Profile of NE, DA and 5-HT activity shifts in medial hypothalamus perfused by 2-DG and insulin in the sated or fasted rat

High-fructose diet during periadolescent development increases depressive-like behavior and remodels the hypothalamic transcriptome in male rats

Fructose consumption, which promotes insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, has increased by over 25% since the 1970s. In addition to metabolic dysregulation, fructose ingestion stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to elevations in glucocorticoids. Adolescents are the greatest consumers of fructose, and adolescence is a critical period for maturation of the HPA axis. Repeated consumption of high levels of fructose during adolescence has the potential to promote long-term dysregulation of the stress response. Therefore, we determined the extent to which consumption of a diet high in fructose affected behavior, serum corticosterone, and hypothalamic gene expression using a whole-transcriptomics approach. In addition, we examined the potential of a high-fructose diet to interact with exposure to chronic adolescent stress. Male Wistar rats fed the periadolescent high-fructose diet showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze and depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test in adulthood, irrespective of stress history. Periadolescent fructose-fed rats also exhibited elevated basal corticosterone concentrations relative to their chow-fed peers. These behavioral and hormonal responses to the high-fructose diet did not occur in rats fed fructose during adulthood only. Finally, rats fed the high-fructose diet throughout development underwent marked hypothalamic transcript expression remodeling, with 966 genes (5.6%) significantly altered and a pronounced enrichment of significantly altered transcripts in several pathways relating to regulation of the HPA axis. Collectively, the data presented herein indicate that diet, specifically one high in fructose, has the potential to alter behavior, HPA axis function, and the hypothalamic transcriptome in male rats.

Brain glucose and insulin: effects on food intake and brain biogenic amines of rainbow trout

The effects of central (intracerebroventricular, 9 microg fish(-1)) and peripheral (intraperitoneal, 4 mg kg(-1)) administration of bovine insulin, as well as the effect of hyperglycemia (oral administration of 1 g glucose fish(-1)) and brain glucodeprivation (intracerebroventricular administration of 2-deoxy-D-glucose) on food intake and levels of brain (telencephalon, preoptic area, and hypothalamus) biogenic amines (serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline and their metabolites 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) were assessed on rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss). Treatment with insulin inhibited food intake after 26 or 52 h of administration, central or peripheral, respectively. This effect was still apparent after 74 h of central treatment. When assessing changes in the levels of biogenic amines after 26 h of central insulin administration, there was a significant increase in the levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and in the ratio of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid/dopamine of insulin-treated fish, in telencephalon and hypothalamus, respectively. These results suggest that peripherally administered insulin is involved in a feedback regulatory loop with food intake and body weight. Moreover, at least part of the effects of insulin could be mediated by hypothalamic dopaminergic activity. The strong hyperglycemia induced by oral administration of glucose did not induce significant changes either on food intake (control versus treated), or in brain levels of biogenic amines. The intracerebroventricular administration of 2-deoxy-D-glucose induced an increase in food intake without altering plasma glucose levels, suggesting that fish brain possesses a control system for detecting hypoglycemia in plasma and therefore keep brain glucose levels high enough for brain function.

Baclofen prevents MDMA-induced rise in core body temperature in rats

A number of deaths have been attributed to severe hyperthermia resulting from the ingestion of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The mechanisms underlying these events are unclear. In an attempt to further advance our understanding of these mechanism the present study investigated the effects of the selective GABA(A) agonist muscimol and the GABA(B) agonist baclofen on MDMA-induced responses in the rat. Baclofen at 1 and 3 mg/kg and muscimol at 0.3 and 1 mg/kg administered alone had no effect on heart rate, core body temperature or spontaneous locomotor activity as measured by radiotelemetry. MDMA at 15 mg/kg produced a significant increase in heart rate, body temperature and locomotor activity (P < 0.005) which were unaffected by prior treatment with muscimol. In contrast, prior treatment with baclofen (3 mg/kg) resulted in MDMA causing a sustained lowering of body temperature (P < 0.05), with no effect on heart rate and a small transient delay in the increase in locomotor activity. Baclofen pretreatment (3 mg/kg) not only prolonged the time taken for animals to reach a core body temperature of 40 degrees C (P < 0.001), but also reduced the percentage of rats attaining a core body temperature of 40 degrees C. These data suggest that stimulation of GABA(B) receptors may provide a mechanism for the treatment of MDMA-induced hyperthermia.

Altered feeding responses in mice with targeted disruption of the dopamine-3 receptor gene

Dopamine signaling has been implicated in the control of food intake and body weight. In particular, dopamine is important in the control of meal size and number and is thought to mediate the response to metabolic deprivation states. In the present experiments, the authors assessed the role of the dopamine-3 receptor (D3R) in the feeding responses to 2-deoxy-D-glucose, mercaptoacetate, and peripheral insulin. All 3 compounds increased food intake in wild-type mice, but the hyperphagic responses were blunted in D3R-/- mice. In other experiments, D3R-/- mice were hyperresponsive to the administration of amylin and leptin relative to wild-type mice. These results support the hypothesis that D3Rs chronically inhibit the effects of adiposity hormones, thereby contributing to a net anabolic state.

Macronutrient-induced cascade of events leading to parallel changes in hypothalamic serotonin and insulin

Extracellular serotonin (5-HT) and insulin from hypothalamic PVN-VMH region follow parallel changes in response to specific macronutrient ingestion. Possible independent or causal mechanisms have been investigated. A common primary event might be pancreatic insulin secretion for both insulin entry into the brain and 5-HT synthesis through variations in the ratio of tryptophan over competitor amino acids. The steps of this cascade were found to account only partly for the changes in hypothalamic 5-HT and insulin. The central consequences of these metabolic effects may be modulated directly at the hypothalamic level. For instance, we observed a positive relation between the changes in insulin and 5-HT and the satiating potency of each nutrient. In addition, a direct action of dexfenfluramine on insulin has been found at the hypothalamic level showing that an activation of the serotonergic system immediately enhances insulin levels. This central event may be an important step in a cascade of events triggered by macronutrient ingestion leading to common hypothalamic insulin and 5-HT changes involved in feeding regulation.

Norepinephrine mediates glucoprivic-induced increase in GABA in the ventromedial hypothalamus of rats

Noradrenergic mechanisms in the hypothalamus may be involved in counterregulatory responses to glucoprivic episodes. After 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG; 1.2 mmol/kg iv), extracellular norepinephrine (NE) concentration in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMN) increased in a bimodal fashion to 251 +/- 39% (P < 0.001) and 150 +/- 17% (P < 0.001) of baseline during the first 30 min. In the lateral hypothalamus (LHA), NE decreased by 30 min (61 +/- 4%, P < 0.001) and no consistent changes were measured in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Because the NE response in the VMN after 2-DG followed the same pattern as GABA, the interaction between NE and GABA was evaluated. In the VMN, GABA had little effect on extracellular NE concentrations but NE increased GABA concentrations 166 +/- 13%, (P < 0.01). In the presence of yohimbine (alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist) the first GABA peak after 2-DG was absent, and the second GABA peak was absent in the presence of timolol (beta-adrenoceptor antagonist). These results support an interaction among noradrenergic and GABAergic systems in the VMN during glucoprivation and that increased NE mediates the increase in extracellular GABA after 2-DG.

Activation of hypothalamic insulin by serotonin is the primary event of the insulin-serotonin interaction involved in the control of feeding

In previous experiments, we reported a close parallelism in the responses of both serotonin (5-HT) and insulin in the hypothalamic PVN-VMH region of freely-moving rats during feeding. Thus, hypothalamic 5-HT and insulin may participate, independently or in interaction, in the control of carbohydrate and fat ingestion. The precedence of the activation of one or the other substance remained to be investigated. In adult male Wistar rats, (a) dexfenfluramine was administered to the PVN-VMH region by reverse microdialysis (80 microM for 10 min) while local insulin was assessed; (b) insulin was locally infused (400 mU for 10 min) through the tip of the dialysis probe while 5-HT was measured. Dexfenfluramine immediately increased 5-HT release, and also extracellular insulin levels (+102%). This activation of insulin by serotonin is actually a central effect since neither insulinemia nor glycemia were affected. Conversely, insulin enhanced 5-HT release (+81%), but only 45 min after the beginning of its infusion. Noradrenaline, dopamine and metabolites were slightly or not at all modified by insulin. These data demonstrate that an interaction does exist between insulin and 5-HT in the VMH-PVN area. Because of the delay of 5-HT response to insulin, an activation of the serotonergic system would be the causal event acting immediately on insulin, and not the contrary. Whatever the exact mechanism of this interaction, it seems to be a link in a larger cascade of events involving numerous neurotransmitters and peptides leading to the regulation of feeding.

Feeding-related dopamine in the amygdala of freely moving rats

Extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) were measured in the central part (the central and intercalated nuclei) of the amygdala (AMY) using microdialysis at 20 min intervals before, during and after 1 h of feeding in 12 h food-deprived rats. The results were compared with the effects of peripheral injections of glucose or a low dose (200 mU) of insulin in non-deprived animals. Feeding caused a 130% increase in extracellular DA. Glucose resulted in an increase in DA levels (+86%). In contrast, insulin caused a decrease of DA (-50%) and metabolites. The results show that natural feeding is associated with an increase in DA turnover in the amygdala, and that peripheral glucose and insulin can affect DA metabolism in the amygdala presumably in response to changes in glucose utilization.

Neuropeptide Y perfused in the preoptic area of rats shifts extracellular efflux of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin during hypothermia and feeding

This study examined the localized action of neuropeptide Y (NPY) on monoamine transmitter activity in the hypothalamus of the unrestrained rat as this peptide induced hypothermia, spontaneous feeding or both responses simultaneously. A guide tube was implanted in the anterior hypothalamic pre-optic area (AH/POA) of Sprague-Dawley rats. Then either control CSF vehicle or NPY in a dose of either 100 ng/microliter or 250 ng/microliter was perfused by push-pull cannulae in this structure in the fully sated, normothermic rat. Successive perfusions were carried out at a rate of 20 microliters/min for 6.0 min with an interval of 6.0 min elapsing between each. Samples of perfusate were assayed by HPLC for their levels of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT) and their respective metabolites. Whereas control CSF was without effect on body temperature (Tb) or feeding, repeated perfusions of NPY over 3.0 hr caused dose-dependent eating from 4 to 39 g of food, hypothermia of 0.9 to 2.3 degrees C or both responses concurrently. As the rats consumed 11-39 g of food, the efflux of NE, MHPG, DOPAC and 5-HT was enhanced significantly, whereas during the fall in Tb the efflux of NE, DOPAC and 5-HIAA from the AH/POA increased. When the Tb of the rat declined simultaneously with eating behavior, the levels in perfusate of DOPAC and HVA increased significantly while MHPG declined. During perfusion of the AH/POA with NPY the turnover of NE declined while DA and 5-HT turnover increased during hypothermia alone or when accompanied by feeding. These results demonstrate that the sustained elevation in NPY within the AH/POA causes a selective alteration in the activity of the neurotransmitters implicated in thermoregulation, satiety and hunger. These findings suggest that both DA and NE comprise intermediary factors facilitating the action of NPY on neurons involved in thermoregulatory and ingestive processes. The local activity of NPY on hypothalamic neurons apparently shifts the functional balance of serotonergic and catecholaminergic neurons now thought to play a primary role in the control of energy metabolism and caloric intake.

Indications of pre- and post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptor interactions in feeding behavior and neuroendocrine regulation

This bipartite study uses behavioral and biochemical means to explore the involvement of both pre- and post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors in the control of food intake and neuroendocrine regulation. In the pharmacological study, the administration of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT; 60 micrograms/kg b.wt., i.p.) to rats caused a significant increase in 2 h intake of a high carbohydrate (CARB)/sugar diet (P < 0.05) during the relatively inactive feeding period of the late light cycle. No significant change was detected in the intake of Purina laboratory chow at 2 h, or of the intake of either diet at 4 h and 24 h after 8-OH-DPAT administration. Injection of 8-OH-DPAT induced a drop in insulin levels in rats maintained on high CARB/sugar diets only (-90%; P < 0.05). It also caused an increase in circulating glucose levels in both high CARB/sugar (240%; P < 0.01) and chow fed (123%; P < 0.05) rats; it did so more intensely in high CARB/sugar-fed rats. In the biochemical study, radioligand binding techniques were used to assess 5-HT1A receptor density in the hypothalamus, as well as the relationship between 5-HT1A receptors and circulating levels of insulin and glucose. Chronic and acute administration (25 mg/kg b.wt./5 injections, and 50 mg/kg b.wt., respectively, i.p.) of the potent hypoglycemic agent tolbutamide (TOL) caused a significant increase in 5-HT1A receptor density (+243% and +132.6%, respectively; P < 0.05) in the medial hypothalamus but not in the lateral hypothalamus, as compared to vehicle-treated rats. Chronic glucose replacement therapy showed a trend towards reversing the depressed circulating glucose levels as well as the medial hypothalamic 5-HT1A receptor density to control levels. These studies indicate that the pre-synaptic mechanism of 8-OH-DPAT-induced hyperphagia may require specific circulating levels of insulin and glucose, which are regulated via post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors.

Insulin and glucose-induced changes in feeding and medial hypothalamic monoamines revealed by microdialysis in rats

Microdialysis from the ventromedian (VMH) and paraventricular (PVN) regions and simultaneous infusion of insulin alone (orexigenic) or with glucose (anorexigenic) was performed in the free-feeding rat. Intravenous insulin infusion (1 IU in 1 ml over 1 h) resulted in the expected glucoprivic feeding and a decrease in dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) with an increase in their respective metabolites, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA). These data are quite different from those observed in spontaneous ad lib feeding: increase in DA, 5-HT and 5-HIAA and decrease in DOPAC. These last changes were not superimposed on insulin effects when insulin-induced meals occurred. When food was not available, insulin infusion induced the same changes except an increase in DA levels which could probably be ascribed to stress. When insulin was infused together with a sufficient amount of glucose to prevent hypoglycemia, we observed the usual anorexigenic effect. Although this treatment had an effect on induced-feeding opposite to that following insulin alone, the changes in hypothalamic monoamines were similar. The only consistent overall change is finally the rise in 5-HIAA found in both spontaneous and induced feeding conditions. These data suggest that monoaminergic changes in the VMH and PVN are not directly implicated in the control of feeding but they rather reflect metabolic events that accompany this behavior.

Irreversible suppression of alcohol drinking in cyanamide-treated rats after sustained delivery of the 5-HT2 antagonist amperozide

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term effect of sustained treatment with amperozide, which has been shown to attenuate the volitional drinking of ethyl alcohol in the rat without side effects. Preference for alcohol first was induced pharmacologically in Sprague-Dawley rats by the inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase, cyanamide, administered in a dose of 10 mg/kg twice daily for 3 days. Then following a standard preference test, each rat was offered water and its maximally preferred concentration of alcohol which ranged from 7% to 15%. Following a 4-day pre-drug test, saline control vehicle or amperozide was administered for 7 days by an osmotic minipump implanted in the intrascapular space. A single dose of 208 micrograms/kg/h (i.e., 5.0 mg/kg/day) was selected on the basis of a prior dose response study of amperozide. During the interval of sustained release of amperozide, the consumption of alcohol declined significantly in terms of both absolute g/kg intake and proportion of alcohol to water. When the preference of the rats was retested at 4, 30, 70, 110, and 140 day intervals after the pump had exhausted amperozide, the absolute g/kg consumption of alcohol continued to decline significantly. Unlike other drugs, amperozide did not produce any side effects, particularly on the intake of food or water or on body weight, which suggests a pharmacological specificity of its action.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of intracisternal vs. intrahypothalamic 5,7-DHT on feeding elicited by hypothalamic infusion of NE

A variety of evidence has led to suggestions that brain serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) interact within the medial hypothalamus to control food intake. To test the possibility that chronic decrements in 5-HT might enhance NE-induced feeding, adult male rats were prepared with permanently indwelling cannulae aimed at the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), then received either intracisternal (IC) or PVN injections of the 5-HT neurotoxin, 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) vs. its vehicle, 1% ascorbic acid. Over a 4-week period, IC-5,7-DHT rats showed no signs of enhanced daily feeding or drinking. However, in 40-min intake tests, feeding but not drinking was enhanced by injecting 20 nmol NE into the PVN commencing 2 weeks after neurotoxin treatment. Terminal monoamine assays confirmed that IC-5,7-DHT produced large (80-90%) depletions of brain regional 5-HT. A functional index of 5-HT terminal damage was also implied by the impaired short-term feeding responses IC-5,7-DHT rats showed to the systemic administration of the 5-HT1A agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) when tested between 3 and 4 weeks after IC treatment. Over a comparable 4-week period, PVN-5,7-DHT rats also showed no tendencies to overeat or overdrink on a daily basis. However, in contrast to IC-5,7-DHT rats, they also showed no differences in their feeding or drinking responses to NE injections into the PVN. This was so despite reliable depletions of 5-HT in the hypothalamus (-28%) and hippocampus (-71%). These results support earlier work showing that neither widespread nor localized hypothalamic damage to brain 5-HT neurons produce chronic overeating. However, the data suggest that phasic enhancements of PVN NE activity may trigger enhanced feeding when there is widespread damage to brain 5-HT neurons, although the PVN does not appear to be the brain site mediating this effect.

Blood pressure response to hyperinsulinemia in salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rats

We investigated the role of insulin in salt-sensitive hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rats. The rats were kept in metabolic cages, and sodium intake and urinary sodium excretion were measured. In salt-sensitive rats receiving a 0.3% NaCl diet, sodium retention was significantly greater at weeks 1 and 2 in rats that received an insulin infusion than in those receiving a saline infusion. Mean arterial blood pressure and plasma norepinephrine levels were significantly higher at week 3 in insulin-treated rats than in saline-treated rats (mean arterial pressure, 137 +/- 3 mm Hg versus 119 +/- 3 mm Hg, p < 0.05; plasma norepinephrine, 0.40 +/- 0.02 ng/ml versus 0.27 +/- 0.01 ng/ml, p < 0.05). Insulin did not influence sodium retention, mean arterial pressure, or plasma norepinephrine in salt-resistant rats. Coadministration of an alpha-blocker (bunazosin, 10 mg/kg per day for 3 weeks) in salt-sensitive rats abolished the insulin-induced elevations in mean arterial pressure and sodium retention. When salt-sensitive rats were fed a low salt diet (0.03% NaCl), insulin did not raise mean arterial pressure. Thus, insulin elevated blood pressure only in the salt-sensitive model. The sympathetic nervous system and sodium retention in the early phase of insulin overload may contribute to elevation of mean arterial pressure in this model.

Norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-HT release from perfused hypothalamus of the rat during feeding induced by neuropeptide Y

In the unrestrained rat, the hyperphagic-like ingestion of food evoked by the sustained elevation of neuropeptide-Y (NPY) in the hypothalamus was correlated with the release and turnover of monoaminergic transmitters in this structure. A single guide tube was implanted stereotaxically in the perifornical region of the hypothalamus for localized push-pull perfusion of an artificial CSF vehicle or NPY1-36 in a concentration of 10, 50, or 100 ng/1.0 microliters. After the rat was fully satiated, a site reactive to NPY was perfused repeatedly at a rate of 20 microliters/min for 6.0 min with an interval of 6.0-12 min elapsing between each perfusion. Samples of perfusate were analyzed by HPLC with coulometric detection for DA, HVA, DOPAC, NE, MHPG, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA. Although control perfusions were without effect on feeding or monoamine activity, NPY evoked mean cumulative intakes of food of 14 +/- 2.4, 25.6 +/- 3.0 and 26.5 +/- 3.2 g in response to 10, 50, or 100 ng/microliter concentrations of NPY, respectively, over the 4.0-5.0 hr test interval. HPLC analyses showed that during feeding the release of both NE and DA was enhanced significantly. The turnover of both catecholamines likewise increased significantly as reflected by the elevated levels of MHPG, DOPAC and HVA. However, neither the basal efflux of 5-HT nor its turnover, as reflected by the output of 5-HIAA, was affected during feeding induced by NPY perfused in the hypothalamus. These results suggest that a sustained elevation of NPY in the hypothalamus causes a perturbation in the basal activity of NE and DA which are both implicated in the neuronal mechanism regulating normal eating behavior. Thus, these catecholamine neurotransmitters are envisaged to comprise an intermediary step in the functional role played by NPY in the hypothalamus in integrating the control of energy metabolism and caloric intake.

Effect of stress on hypothalamic insulin in rats

Four experiments examined the effects of stress on hypothalamic insulin and plasma hormones in rats. Two hours daily of immobilization (IM) stress for 2 and 4 days resulted in an increase in hypothalamic insulin. In contrast, 15 min of daily IM over 13 days or 48 h of continuous signalled shock avoidance did not alter hypothalamic insulin. These findings are interpreted to indicate that changes in hypothalamic insulin are part of the stress response. Possible reasons for the different effects of time and paradigm on the hypothalamic insulin responses to stress are discussed. Plasma insulin and glucose levels were not responsive to any of the stressors. Brief acute stress caused increases in the stress-responsive hormones ACTH, corticosterone, and prolactin, as expected, and these responses attenuated or disappeared with repeated or longer stress exposures.

GABAA receptors in the amygdala: role in feeding in fasted and satiated rats

The purpose of this study was to clarify further the site of action in the amygdala as well as functional characteristics of feeding in response to two GABA receptor agonists. Guide cannulae for microinjection were implanted stereotaxically in the rat just above the central nucleus of the amygdala (CNA). Microinjections of 0.05, 0.25, 0.5 or 1.0 nmol muscimol, a GABAA-selective receptor agonist, produced a dose- and time-dependent decrease of food intake in both the satiated and fasted rat. The bilateral injection of muscimol into the amygdala was more effective than a unilateral injection during the first 2 h, although the overall effects were similar. Microinjection of 0.1 nmol bicuculline methiodide, a GABAA receptor antagonist, into the CNA significantly blocked this inhibitory effect of 0.05 and 0.5 nmol muscimol again in both the satiated and fasted rat. Doses of 0.05, 0.5, 5.0 and 10.0 nmol of the selective GABAB agonist, baclofen, injected into homologous sites in the CNA did not alter food intake. These findings support the viewpoint that the amygdala and its central nucleus comprise a pivotal region involved in the mechanisms underlying the control of feeding behavior. Further, it is envisaged that hypophagic or anorexic responses are induced through the activation of GABAA receptors by the presynaptic release of GABA from neurons which form a component of the anatomical system for hunger and satiety.

A comparison of the effects of the 5-HT1 agonists TFMPP and RU 24969 on feeding following peripheral or medial hypothalamic injection

Experiments were conducted to compare the food intake suppressant effects of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1 agonists 1-3-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine hydrochloride (TFMPP) and 5-methoxy-3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridinyl)1H indole (RU 24969) following either peripheral or medial hypothalamic injections. The effects of these manipulations were examined in 3 different paradigms involving the stimulation of feeding by: (1) infusion of 25 nmol noradrenaline (NA) into the medial hypothalamus, (2) adaptation to a 20 h food deprivation schedule, and (3) the presentation of a palatable wet mash diet for 1 h each day to ad libitum-fed rats. In all 3 paradigms TFMPP and RU 24969 (0.31-5 mg/kg, i.p.) induced dose-dependent reductions of food intake. Both drugs were somewhat less potent at inhibiting feeding that resulted from food deprivation. In contrast to these results medial hypothalamic infusion of TFMPP or RU 24969 (12.5-50 nmol) failed to affect food intake in any of the 3 tests. This occurred in spite of the fact that both 5-HT (12.5-50 nmol) and fluoxetine (12.5-50 nmol) mildly attenuated the feeding that resulted from NA infusion into the same site. The results provide clear evidence that the food intake suppressant effects of peripherally injected TFMPP and RU 24969 are not mediated in the medial hypothalamus. They also suggest that even though manipulations of serotonergic function within the medial hypothalamus can alter food intake, this probably does not involve selective activation of 5-HT1C and/or 5-HT1B receptors.

Insulin and the paraventricular hypothalamus: modulation of energy balance

The effects of insulin injections (0.1, 1, 10 and 40 mU) into the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN) were investigated in an open-circuit calorimeter. Wistar rats were tested, with no food available during the tests. The 0.1 and 1 mU doses had no effects on either respiratory quotient or energy expenditure. The 10 mU dose increased respiratory quotient which indicates increased dependency on carbohydrates as an energy substrate. The same dose had no effects on thermogenesis. In contrast, the 40 mU dose decreased respiratory quotient which indicates increased dependency on fats as an energy substrate. The higher dose also increased thermogenesis. Since neither dose significantly affected locomotor activity, the metabolic data are not confounded with activity effects. These data indicate that insulin in the PVN produces a primary modulation of the metabolic parameters central to maintaining energy balance. In separate experiments, the 4 doses of insulin reduced food intake and body weight over a 24 h period. They also produced a dose-related increase in blood glucose concentration over a one hour period. Taken together, these findings are interpreted in a model in which insulin in the PVN acts as a signal indicating increased body fat. This increases thermogenesis, fat utilization and glycemic levels, and inhibits feeding. The net effect of this integrated metabolic-behavioural response is a regulatory reduction in body fat.

Hypothermia and feeding induced simultaneously in rats by perfusion of neuropeptide Y in preoptic area

Changes in the body temperature (Tbo) of the unrestrained rat as well as the hyperphagic-like ingestion of food were simultaneously determined during the sustained elevation of neuropeptide Y1-36 (NPY) within the anterior hypothalamic preoptic area (AH/POA). A single guide tube was implanted stereotaxically in each rat for repeated perfusions by means of push-pull cannulae of either the CSF solvent vehicle or NPY. Following postoperative recovery, each site in the AH/POA was perfused for 6.0 min at a rate of 20 microliters/min over four successive intervals at a concentration of 100 ng/1.0 microliters or 250 ng/1.0 microliters, with an interval of 6.0 min intervening between perfusions. During repeated perfusions of NPY in the fully sated and normothermic rat, concentration-dependent eating, or a hypothermia or both responses occurred simultaneously. Mean cumulative intakes of food over 3.0 h were 12.1 +/- 1.4 and 21.5 +/- 2.7 g following the 100 and 250 ng concentrations of NPY, respectively. The mean maximal declines in Tbo were -0.92 +/- 0.21 and -1.1 +/- 0.28 degrees C, respectively after the lower and higher concentrations of the peptide. Push-pull perfusions of artificial CSF control vehicle at homologous anatomical sites in the AH/POA were without effect on feeding or the Tbo of the rats. These results demonstrate that repeated and sustained elevation of NPY in the AH/POA can cause a perturbation of the neuronal mechanisms underlying the normal "set-point" for body temperature as well as satiety.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anorexia and adipsia: dissociation from fever after MIP-1 injection in ventromedial hypothalamus and preoptic area of rats

Certain cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) act centrally to affect eating behavior and thermoregulation and may be involved in the physiological mechanisms leading to anorexia, adipsia and loss in body weight. The newly discovered macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1) infused into the anterior hypothalamic, preoptic area (AH/POA) evokes an intense hyperthermia. The present experiments were designed to determine whether MIP-1 affects the feeding mechanism in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) independently of the thermoregulatory mechanism in the AH/POA. For the microinjection of MIP-1, guide cannulae were implanted stereotaxically in the rat just above the VMH or AH/POA. Following postoperative recovery, each unrestrained rat was adapted to procedures whereby body temperature and intakes of food and water available ad lib were monitored at predetermined intervals. When an efficacious dose of 5.6 picograms (pg) MIP-1 was microinjected in a volume of 0.5 microliters into the VMH, the intake of food in the rat was reduced significantly in the short term and throughout the following 22 h. Within intervals of 30 min and 4.0 h following MIP-1, the amount of food consumed was 4.0 and 10 g, respectively, below that eaten by control rats given the saline solvent vehicle injected at the same site in the VMH. Over the entire test period, the intake of water was similarly significantly below that of the control rats. Whereas MIP-1 injected into the AH/POA evoked fever accompanied by a transient decline in feeding, the body temperature of the rats was unaffected by the cytokine injected in the VMH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Enhanced responses to stress induced by fat-feeding in rats: relationship between hypothalamic noradrenaline and blood glucose

High-fat-feeding in rats has been reported to enhance stress reactions, as assessed by elevation of blood glucose and corticosterone levels. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between changes in blood glucose and hypothalamic neuronal noradrenaline activity (HNNA), as indexed by the ratio of dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG) to noradrenaline (NA), following physiological stress in high-fat-fed rats. Two groups of adult male Wistar rats were fed isocaloric diets high in fat (59% of calories) or starch (70% of calories). After 3 weeks each of these groups was further subdivided into (a) control, (b) 2 min ambient temperature (20 degrees C) swim or (c) 2 min swim in ice-cold water. Animals were decapitated 20 min after commencing the swim; trunk blood and a sample of medial basal hypothalamus were obtained. Computerized gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to measure hypothalamic DHPG and NA concentrations. There were no differences between fat- and starch-fed rats in basal levels of serum glucose, insulin or corticosterone and no differences in DHPG, NA or DHPG/NA ratio. Compared to starch-fed rats, ambient swim stress in the fat-fed group produced significantly larger serum glucose (P less than 0.01), serum corticosterone (P less than 0.05), DHPG (P less than 0.05) and DHPG/NA (P less than 0.01) responses. Following cold swim stress similar differences between fat- and starch-fed animals were observed. In addition, serum insulin was found to be significantly suppressed in the fat-fed group (P less than 0.05) following cold swim.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of intracerebroventricularly administered neostigmine on sympathetic neural activities of peripheral tissues in rats

Sympathetic nervous activity (SNA) in the liver, heart, pancreas and interscapular brown adipose tissue was examined 60 min after the third cerebroventricular injection of neostigmine (5 x 10(-8) mol) in rats. We employed the technique of specific gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for simultaneous analysis of norepinephrine (NE) and its primary neuronal metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG) and used the ratio DHPG/NE as an index of SNA. Neostigmine produced significant increases in the DHPG/NE ratio in all tissues investigated. Co-administration of atropine with neostigmine completely inhibited this neostigmine-induced effect. These findings suggest that the central cholinergic-muscarinic activation with neostigmine stimulates SNA in the peripheral tissues examined.

Medial basal hypothalamic monoamine activity associated with intracerebroventricular p-chlorophenylalanine-induced hyperphagia

There is evidence for reciprocal interactions between the brain monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenaline which may play a critical role in homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to establish the effect of drug-induced damage to the serotoninergic system on noradrenergic activity in the hypothalamus. Bilateral intracerebroventricular injections of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA; 3 mg/kg in 2 x 6 microliters) were made to induce destruction in the serotoninergic system. Relative to saline-injected controls, PCPA-injected rats began overeating by 3 days postinjection. On day 10, when the experimental rats were consuming approximately 120% that of controls, animals were 4-h food deprived, sacrificed and the medial basal hypothalamus was removed for later analysis (by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) of noradrenaline (NA), serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) and their principal metabolites dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), respectively. The ratio of metabolite to monoamine provided an index of functional activity. Trunk blood was collected for analysis of serum insulin and glucose. PCPA-injected animals had higher levels of DHPG (P less than 0.05), an increase in the DHPG/NA ratio (P less than 0.02), lower serum insulin (P less than 0.05) and increased serum glucose (P less than 0.05). There were significant correlations between noradrenergic activity (DHPG/NA ratio) and: (1) food intake (day 9 and 10 average; r = 0.62, P less than 0.05); and (2) serum glucose (r = 0.59, P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of systemic 8-OH-DPAT on the feeding induced by hypothalamic NE infusion

Past research suggests that activating brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) systems can inhibit feeding induced by activating brain norepinephrine (NE) systems. To explore this interaction more fully, we tested the capacity of the endogenous 5-HT release inhibitor, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), to enhance feeding stimulated by infusing NE into the medial hypothalamus. All experiments were conducted using ad lib-fed adult male rats with indwelling cannulae aimed at the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In the first study, proven PVN-NE responders were tested for 40-min food intake after receiving 20 nanomoles (nmol) 1-NE or saline in the PVN following subcutaneous (SC) pretreatment with 250 micrograms/kg 8-OH-DPAT or saline. Both drugs produced equivalent, reliable increments in feeding compared to PVN-saline. However, no additivity or synergy was seen when they were combined. Short-term water intake was unaffected by these treatments as was subsequent food or water intake over the next 22 hr. In a second study, additional proven PVN-NE responders were tested under two comparable conditions when 1) the 8-OH-DPAT dose was left at 250 micrograms/kg but the NE dose was lowered to 10 nmol, and 2) the 8-OH-DPAT dose was lowered to 120 micrograms/kg and the NE dose was increased to 40 nmol. In the first case, no reliable feeding was seen in response to either agent alone or combined. In the second case, NE alone enhanced feeding but 8-OH-DPAT did not. The combination of both produced the same enhanced feeding as seen with NE alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)