agouti(87-132) at the MC4-R, regardless of which POMC peptide was used as an agonist. Furthermore, we have found that AGRP(83-132) has no effect on the dissociation kinetics of radiolabelled Nle4,D-Phe7 MSH from the MC4-R, indicating an absence of allosteric effects. This provides strong pharmacological evidence that AGRP(83-132) acts orthosterically at the MC4-R to inhibit Gs-coupled accumulation of intracellular cAMP.


Endocrinology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 145 (11) ◽  
pp. 4816-4821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Fekete ◽  
Daniel L. Marks ◽  
Sumit Sarkar ◽  
Charles H. Emerson ◽  
William M. Rand ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martien J H Kas ◽  
Adrie W Bruijnzeel ◽  
Jurgen R Haanstra ◽  
Victor M Wiegant ◽  
Roger A H Adan

Stress affects eating behaviour in rodents and humans, suggesting that the regulation of energy balance and the stress response are coupled physiological processes. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein (AgRP) are potent food-stimulating neuropeptides that are highly co-localised in arcuate nucleus neurons of the hypothalamus. Recent studies have shown that NPY and AgRP mRNA levels in these neurons respond similarly to fasting and leptin, indicating functional redundancy of the neuropeptide systems in these orexigenic neurons. However, we have found that NPY and AgRP mRNA expression in arcuate nucleus neurons are dissociated immediately following a stressful event. Two hours following a brief session of inescapable foot shocks, AgRP mRNA levels are down-regulated (P < 0.0001). In contrast, NPY mRNA levels are up-regulated (P < 0.0001). To provide physiological relevance for this acute down-regulation of AgRP, an inverse agonist of melanocortin receptors, we have shown that acute intracerebroventricular injection of a melanocortin receptor agonist, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), caused a significantly stronger activation of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal-cortical (HPA) axis following a stressful event than in controls. Thus, AgRP and NPY mRNA levels in similar arcuate nucleus neurons are differentially regulated following a stressful event. This may contribute to increased sensitivity for α-MSH to activate the HPA axis following a repeated stressful experience.


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