Oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei bidirectionally modulate food intake.

ABSTRACT: Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide produced in the paraventricular (PVH) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of the hypothalamus. Either peripheral or central administration of OT suppresses food intake through reductions in meal size. However, pharmacological approaches do not differentiate whether observed effects are mediated by OT neurons located in the PVH or in the SON. To address this, we targeted OT neuron-specific designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) in either the PVH or SON in rats, thus allowing for evaluation of food intake following selective activation of OT neurons separately in each nucleus. Results revealed that DREADDs-mediated excitation of PVH OT neurons reduced consumption of both standard chow and a high fat high sugar diet (HFHS) via reductions i

SUBMITTER: Rea JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11601548 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature