Hypothalamic Monoaminergic Activity in 11-Week-Old Cold-Exposed Female Lean(Fa/Fa)and Obese(fa/fa)Zucker Rats

Extracellular hypothalamic serotonin levels after dorsal raphe nuclei stimulation of lean (Fa/Fa) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats

Serotonin (5-HT), acting in the medial hypothalamus (MH), is involved in appetite/satiety and sympathetic stimulation of thermogenesis. This study tested the hypothesis that the enhanced energetic efficiency of obese Zucker rats is associated with a reduced capacity of activated dorsal raphe (DR) neurons to release 5-HT in the MH. We used microdialysis and HPLC-EC to measure dynamic changes in extracellular 5-HT levels in the MH of urethane-anesthetized, 10-14 week old male lean and obese Zucker rats. These concentrations did not differ significantly between the two genotypes prior to stimulation (mean+/-S.E.M.=3.8+/-0.5 fmol/microl, lean; 3.6+/-1.0 fmol/microl, obese) or following DR stimulation at 25 Hz (200 microA). The latter elicited initial net increases of 0.54+/-0.15 fmol/microl in lean and 0.58+/-0.20 fmol/microl in obese rats; and 20 min post-stimulus, 5-HT values were still elevated and comparable in the two genotypes. Although a 50-Hz (200 microA) stimulus evoked initial increases that were similar in lean (1.37+/-0.23 fmol/microl) and obese (0.95+/-0.24 fmol/microl,) rats, the net increase in 5-HT concentration during the next 20-40 min period was higher in the lean (2.03+/-0.55 fmol/microl vs. 1.18+/-0.24 fmol/microl in the obese animals). Also, in the lean, but not obese rats, extracellular 5-HT levels were significantly greater at 50 vs. 25 Hz. These results support the hypothesis that the capacity of midbrain serotonergic neurons to release 5-HT at the MH is reduced in obese Zucker rats, consistent with their blunted responsiveness to dietary stimuli and greater energetic efficiency.

Adiposity and serum leptin increase in fatty (fa/fa) BNZ neonates without decreased VMH serotonergic activity

Decreased ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) serotonergic activity occurs in genetic and diet-induced animal models of obesity. We previously found that this activity was lower in adult and in 12-day-old Zucker fa/fa vs. Fa/Fa pups, the fa/fa animals being identified by their greater adiposity. In the present study, we evaluated fa/fa rats (Brown Norway-Zucker hybrids) at ages 2, 4, 7, and 12 days to test the hypothesis that lower VMH serotonergic activity occurs before increased adiposity and/or attenuated energy expenditure. Our results negate this hypothesis. VMH serotonergic activity showed no consistent genotype differences even at 12 days of age. In contrast, by day 7, fa/fa vs. Fa/Fa pups had higher serum leptin concentrations, greater percent body fat, lower resting and cold-induced energy expenditure, and lower activity of brown fat thyroxine 5'-deiodinase, an enzyme that converts thyroxine to triiodothyronine. We conclude that the onset of increased adiposity induced by the fa gene does not require decreased VMH serotonergic activity and that the lower serotonergic activity seen in older fa/fa pups may be secondary to metabolic consequences of the disruption of the leptin regulatory pathway.

Phosphorylation modulates the activity of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus

Regulation of the ATP-sensitive K+ (K-ATP) channel was examined in cell-attached and inside-out membrane patches of freshly isolated neurons from the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN) of 7-14 day old male Sprague-Dawley rats. When inside-out patches were exposed to symmetrical K+, the reversal potential was -2.85 +/- 1.65 mV, the single channel conductance 46 pS, and the total conductance varied as a multiple of this value. Glucose (10 mM) reversibly inhibited channel activity in cell-attached preparations by 81%. In the presence of 0.1 mM ADP, 10, 5, and 1 mM ATP reversibly inhibited VMN K-ATP channels in inside-out patches by 88, 83, and 60%, respectively. This inhibition was not dependent on phosphorylation since 5 mM AMPPNP, the non-hydrolyzable analog of ATP, reversibly inhibited channel activity by 67%. Relatively high concentrations of glibenclamide (100 microM) also reversibly inhibited VMN K-ATP channel activity in cell attached and inside-out patches by 67 and 79%, respectively. Finally, the non-specific kinase inhibitor H7 (200 microM) decreased channel activity by 53% while the non-specific phosphatase inhibitor microcystin (250 nM) increased channel activity by 218%. These data suggest that while the inhibitory effect of ATP is not phosphorylation dependent, phosphorylation state is an important regulator of the VMN K-ATP channel.

Hypothalamic monoaminergic activity in obese Zucker rats in response to acute and chronic dietary stimuli

Monoamine neuromodulators link diet-related signals with autonomic responses in the regulation of energy balance. In view of evidence that sympathetically mediated expenditure is blunted in genetically obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats, a central defect in neurochemical activity has been proposed. This study tested the hypothesis that genotypic differences in monoaminergic activity in the hypothalamus underlie a blunted sensitivity of fa/fa rats to acute and chronic dietary stimuli, leading to less effective modulation of energy metabolism. Homozygous lean and obese Zucker rats were fed a protein-restricted (PR, protein = 8% of total dietary energy) or control (CF, 21% protein) diet from the age of 5 wk. At 10 wk of age, postprandial oxygen consumption (thermic effect of food, TEF) and levels of brown adipose tissue (BAT) uncoupling protein were significantly elevated (P < 0.0005) in PR vs. CF lean rats. Serotonin turnover was significantly (P < 0.0014) greater in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of meal-fed lean PR (vs. CF) rats, consistent with the suggestion that VMH serotonin release stimulates sympathetic outflow and may signal a heightened drive for protein intake. Serotonergic activity, BAT uncoupling protein, and TEF were not elevated in PR obese rats in response to a test meal, supporting the view that activation of sympathetic outflow in response to diet-related stimuli in fa/fa rats is impaired.

Adrenalectomy increases serotonin turnover in brains of obese Zucker rats

Because adrenalectomy tends to normalize many metabolic abnormalities of obese Zucker rats, we hypothesized that it would also normalize the depressed serotonergic turnover in their ventromedial nucleus (VMN). Lean (Fa/Fa) and obese (fa/fa) male Zucker rats were adrenalectomized or sham operated when 5 wks old and sacrificed at 11 wks. Their brains were frozen, and 13 areas were dissected for HPLC-EC analysis of monoamines and metabolites. Consistent with previous studies, VMN serotonin turnover (indexed by 5-HIAA/5-HT) was lower in obese than lean sham-operated rats. Monoamine and metabolite concentrations were altered in several other brain areas as well. Adrenalectomy reduced percent body fat and elevated VMN serotonergic turnover more in obese than in lean rats. It also stimulated serotonergic turnover in almost every brain area examined. We conclude that in obese Zucker rats: monoaminergic activity is altered in several brain areas involved in regulating energy balance; adrenalectomy normalizes the reduced VMN serotonergic turnover seen in the obese rats; and adrenalectomy results in a generalized increase in central serotonergic turnover. These data are consistent with serotonin's role in inhibiting food intake and enhancing sympathetic stimulation of energy metabolism.