Dataset Information

Effects of GABA and Leptin Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Lateral Hypothalamus on Feeding, Locomotion, and Thermogenesis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The lateral hypothalamus (LH) is known for its role in feeding, and it also regulates other aspects of energy homeostasis. How genetically defined LH neuronal subpopulations mediate LH effects on energy homeostasis remains poorly understood. The behavioral effects of chemogenetically activating LH gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the more selective population of LH GABA neurons that coexpress the leptin receptor (LepR) were compared.

Methods

LepR-cre and VGAT-cre mice were injected with AAV5-hSyn-DIO-hM3DGq-mCherry in the LH. The behavioral effects of LH GABA or LH LepR neuronal activation on feeding, locomotion, thermogenesis, and body weight were assessed.

Results

The activation of LH GABA neurons increased body temperature (P ≤ 0.008) and decreased body weight (P ≤ 0.01) despite decreased locomotor activity (P = 0.03) and transiently increased chow intake (P ≤ 0.009). Also, similar to other studies, this study found that activation of LH GABA neurons induced gnawing on both food and nonfood (P = 0.001) items. Activation of LH LepR neurons decreased body weight (P ≤ 0.01) and chow intake when presented on the cage floor (P ≤ 0.04) but not when presented in the cage top and increased locomotor activity (P = 0.002) and body temperature (P = 0.03).

Conclusions

LH LepR neurons are a subset of LH GABA neurons, and LH LepR activation more specifically regulates energy homeostasis to promote a negative energy balance.

SUBMITTER: de Vrind VAJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6617814 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Effects of GABA and Leptin Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Lateral Hypothalamus on Feeding, Locomotion, and Thermogenesis.

de Vrind Véronne A J VAJ Rozeboom Annemieke A Wolterink-Donselaar Inge G IG Luijendijk-Berg Mieneke C M MCM Adan Roger A H RAH

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 20190514 7

<h4>Objective</h4>The lateral hypothalamus (LH) is known for its role in feeding, and it also regulates other aspects of energy homeostasis. How genetically defined LH neuronal subpopulations mediate LH effects on energy homeostasis remains poorly understood. The behavioral effects of chemogenetically activating LH gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the more selective population of LH GABA neurons that coexpress the leptin receptor (LepR) were compared.<h4>Methods</h4>LepR-cre and VGAT-cre mice ...[more]

PMID: 31087767

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Project description:ObjectiveBrown adipose tissue (BAT)-mediated thermogenesis plays a key role in energy homeostasis and the maintenance of body temperature. Previous work suggests that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in BAT thermogenesis, but the underlying neural circuits and molecular mechanism remain largely unknown. This is in part due to the difficulties in manipulating BDNF expression in different brain regions through different promoters and the lack of tools to identify neurons in the brain specifically involved in BAT thermogenesis.MethodsWe have created several lines of mutant mice in which BDNF transcription from a specific promoter was selectively disrupted by replacing Bdnf with green fluorescent protein (GFP; Bdnf-e1, -e4, and -e6-/- mice). As such, cells expressing Bdnf-e1, -e4, or -e6 were labeled with GFP. To identify BAT-connected thermogenesis neurons in brain, we applied the retrograde pseudorabies virus labeling method from BAT. We also used chemogenetic tools to manipulate specific neurons coupled with BAT temperature recording. Moreover, we developed a new TrkB agonist antibody to rescue the BAT thermogenesis deficits.ResultsWe show that selective disruption of Bdnf expression from promoter 1 (Bdnf-e1) resulted in severe obesity and deficits of BAT-mediated thermogenesis. Body temperature response to cold was impaired in Bdnf-e1-/- mice. BAT expression of Ucp1 and Pcg1a, genes known to regulate thermogenesis, was also reduced, accompanying a decrease in the sympathetic activity of BAT. Staining of cells expressing Bdnf-e1 transcript, combined with transsynaptic, retrograde-tracing labeling of BAT-connected neurons, identified a group of excitatory neurons in lateral hypothalamus (LH) critical for thermogenesis regulation. Moreover, an adaptive thermogenesis defect in Bdnf-e1-/- mice was rescued by injecting an agonistic antibody for TrkB, the BDNF receptor, into LH. Remarkably, activation of the excitatory neurons (VGLUT2+) in LH through chemogenetic tools resulted in a rise of BAT temperature.ConclusionsThese results reveal a specific role of BDNF promoter I in thermogenesis regulation and define a small subset of neurons in LH that contribute to such regulation.

Dataset Information

Effects of GABA and Leptin Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Lateral Hypothalamus on Feeding, Locomotion, and Thermogenesis.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Effects of GABA and Leptin Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Lateral Hypothalamus on Feeding, Locomotion, and Thermogenesis.

Similar Datasets

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