Oxytocin-immunoreactive innervation of identified neurons in the rat dorsal vagal complex

AgRP neurons mediate activity-dependent development of oxytocin connectivity and autonomic regulation

During postnatal life, the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin is required for proper targeting of neural inputs to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) and impacts the activity of neurons containing agouti-related peptide (AgRP) in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Activity-dependent developmental mechanisms are known to play a defining role during postnatal organization of neural circuits, but whether leptin-mediated postnatal neuronal activity specifies neural projections to the PVH or impacts downstream connectivity is largely unexplored. Here, we blocked neuronal activity of AgRP neurons during a discrete postnatal period and evaluated development of AgRP inputs to defined regions in the PVH, as well as descending projections from PVH oxytocin neurons to the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) and assessed their dependence on leptin or postnatal AgRP neuronal activity. In leptin-deficient mice, AgRP inputs to PVH neurons were significantly reduced, as well as oxytocin-specific neuronal targeting by AgRP. Moreover, downstream oxytocin projections from the PVH to the DVC were also impaired, despite the lack of leptin receptors found on PVH oxytocin neurons. Blocking AgRP neuron activity specifically during early postnatal life reduced the density of AgRP inputs to the PVH, as well as the density of projections from PVH oxytocin neurons to the DVC, and these innervation deficits were associated with dysregulated autonomic function. These findings suggest that postnatal targeting of descending PVH oxytocin projections to the DVC requires leptin-mediated AgRP neuronal activity, and represents a novel activity-dependent mechanism for hypothalamic specification of metabolic circuitry, with consequences for autonomic regulation.

Significance statement

Hypothalamic neural circuits maintain homeostasis by coordinating endocrine signals with autonomic responses and behavioral outputs to ensure that physiological responses remain in tune with environmental demands. The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) plays a central role in metabolic regulation, and the architecture of its neural inputs and axonal projections is a defining feature of how it receives and conveys neuroendocrine information. In adults, leptin regulates multiple aspects of metabolic physiology, but it also functions during development to direct formation of circuits controlling homeostatic functions. Here we demonstrate that leptin acts to specify the input-output architecture of PVH circuits through an activity-dependent, transsynaptic mechanism, which represents a novel means of sculpting neuroendocrine circuitry, with lasting effects on how the brain controls energy balance.

The Role of Central Oxytocin in Autonomic Regulation

Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide originating from the hypothalamus and traditionally associated with peripheral functions in parturition and lactation, has emerged as a pivotal player in the central regulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This comprehensive ANS, comprising sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric components, intricately combines sympathetic and parasympathetic influences to provide unified control. The central oversight of sympathetic and parasympathetic outputs involves a network of interconnected regions spanning the neuroaxis, playing a pivotal role in the real-time regulation of visceral function, homeostasis, and adaptation to challenges. This review unveils the significant involvement of the central OXT system in modulating autonomic functions, shedding light on diverse subpopulations of OXT neurons within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and their intricate projections. The narrative progresses from the basics of central ANS regulation to a detailed discussion of the central controls of sympathetic and parasympathetic outflows. The subsequent segment focuses specifically on the central OXT system, providing a foundation for exploring the central role of OXT in ANS regulation. This review synthesizes current knowledge, paving the way for future research endeavors to unravel the full scope of autonomic control and understand multifaceted impact of OXT on physiological outcomes.

A neural circuit for gastric motility disorders driven by gastric dilation in mice

Introduction

Symptoms of gastric motility disorders are common clinical manifestations of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), and are triggered and exacerbated by stress, but the neural pathways underpinning them remain unclear.

Methods

We set-up a mouse model by gastric dilation (GD) in which the gastric dynamics were assessed by installing strain gauges on the surface of the stomach. The neural pathway associated with gastric motility disorders was investigated by behavioral tests, electrophysiology, neural circuit tracing, and optogenetics and chemogenetics involving projections of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) to acetylcholine (ChAT) neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV).

Results

We found that GD induced gastric motility disorders were accompanied by activation of PVN ^CRH neurons, which could be alleviated by strategies that inhibits the activity of PVN ^CRH neurons. In addition, we identified a neural pathway in which PVN ^CRH neurons project into DMV ^ChAT neurons, modulated activity of the PVN ^CRH →DMV ^ChAT pathway to alleviate gastric motility disorders induced by GD.

Discussion

These findings indicate that the PVN ^CRH →DMV ^ChAT pathway may mediate at least some aspects of GD related gastric motility, and provide new insights into the mechanisms by which somatic stimulation modulates the physiological functions of internal organs and systems.

Stress-induced neuroplasticity in the gastric response to brainstem oxytocin in male rats

Previous studies have shown that pharmacological manipulations with stress-related hormones such as corticotropin-releasing factor and thyrotropin-releasing hormone induce neuroplasticity in brainstem vagal neurocircuits, which modulate gastric tone and motility. The prototypical antistress hormone oxytocin (OXT) has been shown to modulate gastric tone and motility via vagal pathways, and descending hypothalamic oxytocinergic inputs play a major role in the vagally dependent gastric-related adaptations to stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible cellular mechanisms through which OXT modulates central vagal brainstem and peripheral enteric neurocircuits of male Sprague-Dawley rats in response to chronic repetitive stress. After chronic (5 consecutive days) of homotypic or heterotypic stress load, the response to exogenous brainstem administration of OXT was examined using whole cell patch-clamp recordings from gastric-projecting vagal motoneurons and in vivo recordings of gastric tone and motility. GABAergic currents onto vagal motoneurons were decreased by OXT in stressed, but not in naïve rats. In naïve rats, microinjections of OXT in vagal brainstem nuclei-induced gastroinhibition via peripheral release of nitric oxide (NO). In stressed rats, however, the OXT-induced gastroinhibition was determined by the release of both NO and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Taken together, our data indicate that stress induces neuroplasticity in the response to OXT in the neurocircuits, which modulate gastric tone and motility. In particular, stress uncovers the OXT-mediated modulation of brainstem GABAergic currents and alters the peripheral gastric response to vagal stimulation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The prototypical antistress hormone, oxytocin (OXT), modulates gastric tone and motility via vagal pathways, and descending hypothalamic-brainstem OXT neurocircuits play a major role in the vagally dependent adaptation of gastric motility and tone to stress. The current study suggests that in the neurocircuits, which modulate gastric tone and motility, stress induces neuroplasticity in the response to OXT and may reflect the dysregulation observed in stress-exacerbated functional motility disorders.

Behavioral plasticity: Role of neuropeptides in shaping feeding responses

Behavioral plasticity refers to changes occurring due to external influences on an organism, including adaptation, learning, memory and enduring influences from early life experience. There are 2 types of behavioral plasticity: "developmental", which refers to gene/environment interactions affecting a phenotype, and "activational" which refers to innate physiology and can involve structural physiological changes of the body. In this review, we focus on feeding behavior, and studies involving neuropeptides that influence behavioral plasticity - primarily opioids, orexin, neuropeptide Y, and oxytocin. In each section of the review, we include examples of behavioral plasticity as it relates to actions of these neuropeptides. It can be concluded from this review that eating behavior is influenced by a number of external factors, including time of day, type of food available, energy balance state, and stressors. The reviewed work underscores that environmental factors play a critical role in feeding behavior and energy balance, but changes in eating behavior also result from a multitude of non-environmental factors, such that there can be no single mechanism or variable that can explain ingestive behavior.

Involvement of the Dorsal Vagal Complex in Alcohol-Related Behaviors

The neurobiological mechanisms that regulate the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are complex and involve a wide variety of within and between systems neuroadaptations. While classic reward, preoccupation, and withdrawal neurocircuits have been heavily studied in terms of AUD, viable treatment targets from this established literature have not proven clinically effective as of yet. Therefore, examination of additional neurocircuitries not classically studied in the context of AUD may provide novel therapeutic targets. Recent studies demonstrate that various neuropeptides systems are important modulators of alcohol reward, seeking, and intake behaviors. This includes neurocircuitry within the dorsal vagal complex (DVC), which is involved in the control of the autonomic nervous system, control of intake of natural rewards like food, and acts as a relay of interoceptive sensory information via interactions of numerous gut-brain peptides and neurotransmitter systems with DVC projections to central and peripheral targets. DVC neuron subtypes produce a variety of neuropeptides and transmitters and project to target brain regions critical for reward such as the mesolimbic dopamine system as well as other limbic areas important for the negative reinforcing and aversive properties of alcohol withdrawal such as the extended amygdala. This suggests the DVC may play a role in the modulation of various aspects of AUD. This review summarizes the current literature on neurotransmitters and neuropeptides systems in the DVC (e.g., norepinephrine, glucagon-like peptide 1, neurotensin, cholecystokinin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone), and their potential relevance to alcohol-related behaviors in humans and rodent models for AUD research. A better understanding of the role of the DVC in modulating alcohol related behaviors may lead to the elucidation of novel therapeutic targets for drug development in AUD.

Do oxytocin neurones affect feeding?

There has been a long history of research on the effects of oxytocin on feeding behaviour. The classic-held view is that the neurohormone is anorexigenic at least in rodents, although the data for humans are not so clear cut. Likewise, a physiological role for oxytocin is disputed. Thus, although pharmacological, anatomical and physiological data suggest oxytocin may have a function in satiety signalling, this view is not supported by the latest research using the genetic recording and manipulation of oxytocin neurones. Here, we avoid a discussion of the pharmacological effects of oxytocin and examine evidence, from both sides of the argument, concerning whether the endogenous oxytocin system has a role in the regulation of normal feeding.

Hindbrain Administration of Oxytocin Reduces Food Intake, Weight Gain and Activates Catecholamine Neurons in the Hindbrain Nucleus of the Solitary Tract in Rats

Existing studies show that CNS oxytocin (OT) signaling is important in the control of energy balance, but it is unclear which neurons may contribute to these effects. Our goals were to examine (1) the dose-response effects of acute OT administration into the third (3V; forebrain) and fourth (4V; hindbrain) ventricles to assess sensitivity to OT in forebrain and hindbrain sites, (2) the extent to which chronic 4V administration of OT reduces weight gain associated with the progression of diet-induced obesity, and (3) whether nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) catecholamine neurons are downstream targets of 4V OT. Initially, we examined the dose-response effects of 3V and 4V OT (0.04, 0.2, 1, or 5 μg). 3V and 4V OT (5 μg) suppressed 0.5-h food intake by 71.7 ± 6.0% and 60 ± 12.9%, respectively. 4V OT (0.04, 0.2, 1 μg) reduced food intake by 30.9 ± 12.9, 42.1 ± 9.4, and 56.4 ± 9.0%, respectively, whereas 3V administration of OT (1 μg) was only effective at reducing 0.5-h food intake by 38.3 ± 10.9%. We subsequently found that chronic 4V OT infusion, as with chronic 3V infusion, reduced body weight gain (specific to fat mass) and tended to reduce plasma leptin in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats, in part, through a reduction in energy intake. Lastly, we determined that 4V OT increased the number of hindbrain caudal NTS Fos (+) neurons (156 ± 25) relative to vehicle (12 ± 3). The 4V OT also induced Fos in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; marker of catecholamine neurons) (+) neurons (25 ± 7%) relative to vehicle (0.8 ± 0.3%). Collectively, these findings support the hypothesis that OT within the hindbrain is effective at reducing food intake, weight gain, and adiposity and that NTS catecholamine neurons in addition to non-catecholaminergic neurons are downstream targets of CNS OT.

Neurons and Astrocytes in Ventrolateral Periaqueductal Gray Contribute to Restraint Water Immersion Stress-Induced Gastric Mucosal Damage via the ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway

BACKGROUND

The restraint water immersion stress (RWIS) model includes both psychological and physical stimulation, which may lead to gastrointestinal disorders and cause gastric mucosal damage. The ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VLPAG) contributes to gastrointestinal function, but whether it is involved in RWIS-induced gastric mucosal damage has not yet been reported.

METHODS

The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, neuronal c-Fos, and phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 in the VLPAG after RWIS was assessed using western blotting and immunocytochemical staining methods. Lateral ventricle injection of astrocytic toxin L-a-aminoadipate and treatment with extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 signaling pathway inhibitor PD98059 were further used to study protein expression and distribution in the VLPAG after RWIS.

RESULTS

The expression of c-Fos, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 in the VLPAG significantly increased following RWIS and peaked at 1 hour after RWIS. Lateral ventricle injection of the astrocytic toxin L-a-aminoadipate significantly alleviated gastric mucosal injury and decreased the activation of neurons and astrocytes. Treatment with the ERK1/2 signaling pathway inhibitor PD98059 obviously suppressed gastric mucosal damage as well as the RWIS-induced activation of neurons and astrocytes in the VLPAG.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggested that activation of VLPAG neurons and astrocytes induced by RWIS through the ERK1/2 signaling pathway may play a critical role in RWIS-induced gastric mucosa damage.

Hypothalamic-vagal oxytocinergic neurocircuitry modulates gastric emptying and motility following stress

KEY POINTS

Stress triggers and exacerbates the symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorders, such as delayed gastric emptying and impaired gastric motility. Understanding the mechanisms by which the neural circuits, impaired by stress, are restored may help to identify potential targets for more effective therapeutic interventions. Oxytocin administration or release ameliorates the stress-induced delayed gastric emptying and motility. However, is it unclear whether the effects are mediated via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis or the oxytocinergic projections from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus to brainstem neurones of the dorsal vagal complex. We used Cre-inducible designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs to demonstrate the fundamental role of the oxytocinergic hypothalamic-vagal projections in the gastric adaptation to stress.

ABSTRACT

Stress triggers and exacerbates the symptoms of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, such as delayed gastric emptying and impaired gastric motility. The prototypical anti-stress hormone, oxytocin (OXT), plays a major role in the modulation of gastric emptying and motility following stress. It is not clear, however, whether the amelioration of dysregulated GI functions by OXT is mediated via an effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis or the oxytocinergic projections from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) to neurones of the dorsal vagal complex (DVC). In the present study we tested the hypothesis that the activity of hypothalamic-vagal oxytocinergic neurocircuits plays a major role in the gastric adaptation to stress. Cre-inducible designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) were injected into the DVC of rats and retrogradely transported to allow selective expression in OXT neurones in the PVN. Following acute stress and either chronic heterotypic (CHe) or chronic homotypic (CHo) stress, gastric emptying was assessed via the [13 C]-octanoic acid breath test, and gastric tone and motility were assessed via strain gauges sewn on the surface of the stomach. Activation of the hypothalamic-vagal oxytocinergic neurocircuitry, by DREADD agonist clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), prevented the delayed gastric emptying observed following acute or CHe stress, and 4th ventricular administration of CNO increased gastric tone and motility. Conversely, CNO-mediated inhibition of the hypothalamic-vagal oxytocinergic neurocircuitry prevented the CHo-induced adaptation in gastric emptying, and an increase in gastric tone and motility. Taken together, the data support the hypothesis that hypothalamic-vagal oxytocinergic neurocircuits play a major role in the modulation of gastric emptying and motility following stress.

Neuromechanism of acupuncture regulating gastrointestinal motility

Acupuncture has been used in China for thousands of years and has become more widely accepted by doctors and patients around the world. A large number of clinical studies and animal experiments have confirmed that acupuncture has a benign adjustment effect on gastrointestinal (GI) movement; however, the mechanism of this effect is unclear, especially in terms of neural mechanisms, and there are still many areas that require further exploration. This article reviews the recent data on the neural mechanism of acupuncture on GI movements. We summarize the neural mechanism of acupuncture on GI movement from four aspects: acupuncture signal transmission, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, the enteric nervous system, and the central nervous system.

Regulation of stress-induced gastric ulcers via central oxytocin and a potential mechanism through the VTA-NAc dopamine pathway

BACKGROUND

Oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in regulating gastric function. How OT regulates stress-induced gastric ulcers is not understood. We investigated OT's protective role in stress-induced gastric ulcers, with a focus on OT's interaction with the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine pathway.

METHODS

Drugs administration into the rats brain nuclei by brain stereotaxic apparatus, to examine related changes in gastric ulcer index, pH of gastric content, and mucus secretion, and to determine complex interactions between OT and DA systems in the regulation of stress and gastric functions.

KEY RESULTS

Neurons in the VTA were co-immunoreactive for the OT receptor (OTR) and DA. In a rat model of stress-induced ulcer, water-immersion restricted stress, direct administration of OT into the VTA significantly reduced gastric ulcer index and increased the pH of gastric content and mucus secretion. OT's effects were eliminated by pretreatment with the OTR antagonist atosiban in the VTA and weakened with pretreatment of the DA D2 receptor (DA D2R) antagonist raclopride in the NAc. In OTR gene knockout (Oxtr^-/- ) mice, OT's protective effect was lost. OT administered to the VTA of dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV)-lesioned rats had minimal protective effects on gastric mucosa.

CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES

This study provides important data necessary for a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between OT and DA systems in the regulation of stress and gastric functions. It provides relevant mechanistic clues into OT's role as a protective factor against stress-induced changes to gastric function.

Role of estrogen and stress on the brain-gut axis

Symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), including fullness, bloating, abdominal pain, and altered gastrointestinal (GI) motility, present a significant clinical problem, with a reported prevalence of 25%-40% within the general population. More than 60% of those affected seek and require healthcare, and affected individuals report a significantly decreased quality of life. FGIDs are highly correlated with episodes of acute and chronic stress and are increased in prevalence and reported severity in women compared with men. Although there is evidence that sex and stress interact to exacerbate FGID symptoms, the physiological mechanisms that mediate these sex-dependent disparities are incompletely understood, although hormonal-related differences in GI motility and visceral sensitivity have been purported to play a significant role in the etiology. In this mini review, we will discuss brain-gut axis control of GI motility and sensitivity, the influence of estrogen on GI motility and sensitivity, and stress modulation of the brain-gut axis.

Therapeutic Potential of Oxytocin in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Mechanisms and Signaling Pathways

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cardiovascular disease responsible for high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The major pathophysiological basis of CAD is atherosclerosis in association with varieties of immunometabolic disorders that can suppress oxytocin (OT) receptor (OTR) signaling in the cardiovascular system (CVS). By contrast, OT not only maintains cardiovascular integrity but also has the potential to suppress and even reverse atherosclerotic alterations and CAD. These protective effects of OT are associated with its protection of the heart and blood vessels from immunometabolic injuries and the resultant inflammation and apoptosis through both peripheral and central approaches. As a result, OT can decelerate the progression of atherosclerosis and facilitate the recovery of CVS from these injuries. At the cellular level, the protective effect of OT on CVS involves a broad array of OTR signaling events. These signals mainly belong to the reperfusion injury salvage kinase pathway that is composed of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt-endothelial nitric oxide synthase cascades and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2. Additionally, AMP-activated protein kinase, Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase signaling and many others are also implicated in OTR signaling in the CVS protection. These signaling events interact coordinately at many levels to suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines and the activation of apoptotic pathways. A particular target of these signaling events is endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial oxidative stress that interact through mitochondria-associated ER membrane. In contrast to these protective effects and machineries, rare but serious cardiovascular disturbances were also reported in labor induction and animal studies including hypotension, reflexive tachycardia, coronary spasm or thrombosis and allergy. Here, we review our current understanding of the protective effect of OT against varieties of atherosclerotic etiologies as well as the approaches and underlying mechanisms of these effects. Moreover, potential cardiovascular disturbances following OT application are also discussed to avoid unwanted effects in clinical trials of OT usages.

Insulin-responsive autonomic neurons in rat medulla oblongata

Low blood glucose activates brainstem adrenergic and cholinergic neurons, driving adrenaline secretion from the adrenal medulla and glucagon release from the pancreas. Despite their roles in maintaining glucose homeostasis, the distributions of insulin-responsive adrenergic and cholinergic neurons in the medulla are unknown. We fasted rats overnight and gave them insulin (10 U/kg i.p.) or saline after 2 weeks of handling. Blood samples were collected before injection and before perfusion at 90 min. We immunoperoxidase-stained transverse sections of perfused medulla to show Fos plus either phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) or choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Insulin injection lowered blood glucose from 4.9 ± 0.3 mmol/L to 1.7 ± 0.2 mmol/L (mean ± SEM; n = 6); saline injection had no effect. In insulin-treated rats, many PNMT-immunoreactive C1 neurons had Fos-immunoreactive nuclei, with the proportion of activated neurons being highest in the caudal part of the C1 column. In the rostral ventrolateral medulla, 33.3% ± 1.4% (n = 8) of C1 neurons were Fos-positive. Insulin also induced Fos in 47.2% ± 2.0% (n = 5) of dorsal medullary C3 neurons and in some C2 neurons. In the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), insulin evoked Fos in many ChAT-positive neurons. Activated neurons were concentrated in the medial and middle regions of the DMV beneath and just rostral to the area postrema. In control rats, very few C1, C2, or C3 neurons and no DMV neurons were Fos-positive. The high numbers of PNMT-immunoreactive and ChAT-immunoreactive neurons that express Fos after insulin treatment reinforce the importance of these neurons in the central response to a decrease in glucose bioavailability.

Ingestion of subthreshold doses of environmental toxins induces ascending Parkinsonism in the rat

Increasing evidence suggests that environmental neurotoxicants or misfolded α-synuclein generated by such neurotoxicants are transported from the gastrointestinal tract to the central nervous system via the vagus nerve, triggering degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and causing Parkinson's disease (PD). We tested the hypothesis that gastric co-administration of subthreshold doses of lectins and paraquat can recreate the pathology and behavioral manifestations of PD in rats. A solution containing paraquat + lectin was administered daily for 7 days via gastric gavage, followed by testing for Parkinsonian behavior and gastric dysmotility. At the end of the experiment, brainstem and midbrain tissues were analyzed for the presence of misfolded α-synuclein and neuronal loss in the SNpc and in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). Misfolded α-synuclein was found in DMV and SNpc neurons. A significant decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase positive dopaminergic neurons was noted in the SNpc, conversely there was no apparent loss of cholinergic neurons of the DMV. Nigrovagally-evoked gastric motility was impaired in treated rats prior to the onset of parkinsonism, the motor deficits of which were improved by l-dopa treatment. Vagotomy prevented the development of parkinsonian symptoms and constrained the appearance of misfolded α-synuclein to myenteric neurons. These data demonstrate that co-administration of subthreshold doses of paraquat and lectin induces progressive, l-dopa-responsive parkinsonism that is preceded by gastric dysmotility. This novel preclinical model of environmentally triggered PD provides functional support for Braak's staging hypothesis of idiopathic PD.

Central apelin administration and restraint stress induce hypothalamic cholecystokinin release via the APJ receptor

Exposure to an acute stressor induces up-regulation of apelin and cholecystokinin (CCK) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), which is the key brain centre integrating the stress-induced alterations in neuroendocrine, autonomic and behavioural functions. We tested the hypothesis that the release of CCK from the PVN is increased by centrally administered or stress-induced up-regulated endogenous apelin via the APJ receptor. Additionally, the effect of hypothalamic CCK on autonomic outflow was investigated under basal and stressed conditions. In vivo brain microdialysis was performed in rats that received (i) intra-PVN administration of apelin-13 or (ii) acute restraint stress (ARS). For chemical stimulation of the neurones in the PVN, a high concentration of KCl was applied by reverse microdialysis. CCK-8 levels in microdialysates were quantified by an enzyme immunoassay. The immunoreactivity of the APJ receptor and CCK was detected by immunofluorescence in hypothalamic sections. Heart rate variability was assessed in rats that received PVN stimulation or ARS following pre-administration of vehicle or CCK1 receptor antagonist lorglumide. Both intra-PVN exogenous apelin-13 and ARS increased the CCK-8 levels in dialysates significantly. The ARS-induced elevations in CCK levels were reversed by intra-PVN pre-administration of the APJ receptor antagonist F13A. Within the PVN, robust APJ receptor expression was detected on the CCK-producing mediocellular cells, in addition to the parvocellular neurones in the periventricular region. Dual immunoreactivity of APJ/CCK was observed in magnocellular cells to a lesser degree. Both exogenous apelin and ARS increased the CCK immunoreactivity markedly within the PVN, which was diminished significantly by F13A. Sympathetic tonus was increased markedly both by PVN stimulation and ARS, which was attenuated by lorglumide. These results revealed the interaction between apelin and CCK in the brain, suggesting that hypothalamic CCK may contribute to the apelin-induced alterations in autonomic outflow under stressed conditions.

Stress Adaptation Upregulates Oxytocin within Hypothalamo-Vagal Neurocircuits

Stress plays a pivotal role in the development and/or exacerbation of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) contains neurons that are part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as well as preautonomic neurons innervating, among other areas, gastric-projecting preganglionic neurons of the dorsal vagal complex (DVC). The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that stress adaptation upregulates oxytocin (OXT) within PVN-brainstem vagal neurocircuitry. The retrograde tracer cholera toxin B (CTB) was injected into the DVC of rats which, after post-surgical recovery, were pair-housed and exposed to either homo- or heterotypic stress for five consecutive days. Fecal pellets were counted at the end of each stress load. Two hours after the last stressor, the whole brain was excised. Brainstem and hypothalamic nuclei were analyzed immunohistochemically for the presence of both OXT-immunopositive cells in identified preautonomic PVN neurons as well as OXT fibers in the DVC. Rats exposed to chronic homotypic, but not chronic heterotypic stress, had a significant increase in both number of CTB+ OXT co-localized neurons in the PVN as well as density of OXT-positive fibers in the DVC compared to control rats. These data suggest that preautonomic OXT PVN neurons and their projections to the DVC increase following adaptation to stress, and suggest that the possible up-regulation of OXT within PVN-brainstem vagal neurocircuitry may play a role in the adaptation of GI responses to stress.

The Anorexigenic Neural Pathways of Oxytocin and Their Clinical Implication

Oxytocin was discovered in 1906 as a peptide that promotes delivery and milk ejection; however, its additional physiological functions were determined 100 years later. Many recent articles have reported newly discovered effects of oxytocin on social communication, bonding, reward-related behavior, adipose tissue, and muscle and food intake regulation. Because oxytocin neurons project to various regions in the brain that contribute to both feeding reward (hedonic feeding) and the regulation of energy balance (homeostatic feeding), the mechanisms of oxytocin on food intake regulation are complicated and largely unknown. Oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) receive neural projections from the arcuate nucleus (ARC), which is an important center for feeding regulation. On the other hand, these neurons in the PVN and supraoptic nucleus project to the ARC. PVN oxytocin neurons also project to the brain stem and the reward-related limbic system. In addition to this, oxytocin induces lipolysis and decreases fat mass. However, these effects in feeding and adipose tissue are known to be dependent on body weight (BW). Oxytocin treatment is more effective in food intake regulation and fat mass decline for individuals with leptin resistance and higher BW, but is known to be less effective in individuals with normal BW. In this review, we present in detail the recent findings on the physiological role of oxytocin in feeding regulation and the anorexigenic neural pathway of oxytocin neurons, as well as the advantage of oxytocin usage for anti-obesity treatment.

A Nigro-Vagal Pathway Controls Gastric Motility and Is Affected in a Rat Model of Parkinsonism

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In most patients with Parkinson's disease, gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunctions, such as gastroparesis and constipation, are prodromal to the cardinal motor symptoms of the disease. Sporadic Parkinson's disease has been proposed to develop after ingestion of neurotoxicants that affect the brain-gut axis via the vagus nerve, and then travel to higher centers, compromising the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and, later, the cerebral cortex. We aimed to identify the pathway that connects the brainstem vagal nuclei and the SNpc, and to determine whether this pathway is compromised in a rat model of Parkinsonism.

METHODS

To study this neural pathway in rats, we placed tracers in the dorsal vagal complex or SNpc; brainstem and midbrain were examined for tracer distribution and neuronal neurochemical phenotype. Rats were given injections of paraquat once weekly for 3 weeks to induce features of Parkinsonism, or vehicle (control). Gastric tone and motility were recorded after N-methyl-d-aspartate microinjection in the SNpc and/or optogenetic stimulation of nigro-vagal terminals in the dorsal vagal complex.

RESULTS

Stimulation of the SNpc increased gastric tone and motility via activation of dopamine 1 receptors in the dorsal vagal complex. In the paraquat-induced model of Parkinsonism, this nigro-vagal pathway was compromised during the early stages of motor deficit development.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified and characterized a nigro-vagal monosynaptic pathway in rats that controls gastric tone and motility. This pathway might be involved in the prodromal gastric dysmotility observed in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease.

Acute activation of GLP-1-expressing neurons promotes glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity

OBJECTIVE

Glucagon-like peptides are co-released from enteroendocrine L cells in the gut and preproglucagon (PPG) neurons in the brainstem. PPG-derived GLP-1/2 are probably key neuroendocrine signals for the control of energy balance and glucose homeostasis. The objective of this study was to determine whether activation of PPG neurons per se modulates glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in vivo.

METHODS

We generated glucagon (Gcg) promoter-driven Cre transgenic mice and injected excitatory hM3Dq-mCherry AAV into their brainstem NTS. We characterized the metabolic impact of PPG neuron activation on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity using stable isotopic tracers coupled with hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp.

RESULTS

We showed that after ip injection of clozapine N-oxide, Gcg-Cre lean mice transduced with hM3Dq in the brainstem NTS downregulated basal endogenous glucose production and enhanced glucose tolerance following ip glucose tolerance test. Moreover, acute activation of PPG neurons^NTS enhanced whole-body insulin sensitivity as indicated by increased glucose infusion rate as well as augmented insulin-suppression of endogenous glucose production and gluconeogenesis. In contrast, insulin-stimulation of glucose disposal was not altered significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that acute activation of PPG neurons in the brainstem reduces basal glucose production, enhances intraperitoneal glucose tolerance, and augments hepatic insulin sensitivity, suggesting an important physiological role of PPG neurons-mediated circuitry in promoting glycemic control and insulin sensitivity.

Central neuromechanisms underlying control of intragastric pressure through acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) in rats: the upper cervical cord is the key link between the ascending and descending pathways

Sensory inputs stimulated by Zusanli (ST36) acupuncture in the abdomen are known to converge in the upper cervical cord. However, it is unclear whether these inputs are subsequently conveyed to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and what kind of afferent fibers are involved. We focused on the upper cervical cord, where afferent inputs converge, and detected c-fos expression in oxytocinergic neurons. We found that Zusanli acupuncture therapy effectively elevated intragastric pressure, but inhibited expression of c-fos in oxytocinergic neurons of the paraventricular nucleus in upper cervical cord injured rats. These Zusanli acupuncture effects remained even after complete dorsal cord transection. However, after complete transection of the spinal cord or dorsolateral funiculus, the effects were significantly attenuated and even disappeared. These findings suggest that the paraventricular nucleus is responsible for pooling and integrating signals from the Zusanli acupuncture and sensory information from the intragastric pressure variation, thereby contributing to the regulation of intragastric pressure. The upper cervical cord serves as the key link between ascending and descending pathways, which conveys afferent inputs to the paraventricular nucleus through the dorsolateral funiculus.

Peripheral Administration of a Long-Acting Peptide Oxytocin Receptor Agonist Inhibits Fear-Induced Freezing

Oxytocin (OT) modulates the expression of social and emotional behaviors and consequently has been proposed as a pharmacologic treatment of psychiatric diseases, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia; however, endogenous OT has a short half-life in plasma and poor permeability across the blood-brain barrier. Recent efforts have focused on the development of novel drug delivery methods to enhance brain penetration, but few efforts have aimed at improving its half-life. To explore the behavioral efficacy of an OT analog with enhanced plasma stability, we developed PF-06655075 (PF1), a novel non–brain-penetrant OT receptor agonist with increased selectivity for the OT receptor and significantly increased pharmacokinetic stability. PF-06478939 was generated with only increased stability to disambiguate changes to selectivity versus stability. The efficacy of these compounds in evoking behavioral effects was tested in a conditioned fear paradigm. Both central and peripheral administration of PF1 inhibited freezing in response to a conditioned fear stimulus. Peripheral administration of PF1 resulted in a sustained level of plasma concentrations for greater than 20 hours but no detectable accumulation in brain tissue, suggesting that plasma or cerebrospinal fluid exposure was sufficient to evoke behavioral effects. Behavioral efficacy of peripherally administered OT receptor agonists on conditioned fear response opens the door to potential peripheral mechanisms in other behavioral paradigms, whether they are mediated by direct peripheral activation or feed-forward responses. Compound PF1 is freely available as a tool compound to further explore the role of peripheral OT in behavioral response.

Oxytocin: A Conditional Anorexigen whose Effects on Appetite Depend on the Physiological, Behavioural and Social Contexts

Central oxytocin suppresses appetite. Neuronal activity and the release of oxytocin coincide with satiation, as well as with adverse events (e.g. hyperosmolality, toxicity or excessive stomach distension) that necessitate an immediate termination of eating behaviour. Oxytocin also decreases consumption driven by reward, especially as derived from ingesting carbohydrates and sweet tastants. This review summarises current knowledge of the role of oxytocin in food intake regulation and highlights a growing body of evidence showing that oxytocin is a conditional anorexigen [i.e. its effects on appetite differ significantly with respect to certain (patho)physiological, behavioural and social contexts].

Activation of Medulla-Projecting Perifornical Neurons Modulates the Adrenal Sympathetic Response to Hypoglycemia: Involvement of Orexin Type 2 (OX2-R) Receptors

Iatrogenic hypoglycemia in response to insulin treatment is commonly experienced by patients with type 1 diabetes and can be life threatening. The body releases epinephrine in an attempt to counterregulate hypoglycemia, but the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain to be elucidated. Orexin neurons in the perifornical hypothalamus (PeH) project to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and are likely to be involved in epinephrine secretion during hypoglycemia. In anesthetized rats, we report that hypoglycemia increases the sympathetic preganglionic discharge to the adrenal gland by activating PeH orexin neurons that project to the RVLM (PeH-RVLM). Electrophysiological characterization shows that the majority of identified PeH-RVLM neurons, including a subpopulation of orexin neurons, are activated in response to hypoglycemia or glucoprivation. Furthermore, the excitatory input from the PeH is mediated by orexin type 2 receptors in the RVLM. These results suggest that activation of orexin PeH-RVLM neurons and orexin type 2 receptors in the RVLM facilitates epinephrine release by increasing sympathetic drive to adrenal chromaffin cells during hypoglycemia.

Arginine Vasopressin Injected into the Dorsal Motor Nucleus of the Vagus Inhibits Gastric Motility in Rats

Background. Until now, the effect of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the DMV on gastric motility and the possible modulating pathway between the DMV and the gastrointestinal system remain poorly understood. Objectives. We aimed to explore the role of AVP in the DMV in regulating gastric motility and the possible central and peripheral pathways. Material and Methods. Firstly, we microinjected different doses of AVP into the DMV and investigated its effects on gastric motility in rats. Then, the possible central and peripheral pathways that regulate gastric motility were also discussed by microinjecting SR49059 (a specific AVP receptor antagonist) into the DMV and intravenous injection of hexamethonium (a specific neuronal nicotinic cholinergic receptor antagonist) before AVP microinjection. Results. Following microinjection of AVP (180 pmol and 18 pmol) into the DMV, the gastric motility (including total amplitude, total duration, and motility index of gastric contraction) was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05). Moreover, the inhibitory effect of AVP (180 pmol) on gastric motility could be blocked completely by both SR49059 (320 pmol) and hexamethonium (8 μmol). Conclusions. It is concluded that AVP inhibits the gastric motility by acting on the specific AVP receptor in the DMV, with the potential involvement of the parasympathetic preganglionic cholinergic fibers.

Developmental specification of metabolic circuitry

The hypothalamus contains a core circuitry that communicates with the brainstem and spinal cord to regulate energy balance. Because metabolic phenotype is influenced by environmental variables during perinatal development, it is important to understand how these neural pathways form in order to identify key signaling pathways that are responsible for metabolic programming. Recent progress in defining gene expression events that direct early patterning and cellular specification of the hypothalamus, as well as advances in our understanding of hormonal control of central neuroendocrine pathways, suggest several key regulatory nodes that may represent targets for metabolic programming of brain structure and function. This review focuses on components of central circuitry known to regulate various aspects of energy balance and summarizes what is known about their developmental neurobiology within the context of metabolic programming.

Central nervous system control of gastrointestinal motility and secretion and modulation of gastrointestinal functions

Although the gastrointestinal (GI) tract possesses intrinsic neural plexuses that allow a significant degree of autonomy over GI functions, the central nervous system (CNS) provides extrinsic neural inputs that regulate, modulate, and control these functions. While the intestines are capable of functioning in the absence of extrinsic inputs, the stomach and esophagus are much more dependent upon extrinsic neural inputs, particularly from parasympathetic and sympathetic pathways. The sympathetic nervous system exerts a predominantly inhibitory effect upon GI muscle and provides a tonic inhibitory influence over mucosal secretion while, at the same time, regulates GI blood flow via neurally mediated vasoconstriction. The parasympathetic nervous system, in contrast, exerts both excitatory and inhibitory control over gastric and intestinal tone and motility. Although GI functions are controlled by the autonomic nervous system and occur, by and large, independently of conscious perception, it is clear that the higher CNS centers influence homeostatic control as well as cognitive and behavioral functions. This review will describe the basic neural circuitry of extrinsic inputs to the GI tract as well as the major CNS nuclei that innervate and modulate the activity of these pathways. The role of CNS-centered reflexes in the regulation of GI functions will be discussed as will modulation of these reflexes under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Finally, future directions within the field will be discussed in terms of important questions that remain to be resolved and advances in technology that may help provide these answers.

Catecholaminergic C3 neurons are sympathoexcitatory and involved in glucose homeostasis

Brainstem catecholaminergic neurons play key roles in the autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral responses to glucoprivation, yet the functions of the individual groups are not fully understood. Adrenergic C3 neurons project widely throughout the brain, including densely to sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal cord, yet their function is completely unknown. Here we demonstrate in rats that optogenetic stimulation of C3 neurons induces sympathoexcitatory, cardiovasomotor functions. These neurons are activated by glucoprivation, but unlike the C1 cell group, not by hypotension. The cardiovascular activation induced by C3 neurons is less than that induced by optogenetic stimulation of C1 neurons; however, combined stimulation produces additive sympathoexcitatory and cardiovascular effects. The varicose axons of C3 neurons largely overlap with those of C1 neurons in the region of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal cord; however, regional differences point to effects on different sympathetic outflows. These studies definitively demonstrate the first known function of C3 neurons as unique cardiovasomotor stimulatory cells, embedded in the brainstem networks regulating cardiorespiratory activity and the response to glucoprivation.

Gastric dysregulation induced by microinjection of 6-OHDA in the substantia nigra pars compacta of rats is determined by alterations in the brain-gut axis

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is a late-onset, chronic, and progressive motor dysfunction attributable to loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons. Patients with PD experience significant gastrointestinal (GI) issues, including gastroparesis. We aimed to evaluate whether 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA)-induced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) induces gastric dysmotility via dysfunctions of the brain-gut axis. 6-OHDA microinjection into the SNpc induced a >90% decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactivity (IR) on the injection site. The [13C]-octanoic acid breath test showed a delayed gastric emptying 4 wk after the 6-OHDA treatment. In control rats, microinjection of the indirect sympathomimetic, tyramine, in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) decreased gastric tone and motility; this inhibition was prevented by the fourth ventricular application of either a combination of α1- and α2- or a combination of D1 and D2 receptor antagonists. Conversely, in 6-OHDA-treated rats, whereas DVC microinjection of tyramine had reduced effects on gastric tone or motility, DVC microinjection of thyrotropin-releasing hormone induced a similar increase in motility as in control rats. In 6-OHDA-treated rats, there was a decreased expression of choline acetyl transferase (ChAT)-IR and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-IR in DVC neurons but an increase in dopamine-β-hydroxylase-IR in the A2 area. Within the myenteric plexus of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, there were no changes in the total number of neurons; however, the percentage of NOS-IR neurons increased, whereas that of ChAT-IR decreased. Our data suggest that the delayed gastric emptying in a 6-OHDA rat model of PD may be caused by neurochemical and neurophysiological alterations in the brain-gut axis.

Characterization of synapses in the rat subnucleus centralis of the nucleus tractus solitarius

The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) receives subdiaphragmatic visceral sensory information via vagal A- or C-fibers. We have recently shown that, in contrast to cardiovascular NTS medialis neurons, which respond to either purinergic or vanilloid agonists, the majority of esophageal NTS centralis (cNTS) neurons respond to vanilloid agonists, whereas a smaller subset responds to both vanilloid and purinerigic agonists. The present study aimed to further investigate the neurochemical and synaptic characteristics of cNTS neurons using whole cell patch-clamp, single cell RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were evoked in cNTS by tractus solitarius stimulation, and in 19 of 64 neurons perfusion with the purinergic agonist αβ-methylene ATP (αβMeATP) increased the evoked EPSC amplitude significantly. Furthermore, neurons with αβMeATP-responsive synaptic inputs had different probabilities of release compared with nonresponsive neurons. Single cell RT-PCR revealed that 8 of 13 αβMeATP-responsive neurons expressed metabotropic glutamate receptor 8 (mGluR8) mRNA, which our previous studies have suggested is a marker of glutamatergic neurons, whereas only 3 of 13 expressed glutamic acid dehydroxylase, a marker of GABAergic neurons. A significantly lower proportion of αβMeATP-nonresponsive neurons expressed mGluR8 (2 of 30 neurons), whereas a greater proportion expressed glutamic acid dehydroxylase (12 of 30 neurons). Esophageal distension significantly increased the number of colocalized mGluR8- and c-Fos-immunoreactive neurons in the cNTS from 8.0 ± 4% to 20 ± 2.5%. These data indicate that cNTS comprises distinct neuronal subpopulations that can be distinguished based on their responses to purinergic agonists and that these subpopulations have distinct neurochemical and synaptic characteristics, suggesting that integration of sensory inputs from the esophagus relies on a discrete organization of synapses between vagal afferent fibers and cNTS neurons.

Plasticity in the brainstem vagal circuits controlling gastric motor function triggered by corticotropin releasing factor

Stress impairs gastric emptying, reduces stomach compliance and induces early satiety via vagal actions. We have shown recently that the ability of the anti-stress neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) to modulate vagal brainstem circuits undergoes short-term plasticity via alterations in cAMP levels subsequent to vagal afferent fibre-dependent activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the OXT-induced gastric response undergoes plastic changes in the presence of the prototypical stress hormone, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). Whole cell patch clamp recordings showed that CRF increased inhibitory GABAergic synaptic transmission to identified corpus-projecting dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) neurones. In naive brainstem slices, OXT perfusion had no effect on inhibitory synaptic transmission; following exposure to CRF (and recovery from its actions), however, re-application of OXT inhibited GABAergic transmission in the majority of neurones tested. This uncovering of the OXT response was antagonized by pretreatment with protein kinase A or adenylate cyclase inhibitors, H89 and di-deoxyadenosine, respectively, indicating a cAMP-mediated mechanism. In naive animals, OXT microinjection in the dorsal vagal complex induced a NO-mediated corpus relaxation. Following CRF pretreatment, however, microinjection of OXT attenuated or, at times reversed, the gastric relaxation which was insensitive to l-NAME but was antagonized by pretreatment with a VIP antagonist. Immunohistochemical analyses of vagal motoneurones showed an increased number of oxytocin receptors present on GABAergic terminals of CRF-treated or stressed vs. naive rats. These results indicate that CRF alters vagal inhibitory circuits that uncover the ability of OXT to modulate GABAergic currents and modifies the gastric corpus motility response to OXT.

Hindbrain oxytocin receptors contribute to the effects of circulating oxytocin on food intake in male rats

Oxytocin (OT)-elicited hypophagia has been linked to neural activity in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Because plasma OT levels increase after a meal, we hypothesized that circulating OT acts at both peripheral and hindbrain OT receptors (OTRs) to limit food intake. To initially determine whether circulating OT inhibits food intake by acting at hindbrain OTRs, we pretreated rats with an OTR antagonist administered into the fourth ventricle (4V) followed by either central or systemic OT administration. Administration of the OTR antagonist into the 4V blocked anorexia induced by either 4V or i.p. injection of OT. However, blockade of peripheral OTRs also weakened the anorectic response to ip OT. Our data suggest a predominant role for hindbrain OTRs in the hypophagic response to peripheral OT administration. To elucidate central mechanisms of OT hypophagia, we tested whether OT activates NTS catecholaminergic neurons. OT (ip) increased the number of NTS cells expressing c-Fos, of which 10%-15% were catecholaminergic. Furthermore, electrophysiological studies in mice revealed that OT stimulated 47% (8 of 17) of NTS catecholamine neurons through a presynaptic mechanism. However, OT-elicited hypophagia did not appear to require activation of α1-adrenoceptors, and blockade of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors similarly did not attenuate anorexia induced by OT. These findings demonstrate that OT elicits satiety through both central and peripheral OTRs and that although catecholamine neurons are a downstream target of OT signaling in the NTS, the hypophagic effect is mediated independently of α1-adrenoceptor signaling.

Annexin A1 complex mediates oxytocin vesicle transport

Oxytocin is a major neuropeptide that modulates the brain functions involved in social behaviour and interaction. Despite of the importance of oxytocin for the neural control of social behaviour, little is known about the molecular mechanism(s) by which oxytocin secretion in the brain is regulated. Pro-oxytocin is synthesised in the cell bodies of hypothalamic neurones in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and processed to a 9-amino-acid mature form during post-Golgi transport to the secretion sites at the axon terminals and somatodendritic regions. Oxytocin secreted from the somatodendritic regions diffuses throughout the hypothalamus and its neighbouring brain regions. Some oxytocin-positive axons innervate and secrete oxytocin to the brain regions distal to the hypothalamus. Brain oxytocin binds to its receptors in the brain regions involved in social behaviour. Oxytocin is also secreted from the axon terminal at the posterior pituitary gland into the blood circulation. We have discovered a new molecular complex consisting of annexin A1 (ANXA1), A-kinase anchor protein 150 (AKAP150) and microtubule motor that controls the distribution of oxytocin vesicles between the axon and the cell body in a protein kinase A (PKA)- and protein kinase C (PKC)-sensitive manner. ANXA1 showed significant co-localisation with oxytocin vesicles. Activation of PKA enhanced the association of kinesin-2 with ANXA1, thus increasing the axon-localisation of oxytocin vesicles. Conversely, activation of PKC decreased the binding of kinesin-2 to ANXA1, thus attenuating the axon-localisation of oxytocin vesicles. The result of the present study suggest that ANXA1 complex coordinates the actions of PKA and PKC to control the distribution of oxytocin vesicles between the axon and the cell body.

Role of oxytocin signaling in the regulation of body weight

Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders are growing health concerns in the US and worldwide. In the US alone, more than two-thirds of the adult population is classified as either overweight or obese [1], highlighting the need to develop new, effective treatments for these conditions. Whereas the hormone oxytocin is well known for its peripheral effects on uterine contraction during parturition and milk ejection during lactation, release of oxytocin from somatodendrites and axonal terminals within the central nervous system (CNS) is implicated in both the formation of prosocial behaviors and in the control of energy balance. Recent findings demonstrate that chronic administration of oxytocin reduces food intake and body weight in diet-induced obese (DIO) and genetically obese rodents with impaired or defective leptin signaling. Importantly, chronic systemic administration of oxytocin out to 6 weeks recapitulates the effects of central administration on body weight loss in DIO rodents at doses that do not result in the development of tolerance. Furthermore, these effects are coupled with induction of Fos (a marker of neuronal activation) in hindbrain areas (e.g. dorsal vagal complex (DVC)) linked to the control of meal size and forebrain areas (e.g. hypothalamus, amygdala) linked to the regulation of food intake and body weight. This review assesses the potential central and peripheral targets by which oxytocin may inhibit body weight gain, its regulation by anorexigenic and orexigenic signals, and its potential use as a therapy that can circumvent leptin resistance and reverse the behavioral and metabolic abnormalities associated with DIO and genetically obese models.

Oxytocin receptor blockade reduces acquisition but not retrieval of taste aversion and blunts responsiveness of amygdala neurons to an aversive stimulus

When gastrointestinal sickness induced by toxin injection is associated with exposure to novel food, the animal acquires a conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Malaise is accompanied by a surge in oxytocin release and in oxytocin neuronal activity; however, it is unclear whether oxytocin is a key facilitator of aversion or merely its marker. Herein we investigated whether blockade of the oxytocin receptor with the blood-brain barrier penetrant oxytocin receptor antagonist L-368,899 is detrimental for the acquisition and/or retrieval of lithium chloride (LiCl)-dependent CTA to a saccharin solution in mice. We also examined whether L-368,899 given prior to LiCl affects neuronal activity defined through c-Fos immunohistochemistry in select brain sites facilitating CTA acquisition. L-368,899 given prior to LiCl caused a 30% increase in saccharin solution intake in a two-bottle test, but when the antagonist was administered before the two-bottle test, it failed to diminish the retrieval of an existing CTA. LiCl administration increased c-Fos expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei, area postrema, nucleus of the solitary tract and basolateral and central (CNA) nuclei of the amygdala. L-368,899 injected before LiCl reduced the number of c-Fos positive CNA neurons and brought it down to levels similar to those observed in mice treated only with L-368,899. We conclude that oxytocin is one of the key components in acquisition of LiCl-induced CTA and the aversive response can be alleviated by the oxytocin receptor blockade. Oxytocin receptor antagonism blunts responsiveness of CNA to peripherally injected LiCl.

Oxytocin projections to the nucleus of the solitary tract contribute to the increased meal-related satiety responses in primary adrenal insufficiency

Anorexia is a common clinical manifestation of primary adrenal gland failure. Adrenalectomy (ADX)-induced hypophagia is reversed by oxytocin (OT) receptor antagonist and is associated with increased activation of satiety-related responses in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). This study evaluated OT projections from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) to the NTS after ADX and the effect of pretreatment with intracerebroventricular injection of an OT receptor antagonist ([d(CH2)5,Tyr(Me)(2),Orn(8)]-vasotocin; OVT) on the activation of NTS neurons induced by feeding in adrenalectomized rats. Adrenalectomized animals showed higher OT labelling in the NTS than the sham and the ADX with corticosterone replacement (ADX + B) groups. Adrenalectomized animals exhibited co-localization of the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin and OT in axons in the NTS as well as OT fibres apposing NTS neurons activated by refeeding. After vehicle pretreatment, compared with fasting, refeeding increased the numbers of Fos- and Fos + TH-immunoreactive neurons in the NTS in sham, ADX and ADX + B groups, with a higher number of these immunolabelled neurons in adrenalectomized animals. Compared with fasting conditions, refeeding also increased the activation of NTS neurons in OVT-pretreated sham, ADX and ADX + B groups, but there was no difference among the three experimental groups. These data demonstrate that OT is upregulated in projections to the NTS following ADX and that OT receptor antagonist reverses the greater activation of NTS neurons induced by feeding after ADX. The data indicate that OT pathways to the NTS contribute to higher satiety-related responses and, thus, to reduce meal size in primary adrenal insufficiency.

Vagal afferent fibres determine the oxytocin-induced modulation of gastric tone

Oxytocin (OXT) inputs to the dorsal vagal complex (DVC; nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and area postrema) decrease gastric tone and motility. Our first aim was to investigate the mechanism(s) of OXT-induced gastric relaxation. We demonstrated recently that vagal afferent inputs modulate NTS-DMV synapses involved in gastric and pancreatic reflexes via group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Our second aim was to investigate whether group II mGluRs similarly influence the response of vagal motoneurons to OXT. Microinjection of OXT in the DVC decreased gastric tone in a dose-dependent manner. The OXT-induced gastric relaxation was enhanced following bethanechol and reduced by l-NAME administration, suggesting a nitrergic mechanism of gastroinhibition. DVC application of the group II mGluR antagonist EGLU induced a gastroinhibition that was not dose dependent and shifted the gastric effects of OXT to a cholinergic-mediated mechanism. Evoked and miniature GABAergic synaptic currents between NTS and identified gastric-projecting DMV neurones were not affected by OXT in any neurones tested, unless the brainstem slice was (a) pretreated with EGLU or (b) derived from rats that had earlier received a surgical vagal deafferentation. Conversely, OXT inhibited glutamatergic currents even in naive slices, but their responses were unaffected by EGLU pretreatment. These results suggest that the OXT-induced gastroinhibition is mediated by activation of the NANC pathway. Inhibition of brainstem group II mGluRs, however, uncovers the ability of OXT to modulate GABAergic transmission between the NTS and DMV, resulting in the engagement of an otherwise silent cholinergic vagal neurocircuit.

Role of the vagus in the reduced pancreatic exocrine function in copper-deficient rats

Copper plays an essential role in the function and development of the central nervous system and exocrine pancreas. Dietary copper limitation is known to result in noninflammatory atrophy of pancreatic acinar tissue. Our recent studies have suggested that vagal motoneurons regulate pancreatic exocrine secretion (PES) by activating selective subpopulations of neurons within vagovagal reflexive neurocircuits. We used a combination of in vivo, in vitro, and immunohistochemistry techniques in a rat model of copper deficiency to investigate the effects of a copper-deficient diet on the neural pathways controlling PES. Duodenal infusions of Ensure or casein, as well as microinjections of sulfated CCK-8, into the dorsal vagal complex resulted in an attenuated stimulation of PES in copper-deficient animals compared with controls. Immunohistochemistry of brain stem slices revealed that copper deficiency reduced the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive, but not neuronal nitric oxide synthase- or choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive, neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). Moreover, a copper-deficient diet reduced the number of large (>11 neurons), but not small, intrapancreatic ganglia. Electrophysiological recordings showed that DMV neurons from copper-deficient rats are less responsive to CCK-8 or pancreatic polypeptide than are DMV neurons from control rats. Our results demonstrate that copper deficiency decreases efferent vagal outflow to the exocrine pancreas. These data indicate that the combined selective loss of acinar pancreatic tissue and the decreased excitability of efferent vagal neurons induce a deficit in the vagal modulation of PES.

Preproglucagon (PPG) neurons innervate neurochemically identified autonomic neurons in the mouse brainstem

Preproglucagon (PPG) neurons produce glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and occur primarily in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). GLP-1 affects a variety of central autonomic circuits, including those controlling the cardiovascular system, thermogenesis, and most notably energy balance. Our immunohistochemical studies in transgenic mice expressing YFP under the control of the PPG promoter showed that PPG neurons project widely to central autonomic regions, including brainstem nuclei. Functional studies have highlighted the importance of hindbrain receptors for the anorexic effects of GLP-1. In this study, we assessed YFP innervation of neurochemically identified brainstem neurons in transgenic YFP-PPG mice. Immunoreactivity for YFP plus choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and/or serotonin (5-HT) was visualised with two- or three-colour immunoperoxidase labelling using black (YFP), brown and blue-grey reaction products. In the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), terminals from fine YFP-immunoreactive axons closely apposed a small proportion of ChAT-positive and rare TH-positive/ChAT-positive motor neurons, mostly ventral to AP. YFP-immunoreactive innervation was virtually absent from the compact and loose formations of the nucleus ambiguus. In the NTS, some TH-immunoreactive neurons were closely apposed by YFP-containing axons. In the A1/C1 column in the ventrolateral medulla, close appositions on TH-positive neurons were more common, particularly in the caudal portion of the column. A single YFP-immunoreactive axon usually provided 1-3 close appositions on individual ChAT- or TH-positive neurons. Serotonin-immunoreactive neurons were most heavily innervated, with the majority of raphé pallidus, raphé obscurus and parapyramidal neurons receiving several close appositions from large varicosities of YFP-immunoreactive axons. These results indicate that GLP-1 neurons innervate various populations of brainstem autonomic neurons. These include vagal efferent neurons and catecholamine neurons in areas linked with cardiovascular control. Our data also indicate a synaptic connection between GLP-1 neurons and 5-HT neurons, some of which might contribute to the regulation of appetite.