A subpopulation of agouti-related peptide neurons exciting corticotropin-releasing hormone axon terminals in median eminence led to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation in response to food restriction.

ABSTRACT: The excitatory action of gamma-aminobutyric-acid (GABA) in the median-eminence (ME) led to the steady-state release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from CRH axon terminals, which modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, in ME, the source of excitatory GABAergic input is unknown. We examined agouti-related peptide (AgRP) expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus as a possible source for excitatory GABAergic input. Here, we show that a subpopulation of activated AgRP neurons directly project to the CRH axon terminals in ME elevates serum corticosterone levels in 60% food-restricted mice. This increase in serum corticosterone is not dependent on activation of CRH neuronal soma in the paraventricular nucleus. Furthermore, conditional deletion of Na⁺

SUBMITTER: Yesmin R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9557964 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature