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Vázquez-Lizarraga R, Mendoza-Viveros L, Cid-Castro C, Ruiz-Montoya S, Carreño-Vázquez E, Orozco-Solis R. Hypothalamic circuits and aging: keeping the circadian clock updated. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1919-1928. [PMID: 38227516 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.389624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past century, age-related diseases, such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, obesity, and mental illness, have shown a significant increase, negatively impacting overall quality of life. Studies on aged animal models have unveiled a progressive discoordination at multiple regulatory levels, including transcriptional, translational, and post-translational processes, resulting from cellular stress and circadian derangements. The circadian clock emerges as a key regulator, sustaining physiological homeostasis and promoting healthy aging through timely molecular coordination of pivotal cellular processes, such as stem-cell function, cellular stress responses, and inter-tissue communication, which become disrupted during aging. Given the crucial role of hypothalamic circuits in regulating organismal physiology, metabolic control, sleep homeostasis, and circadian rhythms, and their dependence on these processes, strategies aimed at enhancing hypothalamic and circadian function, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, offer systemic benefits for healthy aging. Intranasal brain-directed drug administration represents a promising avenue for effectively targeting specific brain regions, like the hypothalamus, while reducing side effects associated with systemic drug delivery, thereby presenting new therapeutic possibilities for diverse age-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucia Mendoza-Viveros
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), México City, México
- Centro de Investigacíon sobre el Envejecimiento, Centro de Investigacíon y de Estudios Avanzados (CIE-CINVESTAV), México City, México
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México City, México
| | - Carolina Cid-Castro
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), México City, México
- Centro de Investigacíon sobre el Envejecimiento, Centro de Investigacíon y de Estudios Avanzados (CIE-CINVESTAV), México City, México
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México City, México
| | | | | | - Ricardo Orozco-Solis
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), México City, México
- Centro de Investigacíon sobre el Envejecimiento, Centro de Investigacíon y de Estudios Avanzados (CIE-CINVESTAV), México City, México
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2
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Fernandois D, Rusidzé M, Mueller-Fielitz H, Sauve F, Deligia E, Silva MSB, Evrard F, Franco-García A, Mazur D, Martinez-Corral I, Jouy N, Rasika S, Maurage CA, Giacobini P, Nogueiras R, Dehouck B, Schwaninger M, Lenfant F, Prevot V. Estrogen receptor-α signaling in tanycytes lies at the crossroads of fertility and metabolism. Metabolism 2024; 158:155976. [PMID: 39019342 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estrogen secretion by the ovaries regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis during the reproductive cycle, influencing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, and also plays a role in regulating metabolism. Here, we establish that hypothalamic tanycytes-specialized glia lining the floor and walls of the third ventricle-integrate estrogenic feedback signals from the gonads and couple reproduction with metabolism by relaying this information to orexigenic neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons. METHODS Using mouse models, including mice floxed for Esr1 (encoding estrogen receptor alpha, ERα) and those with Cre-dependent expression of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs), along with viral-mediated, pharmacological and indirect calorimetric approaches, we evaluated the role of tanycytes and tanycytic estrogen signaling in pulsatile LH secretion, cFos expression in NPY neurons, estrous cyclicity, body-weight changes and metabolic parameters in adult females. RESULTS In ovariectomized mice, chemogenetic activation of tanycytes significantly reduced LH pulsatile release, mimicking the effects of direct NPY neuron activation. In intact mice, tanycytes were crucial for the estrogen-mediated control of GnRH/LH release, with tanycytic ERα activation suppressing fasting-induced NPY neuron activation. Selective knockout of Esr1 in tanycytes altered estrous cyclicity and fertility in female mice and affected estrogen's ability to inhibit refeeding in fasting mice. The absence of ERα signaling in tanycytes increased Npy transcripts and body weight in intact mice and prevented the estrogen-mediated decrease in food intake as well as increase in energy expenditure and fatty acid oxidation in ovariectomized mice. CONCLUSIONS Our findings underscore the pivotal role of tanycytes in the neuroendocrine coupling of reproduction and metabolism, with potential implications for its age-related deregulation after menopause. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our investigation reveals that tanycytes, specialized glial cells in the brain, are key interpreters of estrogen signals for orexigenic NPY neurons in the hypothalamus. Disrupting tanycytic estrogen receptors not only alters fertility in female mice but also impairs the ability of estrogens to suppress appetite. This work thus sheds light on the critical role played by tanycytes in bridging the hormonal regulation of cyclic reproductive function and appetite/feeding behavior. This understanding may have potential implications for age-related metabolic deregulation after menopause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Fernandois
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Mariam Rusidzé
- Institute of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases (I2MC) Equipe 4, Inserm U1297UPS, CHU, Toulouse, France
| | - Helge Mueller-Fielitz
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Florent Sauve
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Eleonora Deligia
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Mauro S B Silva
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Florence Evrard
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Aurelio Franco-García
- Group of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, Spain, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Pascual Parrilla, Murcia, Spain
| | - Daniele Mazur
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Ines Martinez-Corral
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | | | - S Rasika
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Claude-Alain Maurage
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Paolo Giacobini
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Ruben Nogueiras
- CIMUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), 15706, Spain
| | - Benedicte Dehouck
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Markus Schwaninger
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Francoise Lenfant
- Institute of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases (I2MC) Equipe 4, Inserm U1297UPS, CHU, Toulouse, France
| | - Vincent Prevot
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France.
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3
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Naveed M, Smedlund K, Zhou QG, Cai W, Hill JW. Astrocyte involvement in metabolic regulation and disease. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2024:S1043-2760(24)00220-0. [PMID: 39214743 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Astrocytes, the predominant glial cell type in the mammalian brain, influence a wide variety of brain parameters including neuronal energy metabolism. Exciting recent studies have shown that obesity and diabetes can impact on astrocyte function. We review evidence that dysregulation of astrocytic lipid metabolism and glucose sensing contributes to dysregulation of whole-body energy balance, thermoregulation, and insulin sensitivity. In addition, we consider the overlooked topic of the sex-specific roles of astrocytes and their response to hormonal fluctuations that provide insights into sex differences in metabolic regulation. Finally, we provide an update on potential ways to manipulate astrocyte function, including genetic targeting, optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques, transplantation, and tailored exosome-based therapies, which may lead to improved treatments for metabolic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Naveed
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Kathryn Smedlund
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Qi-Gang Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weikang Cai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer W Hill
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA; Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Research, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
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4
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Calì C, Cantando I, Veloz Castillo MF, Gonzalez L, Bezzi P. Metabolic Reprogramming of Astrocytes in Pathological Conditions: Implications for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8922. [PMID: 39201607 PMCID: PMC11354244 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes play a pivotal role in maintaining brain energy homeostasis, supporting neuronal function through glycolysis and lipid metabolism. This review explores the metabolic intricacies of astrocytes in both physiological and pathological conditions, highlighting their adaptive plasticity and diverse functions. Under normal conditions, astrocytes modulate synaptic activity, recycle neurotransmitters, and maintain the blood-brain barrier, ensuring a balanced energy supply and protection against oxidative stress. However, in response to central nervous system pathologies such as neurotrauma, stroke, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, astrocytes undergo significant morphological, molecular, and metabolic changes. Reactive astrocytes upregulate glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation to meet increased energy demands, which can be protective in acute settings but may exacerbate chronic inflammation and disease progression. This review emphasizes the need for advanced molecular, genetic, and physiological tools to further understand astrocyte heterogeneity and their metabolic reprogramming in disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Calì
- Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy;
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, 10143 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Iva Cantando
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences (DNF), University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; (I.C.); (L.G.)
| | - Maria Fernanda Veloz Castillo
- Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy;
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, 10143 Orbassano, Italy
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Laurine Gonzalez
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences (DNF), University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; (I.C.); (L.G.)
| | - Paola Bezzi
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences (DNF), University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; (I.C.); (L.G.)
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
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5
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Loganathan N, Lieu CV, Belsham DD. Immortalization and Characterization of GFAP-expressing Glial Cells from the Adult Mouse Hypothalamus, Cortex, and Brain Stem. Neuroscience 2024; 551:43-54. [PMID: 38788830 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
The generation of astrocyte cell lines from the hypothalamus is key to study glial involvement in hypothalamic physiology, including energy homeostasis. As such, we immortalized astrocytes from the hypothalamus of an adult male CD-1 mouse using SV40 T-antigen to generate the mHypoA-Ast1 cell line. A comparative approach was taken with two other murine GFAP-expressing cell lines that were also generated in this study: a mixed glial cell line from the cortex (mCortA-G1) and an oligodendrocyte cell line from the brainstem (mBstA-Olig1), as well as an established microglial cell line (IMG). mHypoA-Ast1 cells express GFAP, alongside other astrocytic markers such as Aldh1l1, Aqp4, Glt1 and S100b, and express low levels of microglial, ependymal and oligodendrocyte markers. 100 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) elevated mRNA levels of Il6, Il1b, Tnfα and Cxcl5 in mHypoA-Ast1 cells after 4 h, while 50 μM palmitate increased Il6 and Chop mRNA, demonstrating the ability of these cells to respond to inflammatory and nutrient signals. Interestingly, co-culture of mHypoA-Ast1 cells with mHypoE-N46 hypothalamic neuronal cells prevented the palmitate-mediated increase in orexigenic neuropeptide Agrp mRNA in mHypoE-N46 cells, suggesting that this cell line can alter neuronal responses to nutrients. In conclusion, we report mHypoA-Ast1 cells representing a functional astrocyte cell line from the adult mouse brain that can be used to study the complex interactions of hypothalamic cells, as well as dysregulation that may occur in disease states, providing a key tool for neuroendocrine research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neruja Loganathan
- Departments of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Calvin V Lieu
- Departments of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Denise D Belsham
- Departments of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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6
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Frago LM, Gómez-Romero A, Collado-Pérez R, Argente J, Chowen JA. Synergism Between Hypothalamic Astrocytes and Neurons in Metabolic Control. Physiology (Bethesda) 2024; 39:0. [PMID: 38530221 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00009.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are no longer considered as passive support cells. In the hypothalamus, these glial cells actively participate in the control of appetite, energy expenditure, and the processes leading to obesity and its secondary complications. Here we briefly review studies supporting this conclusion and the advances made in understanding the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Frago
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Gómez-Romero
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Collado-Pérez
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Argente
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- IMDEA Food Institute, Campus of International Excellence, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julie A Chowen
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- IMDEA Food Institute, Campus of International Excellence, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
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7
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Smith A, MacAulay B, Scheufen J, Hudak A, Abizaid A. Chronic Social Defeat Stress Increases Brain Permeability to Ghrelin in Male Mice. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0093-24.2024. [PMID: 38937108 PMCID: PMC11253241 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0093-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Ghrelin is a stomach-derived hormone that increases feeding and is elevated in response to chronic psychosocial stressors. The effects of ghrelin on feeding are mediated by the binding of ghrelin to the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), a receptor located in hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic regions important for regulating food intake and metabolic rate. The ability of ghrelin to enter the brain, however, seems to be restricted to circumventricular organs like the median eminence and the brainstem area postrema, whereas ghrelin does not readily enter other GHSR-expressing regions like the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Interestingly, social stressors result in increased blood-brain barrier permeability, and this could therefore facilitate the entry of ghrelin into the brain. To investigate this, we exposed mice to social defeat stress for 21 d and then peripherally injected a Cy5-labelled biologically active ghrelin analog. The results demonstrate that chronically stressed mice exhibit higher Cy5-ghrelin fluorescence in several hypothalamic regions in addition to the ARC, including the hippocampus and midbrain. Furthermore, Cy5-ghrelin injections resulted in increased FOS expression in regions associated with the reward system in chronically stressed mice. Further histologic analyses identified a reduction in the branching of hypothalamic astrocytes in the ARC-median eminence junction, suggesting increased blood-brain barrier permeability. These data support the hypothesis that during metabolically challenging conditions like chronic stress, ghrelin may be more able to cross the blood-brain barrier and diffuse throughout the brain to target GHSR-expressing brain regions away from circumventricular organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S5B6, Canada
| | - Brenna MacAulay
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S5B6, Canada
| | - Jessica Scheufen
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S5B6, Canada
| | - Abagael Hudak
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S5B6, Canada
| | - Alfonso Abizaid
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S5B6, Canada
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Torres E, Pellegrino G, Granados-Rodríguez M, Fuentes-Fayos AC, Velasco I, Coutteau-Robles A, Legrand A, Shanabrough M, Perdices-Lopez C, Leon S, Yeo SH, Manchishi SM, Sánchez-Tapia MJ, Navarro VM, Pineda R, Roa J, Naftolin F, Argente J, Luque RM, Chowen JA, Horvath TL, Prevot V, Sharif A, Colledge WH, Tena-Sempere M, Romero-Ruiz A. Kisspeptin signaling in astrocytes modulates the reproductive axis. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e172908. [PMID: 38861336 PMCID: PMC11291270 DOI: 10.1172/jci172908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is safeguarded by multiple, often cooperative, regulatory networks. Kisspeptin signaling, via KISS1R, plays a fundamental role in reproductive control, primarily by regulation of hypothalamic GnRH neurons. We disclose herein a pathway for direct kisspeptin actions in astrocytes that contributes to central reproductive modulation. Protein-protein interaction and ontology analyses of hypothalamic proteomic profiles after kisspeptin stimulation revealed that glial/astrocyte markers are regulated by kisspeptin in mice. This glial-kisspeptin pathway was validated by the demonstrated expression of Kiss1r in mouse astrocytes in vivo and astrocyte cultures from humans, rats, and mice, where kisspeptin activated canonical intracellular signaling-pathways. Cellular coexpression of Kiss1r with the astrocyte markers GFAP and S100-β occurred in different brain regions, with higher percentage in Kiss1- and GnRH-enriched areas. Conditional ablation of Kiss1r in GFAP-positive cells in the G-KiR-KO mouse altered gene expression of key factors in PGE2 synthesis in astrocytes and perturbed astrocyte-GnRH neuronal appositions, as well as LH responses to kisspeptin and LH pulsatility, as surrogate marker of GnRH secretion. G-KiR-KO mice also displayed changes in reproductive responses to metabolic stress induced by high-fat diet, affecting female pubertal onset, estrous cyclicity, and LH-secretory profiles. Our data unveil a nonneuronal pathway for kisspeptin actions in astrocytes, which cooperates in fine-tuning the reproductive axis and its responses to metabolic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Encarnacion Torres
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Giuliana Pellegrino
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neurosciences & Cognition, UMR-S1172, Lille, France
| | - Melissa Granados-Rodríguez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Antonio C. Fuentes-Fayos
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Velasco
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Adrian Coutteau-Robles
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neurosciences & Cognition, UMR-S1172, Lille, France
| | - Amandine Legrand
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neurosciences & Cognition, UMR-S1172, Lille, France
| | - Marya Shanabrough
- Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Cecilia Perdices-Lopez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Silvia Leon
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Shel H. Yeo
- Reproductive Physiology Group, Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen M. Manchishi
- Reproductive Physiology Group, Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Maria J. Sánchez-Tapia
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Victor M. Navarro
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston,Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rafael Pineda
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Juan Roa
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | | | - Jesús Argente
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, and IMDEA-Food Institute, CEI-UAM+CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl M. Luque
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julie A. Chowen
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, and IMDEA-Food Institute, CEI-UAM+CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tamas L. Horvath
- Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Vincent Prevot
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neurosciences & Cognition, UMR-S1172, Lille, France
| | - Ariane Sharif
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neurosciences & Cognition, UMR-S1172, Lille, France
| | - William H. Colledge
- Reproductive Physiology Group, Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Tena-Sempere
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Romero-Ruiz
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
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9
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Mishra D, Richard JE, Maric I, Shevchouk OT, Börchers S, Eerola K, Krieger JP, Skibicka KP. Lateral parabrachial nucleus astrocytes control food intake. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1389589. [PMID: 38887265 PMCID: PMC11180714 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1389589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Food intake behavior is under the tight control of the central nervous system. Most studies to date focus on the contribution of neurons to this behavior. However, although previously overlooked, astrocytes have recently been implicated to play a key role in feeding control. Most of the recent literature has focused on astrocytic contribution in the hypothalamus or the dorsal vagal complex. The contribution of astrocytes located in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) to feeding behavior control remains poorly understood. Thus, here, we first investigated whether activation of lPBN astrocytes affects feeding behavior in male and female rats using chemogenetic activation. Astrocytic activation in the lPBN led to profound anorexia in both sexes, under both ad-libitum feeding schedule and after a fasting challenge. Astrocytes have a key contribution to glutamate homeostasis and can themselves release glutamate. Moreover, lPBN glutamate signaling is a key contributor to potent anorexia, which can be induced by lPBN activation. Thus, here, we determined whether glutamate signaling is necessary for lPBN astrocyte activation-induced anorexia, and found that pharmacological N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockade attenuated the food intake reduction resulting from lPBN astrocyte activation. Since astrocytes have been shown to contribute to feeding control by modulating the feeding effect of peripheral feeding signals, we further investigated whether lPBN astrocyte activation is capable of modulating the anorexic effect of the gut/brain hormone, glucagon like peptide -1, as well as the orexigenic effect of the stomach hormone - ghrelin, and found that the feeding effect of both signals is modulated by lPBN astrocytic activation. Lastly, we found that lPBN astrocyte activation-induced anorexia is affected by a diet-induced obesity challenge, in a sex-divergent manner. Collectively, current findings uncover a novel role for lPBN astrocytes in feeding behavior control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devesh Mishra
- Department of Physiology/Metabolic Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jennifer E. Richard
- Department of Physiology/Metabolic Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ivana Maric
- Department of Physiology/Metabolic Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Olesya T. Shevchouk
- Department of Physiology/Metabolic Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stina Börchers
- Department of Physiology/Metabolic Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Kim Eerola
- Department of Physiology/Metabolic Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jean-Philippe Krieger
- Department of Physiology/Metabolic Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich - VetSuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karolina P. Skibicka
- Department of Physiology/Metabolic Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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10
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Cornejo MP, Fernandez G, Cabral A, Barrile F, Heredia F, García Romero G, Zubimendi Sampieri JP, Quelas JI, Cantel S, Fehrentz JA, Alonso A, Pla R, Ferran JL, Andreoli MF, De Francesco PN, Perelló M. GHSR in a Subset of GABA Neurons Controls Food Deprivation-Induced Hyperphagia in Male Mice. Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqae061. [PMID: 38815068 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqae061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), primarily known as the receptor for the hunger hormone ghrelin, potently controls food intake, yet the specific Ghsr-expressing cells mediating the orexigenic effects of this receptor remain incompletely characterized. Since Ghsr is expressed in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing neurons, we sought to investigate whether the selective expression of Ghsr in a subset of GABA neurons is sufficient to mediate GHSR's effects on feeding. First, we crossed mice that express a tamoxifen-dependent Cre recombinase in the subset of GABA neurons that express glutamic acid decarboxylase 2 (Gad2) enzyme (Gad2-CreER mice) with reporter mice, and found that ghrelin mainly targets a subset of Gad2-expressing neurons located in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARH) and that is predominantly segregated from Agouti-related protein (AgRP)-expressing neurons. Analysis of various single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets further corroborated that the primary subset of cells coexpressing Gad2 and Ghsr in the mouse brain are non-AgRP ARH neurons. Next, we crossed Gad2-CreER mice with reactivable GHSR-deficient mice to generate mice expressing Ghsr only in Gad2-expressing neurons (Gad2-GHSR mice). We found that ghrelin treatment induced the expression of the marker of transcriptional activation c-Fos in the ARH of Gad2-GHSR mice, yet failed to induce food intake. In contrast, food deprivation-induced refeeding was higher in Gad2-GHSR mice than in GHSR-deficient mice and similar to wild-type mice, suggesting that ghrelin-independent roles of GHSR in a subset of GABA neurons is sufficient for eliciting full compensatory hyperphagia in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Paula Cornejo
- Grupo de Neurofisiología, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular (IMBICE), Universidad Nacional la Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gimena Fernandez
- Grupo de Neurofisiología, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular (IMBICE), Universidad Nacional la Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Cabral
- Grupo de Neurofisiología, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular (IMBICE), Universidad Nacional la Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Franco Barrile
- Grupo de Neurofisiología, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular (IMBICE), Universidad Nacional la Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florencia Heredia
- Grupo de Neurofisiología, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular (IMBICE), Universidad Nacional la Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guadalupe García Romero
- Grupo de Neurofisiología, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular (IMBICE), Universidad Nacional la Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Sonia Cantel
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Alain Fehrentz
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | - Antonia Alonso
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia 30100, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia-IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia 30100, Spain
| | - Ramon Pla
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia 30100, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia-IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia 30100, Spain
| | - José Luis Ferran
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia 30100, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia-IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia 30100, Spain
| | - María Florencia Andreoli
- Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (IDIP), HIAEP Sor María Ludovica de La Plata, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 24, Sweden
| | - Pablo Nicolas De Francesco
- Grupo de Neurofisiología, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular (IMBICE), Universidad Nacional la Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mario Perelló
- Grupo de Neurofisiología, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular (IMBICE), Universidad Nacional la Plata (UNLP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 24, Sweden
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11
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Collado-Perez R, Chamoso-Sánchez D, García A, Fernández-Alfonso MS, Jiménez-Hernáiz M, Canelles S, Argente J, Frago LM, Chowen JA. The differential effects of palmitic acid and oleic acid on the metabolic response of hypothalamic astrocytes from male and female mice. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25339. [PMID: 38741550 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Diets rich in saturated fats are more detrimental to health than those containing mono- or unsaturated fats. Fatty acids are an important source of energy, but they also relay information regarding nutritional status to hypothalamic metabolic circuits and when in excess can be detrimental to these circuits. Astrocytes are the main site of central fatty acid β-oxidation, and hypothalamic astrocytes participate in energy homeostasis, in part by modulating hormonal and nutritional signals reaching metabolic neurons, as well as in the inflammatory response to high-fat diets. Thus, we hypothesized that how hypothalamic astrocytes process-specific fatty acids participates in determining the differential metabolic response and that this is sex dependent as males and females respond differently to high-fat diets. Male and female primary hypothalamic astrocyte cultures were treated with oleic acid (OA) or palmitic acid (PA) for 24 h, and an untargeted metabolomics study was performed. A clear predictive model for PA exposure was obtained, while the metabolome after OA exposure was not different from controls. The observed modifications in metabolites, as well as the expression levels of key metabolic enzymes, indicate a reduction in the activity of the Krebs and glutamate/glutamine cycles in response to PA. In addition, there were specific differences between the response of astrocytes from male and female mice, as well as between hypothalamic and cerebral cortical astrocytes. Thus, the response of hypothalamic astrocytes to specific fatty acids could result in differential impacts on surrounding metabolic neurons and resulting in varied systemic metabolic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Collado-Perez
- Department of Endocrinology, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Chamoso-Sánchez
- Center for Metabolomics and Bioanalysis (CEMBIO), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad San Pablo CEU, CEU Universities, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonia García
- Center for Metabolomics and Bioanalysis (CEMBIO), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad San Pablo CEU, CEU Universities, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Maria Jiménez-Hernáiz
- Department of Endocrinology, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Canelles
- Department of Endocrinology, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Argente
- Department of Endocrinology, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- IMDEA Food Institute, CEI UAM + CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura M Frago
- Department of Endocrinology, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julie A Chowen
- Department of Endocrinology, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- IMDEA Food Institute, CEI UAM + CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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12
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Price NL, Fernández-Tussy P, Varela L, Cardelo MP, Shanabrough M, Aryal B, de Cabo R, Suárez Y, Horvath TL, Fernández-Hernando C. microRNA-33 controls hunger signaling in hypothalamic AgRP neurons. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2131. [PMID: 38459068 PMCID: PMC10923783 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46427-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
AgRP neurons drive hunger, and excessive nutrient intake is the primary driver of obesity and associated metabolic disorders. While many factors impacting central regulation of feeding behavior have been established, the role of microRNAs in this process is poorly understood. Utilizing unique mouse models, we demonstrate that miR-33 plays a critical role in the regulation of AgRP neurons, and that loss of miR-33 leads to increased feeding, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction in mice. These effects include the regulation of multiple miR-33 target genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid metabolism. Our findings elucidate a key regulatory pathway regulated by a non-coding RNA that impacts hunger by controlling multiple bioenergetic processes associated with the activation of AgRP neurons, providing alternative therapeutic approaches to modulate feeding behavior and associated metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan L Price
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Experimental Gerontology Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Pablo Fernández-Tussy
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Luis Varela
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Laboratory of Glia -Neuron Interactions in the control of Hunger. Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Vizcaya, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009, Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain
| | - Magdalena P Cardelo
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marya Shanabrough
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Binod Aryal
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rafael de Cabo
- Experimental Gerontology Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yajaira Suárez
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tamas L Horvath
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Laboratory of Glia -Neuron Interactions in the control of Hunger. Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Vizcaya, Spain.
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009, Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain.
- Department of Neuroscience. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Carlos Fernández-Hernando
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Center for Molecular and System Metabolism. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Pathology. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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13
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Harkany T, Tretiakov E, Varela L, Jarc J, Rebernik P, Newbold S, Keimpema E, Verkhratsky A, Horvath T, Romanov R. Molecularly stratified hypothalamic astrocytes are cellular foci for obesity. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3748581. [PMID: 38405925 PMCID: PMC10889077 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3748581/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Astrocytes safeguard the homeostasis of the central nervous system1,2. Despite their prominent morphological plasticity under conditions that challenge the brain's adaptive capacity3-5, the classification of astrocytes, and relating their molecular make-up to spatially devolved neuronal operations that specify behavior or metabolism, remained mostly futile6,7. Although it seems unexpected in the era of single-cell biology, the lack of a major advance in stratifying astrocytes under physiological conditions rests on the incompatibility of 'neurocentric' algorithms that rely on stable developmental endpoints, lifelong transcriptional, neurotransmitter, and neuropeptide signatures for classification6-8 with the dynamic functional states, anatomic allocation, and allostatic plasticity of astrocytes1. Simplistically, therefore, astrocytes are still grouped as 'resting' vs. 'reactive', the latter referring to pathological states marked by various inducible genes3,9,10. Here, we introduced a machine learning-based feature recognition algorithm that benefits from the cumulative power of published single-cell RNA-seq data on astrocytes as a reference map to stepwise eliminate pleiotropic and inducible cellular features. For the healthy hypothalamus, this walk-back approach revealed gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that specified subsets of astrocytes, and could be used as landmarking tools for their anatomical assignment. The core molecular censuses retained by astrocyte subsets were sufficient to stratify them by allostatic competence, chiefly their signaling and metabolic interplay with neurons. Particularly, we found differentially expressed mitochondrial genes in insulin-sensing astrocytes and demonstrated their reciprocal signaling with neurons that work antagonistically within the food intake circuitry. As a proof-of-concept, we showed that disrupting Mfn2 expression in astrocytes reduced their ability to support dynamic circuit reorganization, a time-locked feature of satiety in the hypothalamus, thus leading to obesity in mice. Overall, our results suggest that astrocytes in the healthy brain are fundamentally more heterogeneous than previously thought and topologically mirror the specificity of local neurocircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibor Harkany
- Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna
| | | | | | - Jasna Jarc
- Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna
| | | | | | - Erik Keimpema
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Brain Research
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14
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Zhu R, Lan Y, Qian X, Zhao J, Wang G, Tian P, Chen W. Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus CCFM1312 enhanced mice resilience to activity-based anorexia. Food Funct 2024; 15:1431-1442. [PMID: 38224462 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo04663j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Probiotic intervention, already showing promise in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders like depression, emerges as a potential therapy for anorexia nervosa (AN) with minimal side effects. In this study, we established an activity-based anorexia (ABA) model to probe the pathogenesis of AN and assess the impact of probiotics on ABA mice. ABA resulted in a compensatory increase in duodenal ghrelin levels, impairing the regulation of feeding and the brain reward system. Intervention with Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus CCFM1312 ameliorated these ABA-induced effects, and the activation of neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) was observed following probiotic administration, revealing the advantageous role of probiotics in AN through the vagus nerve. Furthermore, our metabolomics analysis of cecal contents unveiled that S. salivarius subsp. thermophilus CCFM1312 modulated gut microbiota metabolism and thereby regulated intestinal ghrelin levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R China.
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Yuming Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R China.
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Xin Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R China.
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Jianxin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R China.
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- (Yangzhou) Institute of Food Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Yangzhou 225004, China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R China.
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- (Yangzhou) Institute of Food Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Yangzhou 225004, China
| | - Peijun Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R China.
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Wei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, P. R China.
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
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15
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Ameroso D, Rios M. Synaptic plasticity and the role of astrocytes in central metabolic circuits. WIREs Mech Dis 2024; 16:e1632. [PMID: 37833830 PMCID: PMC10842964 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Neural circuits in the brain, primarily in the hypothalamus, are paramount to the homeostatic control of feeding and energy utilization. They integrate hunger, satiety, and body adiposity cues from the periphery and mediate the appropriate behavioral and physiological responses to satisfy the energy demands of the animal. Notably, perturbations in central homeostatic circuits have been linked to the etiology of excessive feeding and obesity. Considering the ever-changing energy requirements of the animal and required adaptations, it is not surprising that brain-feeding circuits remain plastic in adulthood and are subject to changes in synaptic strength as a consequence of nutritional status. Indeed, synapse density, probability of presynaptic transmitter release, and postsynaptic responses in hypothalamic energy balance centers are tailored to behavioral and physiological responses required to sustain survival. Mounting evidence supports key roles of astrocytes facilitating some of this plasticity. Here we discuss these synaptic plasticity mechanisms and the emerging roles of astrocytes influencing energy and glucose balance control in health and disease. This article is categorized under: Cancer > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Neurological Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Ameroso
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111
| | - Maribel Rios
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111
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16
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Brüning JC, Fenselau H. Integrative neurocircuits that control metabolism and food intake. Science 2023; 381:eabl7398. [PMID: 37769095 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl7398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Systemic metabolism has to be constantly adjusted to the variance of food intake and even be prepared for anticipated changes in nutrient availability. Therefore, the brain integrates multiple homeostatic signals with numerous cues that predict future deviations in energy supply. Recently, our understanding of the neural pathways underlying these regulatory principles-as well as their convergence in the hypothalamus as the key coordinator of food intake, energy expenditure, and glucose metabolism-have been revealed. These advances have changed our view of brain-dependent control of metabolic physiology. In this Review, we discuss new concepts about how alterations in these pathways contribute to the development of prevalent metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus and how this emerging knowledge may provide new targets for their treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens C Brüning
- Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Policlinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Preventive Medicine (PEDP), University Hospital Cologne, 50924 Cologne, Germany
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD) and Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- National Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Henning Fenselau
- Policlinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Preventive Medicine (PEDP), University Hospital Cologne, 50924 Cologne, Germany
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD) and Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Research Group Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany
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17
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Sa M, Yoo ES, Koh W, Park MG, Jang HJ, Yang YR, Bhalla M, Lee JH, Lim J, Won W, Kwon J, Kwon JH, Seong Y, Kim B, An H, Lee SE, Park KD, Suh PG, Sohn JW, Lee CJ. Hypothalamic GABRA5-positive neurons control obesity via astrocytic GABA. Nat Metab 2023; 5:1506-1525. [PMID: 37653043 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-023-00877-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) regulates food intake and energy balance. Although LHA neurons innervate adipose tissues, the identity of neurons that regulate fat is undefined. Here we show that GABRA5-positive neurons in LHA (GABRA5LHA) polysynaptically project to brown and white adipose tissues in the periphery. GABRA5LHA are a distinct subpopulation of GABAergic neurons and show decreased pacemaker firing in diet-induced obesity mouse models in males. Chemogenetic inhibition of GABRA5LHA suppresses fat thermogenesis and increases weight gain, whereas gene silencing of GABRA5 in LHA decreases weight gain. In the diet-induced obesity mouse model, GABRA5LHA are tonically inhibited by nearby reactive astrocytes releasing GABA, which is synthesized by monoamine oxidase B (Maob). Gene silencing of astrocytic Maob in LHA facilitates fat thermogenesis and reduces weight gain significantly without affecting food intake, which is recapitulated by administration of a Maob inhibitor, KDS2010. We propose that firing of GABRA5LHA suppresses fat accumulation and selective inhibition of astrocytic GABA is a molecular target for treating obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moonsun Sa
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Seon Yoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Wuhyun Koh
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mingu Gordon Park
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Jun Jang
- Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Ryoul Yang
- Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Mridula Bhalla
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- IBS School, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hun Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwoon Lim
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- IBS School, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Woojin Won
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jea Kwon
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon-Ho Kwon
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yejin Seong
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungeun Kim
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Heeyoung An
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Eun Lee
- Virus Facility, Research Animal Resource Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Duk Park
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Pann-Ghill Suh
- Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Woo Sohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - C Justin Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- IBS School, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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18
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MacDonald AJ, Pye KR, Beall C, Ellacott KLJ. Impact of chemogenetic activation of dorsal vagal complex astrocytes in mice on adaptive glucoregulatory responses. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13315. [PMID: 37370201 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
The dorsal vagal complex (DVC) regulates diverse aspects of physiology including food intake and blood glucose homeostasis. Astrocytes play an active role in regulating DVC function and, by extension, physiological parameters. DVC astrocytes in ex vivo slices respond to low tissue glucose. The response of neurons to low glucose is conditional on intact astrocyte signalling in slice preparations, suggesting astrocytes are primary sensors of glucose deprivation (glucoprivation). Based on these published findings we hypothesised that in vivo DVC astrocyte manipulation with chemogenetics would be sufficient to alter physiological responses that control blood glucose. We found that 2-h after systemic 2-DG-induced glucoprivation there were no observable changes in morphology of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-immunoreactive DVC cells, specifically those in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Chemogenetic activation of DVC astrocytes was sufficient to suppress nocturnal food intake by reducing both meal size and meal number and this manipulation also suppressed 2-DG-induced glucoprivic food intake. Chemogenetic activation of DVC astrocytes did not increase basal blood glucose nor protect against insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. In male mice, chemogenetic DVC astrocyte activation did not alter glucose tolerance. In female mice, the initial glucose excursion was reduced in a glucose tolerance test, suggesting enhanced glucose absorption. Based on our data and published work, we propose that DVC astrocytes may play an indispensable homeostatic role, that is, are necessary to maintain the function of glucoregulatory neuronal circuitry, but alone their bulk activation is not sufficient to result in adaptive glucoregulatory responses. It is possible that there are state-dependent effects and/or DVC astrocyte subsets that have this specialised role, but this was unresolvable using the experimental approaches employed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair J MacDonald
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Katherine R Pye
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Craig Beall
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Kate L J Ellacott
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
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19
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Grzelka K, Wilhelms H, Dodt S, Dreisow ML, Madara JC, Walker SJ, Wu C, Wang D, Lowell BB, Fenselau H. A synaptic amplifier of hunger for regaining body weight in the hypothalamus. Cell Metab 2023; 35:770-785.e5. [PMID: 36965483 PMCID: PMC10160008 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
Restricting caloric intake effectively reduces body weight, but most dieters fail long-term adherence to caloric deficit and eventually regain lost weight. Hypothalamic circuits that control hunger drive critically determine body weight; yet, how weight loss sculpts these circuits to motivate food consumption until lost weight is regained remains unclear. Here, we probe the contribution of synaptic plasticity in discrete excitatory afferents on hunger-promoting AgRP neurons. We reveal a crucial role for activity-dependent, remarkably long-lasting amplification of synaptic activity originating from paraventricular hypothalamus thyrotropin-releasing (PVHTRH) neurons in long-term body weight control. Silencing PVHTRH neurons inhibits the potentiation of excitatory input to AgRP neurons and diminishes concomitant regain of lost weight. Brief stimulation of the pathway is sufficient to enduringly potentiate this glutamatergic hunger synapse and triggers an NMDAR-dependent gaining of body weight that enduringly persists. Identification of this activity-dependent synaptic amplifier provides a previously unrecognized target to combat regain of lost weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Grzelka
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Hannah Wilhelms
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Stephan Dodt
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Department of Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marie-Luise Dreisow
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Joseph C Madara
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Samuel J Walker
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Chen Wu
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Daqing Wang
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Bradford B Lowell
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Henning Fenselau
- Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis Group, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Preventive Medicine (CEDP), University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 26, 50924 Cologne, Germany; Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 26, Cologne 50931, Germany.
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20
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Mendoza-Viveros L, Marmolejo-Gutierrez C, Cid-Castro C, Escalante-Covarrubias Q, Montellier E, Carreño-Vázquez E, Noriega LG, Velázquez-Villegas LA, Tovar AR, Sassone-Corsi P, Aguilar-Arnal L, Orozco-Solis R. Astrocytic circadian clock control of energy expenditure by transcriptional stress responses in the ventromedial hypothalamus. Glia 2023; 71:1626-1647. [PMID: 36919670 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Hypothalamic circuits compute systemic information to control metabolism. Astrocytes residing within the hypothalamus directly sense nutrients and hormones, integrating metabolic information, and modulating neuronal responses. Nevertheless, the role of the astrocytic circadian clock on the control of energy balance remains unclear. We used mice with a targeted ablation of the core-clock gene Bmal1 within Gfap-expressing astrocytes to gain insight on the role played by this transcription factor in astrocytes. While this mutation does not substantially affect the phenotype in mice fed normo-caloric diet, under high-fat diet we unmasked a thermogenic phenotype consisting of increased energy expenditure, and catabolism in brown adipose and overall metabolic improvement consisting of better glycemia control, and body composition. Transcriptomic analysis in the ventromedial hypothalamus revealed an enhanced response to moderate cellular stress, including ER-stress response, unfolded protein response and autophagy. We identified Xbp1 and Atf1 as two key transcription factors enhancing cellular stress responses. Therefore, we unveiled a previously unknown role of the astrocytic circadian clock modulating energy balance through the regulation of cellular stress responses within the VMH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Mendoza-Viveros
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), México City, Mexico
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México City, Mexico
- Centro de Investigación sobre el Envejecimiento, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CIE-CINVESTAV), México City, México
| | | | - Carolina Cid-Castro
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), México City, Mexico
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México City, Mexico
- Centro de Investigación sobre el Envejecimiento, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CIE-CINVESTAV), México City, México
| | | | | | | | - Lilia G Noriega
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Armando R Tovar
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Lorena Aguilar-Arnal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México City, Mexico
| | - Ricardo Orozco-Solis
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), México City, Mexico
- Centro de Investigación sobre el Envejecimiento, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CIE-CINVESTAV), México City, México
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21
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Korgan AC, Oliveira-Abreu K, Wei W, Martin SLA, Bridges ZJD, Leal-Cardoso JH, Kaczorowski CC, O'Connell KMS. High sucrose consumption decouples intrinsic and synaptic excitability of AgRP neurons without altering body weight. Int J Obes (Lond) 2023; 47:224-235. [PMID: 36725979 PMCID: PMC10023568 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-023-01265-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE As the obesity epidemic continues, the understanding of macronutrient influence on central nervous system function is critical for understanding diet-induced obesity and potential therapeutics, particularly in light of the increased sugar content in processed foods. Previous research showed mixed effects of sucrose feeding on body weight gain but has yet to reveal insight into the impact of sucrose on hypothalamic functioning. Here, we explore the impact of liquid sucrose feeding for 12 weeks on body weight, body composition, caloric intake, and hypothalamic AgRP neuronal function and synaptic plasticity. METHODS Patch-clamp electrophysiology of hypothalamic AgRP neurons, metabolic phenotyping and food intake were performed on C57BL/6J mice. RESULTS While mice given sugar-sweetened water do not gain significant weight, they do show subtle differences in body composition and caloric intake. When given sugar-sweetened water, mice show similar alterations to AgRP neuronal excitability as in high-fat diet obese models. Increased sugar consumption also primes mice for increased caloric intake and weight gain when given access to a HFD. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that elevated sucrose consumption increased activity of AgRP neurons and altered synaptic excitability. This may contribute to obesity in mice and humans with access to more palatable (HFD) diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin C Korgan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Klausen Oliveira-Abreu
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Wei Wei
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Zoey J D Bridges
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | | | - Catherine C Kaczorowski
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristen M S O'Connell
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA.
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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22
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Cuellar-Santoyo AO, Ruiz-Rodríguez VM, Mares-Barbosa TB, Patrón-Soberano A, Howe AG, Portales-Pérez DP, Miquelajáuregui Graf A, Estrada-Sánchez AM. Revealing the contribution of astrocytes to glutamatergic neuronal transmission. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 16:1037641. [PMID: 36744061 PMCID: PMC9893894 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1037641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on glutamatergic neurotransmission has focused mainly on the function of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons, leaving astrocytes with a secondary role only to ensure successful neurotransmission. However, recent evidence indicates that astrocytes contribute actively and even regulate neuronal transmission at different levels. This review establishes a framework by comparing glutamatergic components between neurons and astrocytes to examine how astrocytes modulate or otherwise influence neuronal transmission. We have included the most recent findings about the role of astrocytes in neurotransmission, allowing us to understand the complex network of neuron-astrocyte interactions. However, despite the knowledge of synaptic modulation by astrocytes, their contribution to specific physiological and pathological conditions remains to be elucidated. A full understanding of the astrocyte's role in neuronal processing could open fruitful new frontiers in the development of therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ares Orlando Cuellar-Santoyo
- División de Biología Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Victor Manuel Ruiz-Rodríguez
- División de Biología Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Teresa Belem Mares-Barbosa
- División de Biología Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), San Luis Potosí, Mexico,Translational and Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Research Center for Health Sciences and Biomedicine, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Araceli Patrón-Soberano
- División de Biología Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Andrew G. Howe
- Intelligent Systems Laboratory, HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA, United States
| | - Diana Patricia Portales-Pérez
- Translational and Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Research Center for Health Sciences and Biomedicine, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | | | - Ana María Estrada-Sánchez
- División de Biología Molecular, Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), San Luis Potosí, Mexico,*Correspondence: Ana María Estrada-Sánchez
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23
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Jiao F, Hu X, Yin H, Yuan F, Zhou Z, Wu W, Chen S, Liu Z, Guo F. Inhibition of c-Jun in AgRP neurons increases stress-induced anxiety and colitis susceptibility. Commun Biol 2023; 6:50. [PMID: 36641530 PMCID: PMC9840628 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04425-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, are associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), however, the neural mechanisms regulating this comorbidity are unknown. Here, we show that hypothalamic agouti-related protein (AgRP) neuronal activity is suppressed under chronic restraint stress (CRS), a condition known to increase anxiety and colitis susceptibility. Consistently, chemogenic activation or inhibition of AgRP neurons reverses or mimics CRS-induced increase of anxiety-like behaviors and colitis susceptibility, respectively. Furthermore, CRS inhibits AgRP neuronal activity by suppressing the expression of c-Jun. Moreover, overexpression of c-Jun in these neurons protects against the CRS-induced effects, and knockdown of c-Jun in AgRP neurons (c-Jun∆AgRP) promotes anxiety and colitis susceptibility. Finally, the levels of secreted protein thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) are negatively associated with increased anxiety and colitis, and supplementing recombinant THBS1 rescues colitis susceptibility in c-Jun∆AgRP mice. Taken together, these results reveal critical roles of hypothalamic AgRP neuron-derived c-Jun in orchestrating stress-induced anxiety and colitis susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuxin Jiao
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Xiaoming Hu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Hanrui Yin
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Feixiang Yuan
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Ziheng Zhou
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Innovation Center for Intervention of Chronic Disease and Promotion of Health, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Wei Wu
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Department of Gastroenterology, The Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Shanghai Chen
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Zhanju Liu
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Department of Gastroenterology, The Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Feifan Guo
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
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24
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Transgenerational transmission of aspartame-induced anxiety and changes in glutamate-GABA signaling and gene expression in the amygdala. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2213120119. [PMID: 36459641 PMCID: PMC9894161 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213120119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the effects of aspartame on anxiety-like behavior, neurotransmitter signaling and gene expression in the amygdala, a brain region associated with the regulation of anxiety and fear responses. C57BL/6 mice consumed drinking water containing 0.015% or 0.03% aspartame, a dose equivalent of 8 to 15% of the FDA recommended maximum human daily intake, or plain drinking water. Robust anxiety-like behavior (evaluated using open field test and elevated zero maze) was observed in male and female mice consuming the aspartame-containing water. Diazepam, an allosteric modulator of the GABA-A receptor, alleviated the anxiety-like behavior. RNA sequencing of the amygdala followed by KEGG biological pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes showed glutamatergic and GABAergic synapse pathways as significantly enriched. Quantitative PCR showed upregulation of mRNA for the glutamate NMDA receptor subunit 2D (Grin2d) and metabotropic receptor 4 (Grm4) and downregulation of the GABA-A receptor associated protein (Gabarap) mRNA. Thus, taken together, our diazepam and gene expression data show that aspartame consumption shifted the excitation-inhibition equilibrium in the amygdala toward excitation. Even more strikingly, the anxiety-like behavior, its response to diazepam, and changes in amygdala gene expression were transmitted to male and female offspring in two generations descending from the aspartame-exposed males. Extrapolation of the findings to humans suggests that aspartame consumption at doses below the FDA recommended maximum daily intake may produce neurobehavioral changes in aspartame-consuming individuals and their descendants. Thus, human population at risk of aspartame's potential mental health effects may be larger than current expectations, which only include aspartame-consuming individuals.
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25
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Bouyakdan K, Manceau R, Robb JL, Rodaros D, Fulton S, Alquier T. Role of astroglial ACBP in energy metabolism flexibility and feeding responses to metabolic challenges in male mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13218. [PMID: 36471907 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP), also known as diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI), has recently emerged as a hypothalamic and brainstem gliopeptide regulating energy balance. Previous work has shown that the ACBP-derived octadecaneuropeptide exerts strong anorectic action via proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neuron activation and the melanocortin-4 receptor. Importantly, targeted ACBP loss-of-function in astrocytes promotes hyperphagia and diet-induced obesity while its overexpression in arcuate astrocytes reduces feeding and body weight. Despite this knowledge, the role of astroglial ACBP in adaptive feeding and metabolic responses to acute metabolic challenges has not been investigated. Using different paradigms, we found that ACBP deletion in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes does not affect weight loss when obese male mice are transitioned from a high fat diet to a chow diet, nor metabolic parameters in mice fed with a normal chow diet (e.g., energy expenditure, body temperature) during fasting, cold exposure and at thermoneutrality. In contrast, astroglial ACBP deletion impairs meal pattern and feeding responses during refeeding after a fast and during cold exposure, thereby showing that ACBP is required to stimulate feeding in states of increased energy demand. These findings challenge the general view that astroglial ACBP exerts anorectic effects and suggest that regulation of feeding by ACBP is dependent on metabolic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalil Bouyakdan
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal Diabetes Research Center, and Departments of Medicine and Neurosciences and Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Romane Manceau
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal Diabetes Research Center, and Departments of Medicine and Neurosciences and Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Josephine L Robb
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal Diabetes Research Center, and Departments of Medicine and Neurosciences and Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Demetra Rodaros
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal Diabetes Research Center, and Departments of Medicine and Neurosciences and Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephanie Fulton
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal Diabetes Research Center, and Departments of Medicine and Neurosciences and Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Thierry Alquier
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal Diabetes Research Center, and Departments of Medicine and Neurosciences and Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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26
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Varela L, Horvath TL. Paraventricular glia drive circuit function to control metabolism. Cell Metab 2022; 34:1424-1426. [PMID: 36198288 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The role of glia as active participants in brain functions has become increasingly evident. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Herrera Moro Chao et al. reveal that astrocytes in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) bidirectionally control neuronal behavior in response to metabolic cues and that this control is disrupted in obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Varela
- Laboratory of Neuron-Glia Interaction in the Control of Hunger, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940 Leioa, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Tamas L Horvath
- Laboratory of Neuron-Glia Interaction in the Control of Hunger, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940 Leioa, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain; Department of Comparative Medicine and Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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27
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Herrera Moro Chao D, Kirchner MK, Pham C, Foppen E, Denis RGP, Castel J, Morel C, Montalban E, Hassouna R, Bui LC, Renault J, Mouffle C, García-Cáceres C, Tschöp MH, Li D, Martin C, Stern JE, Luquet SH. Hypothalamic astrocytes control systemic glucose metabolism and energy balance. Cell Metab 2022; 34:1532-1547.e6. [PMID: 36198294 PMCID: PMC9615252 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamus is key in the control of energy balance. However, strategies targeting hypothalamic neurons have failed to provide viable options to treat most metabolic diseases. Conversely, the role of astrocytes in systemic metabolic control has remained largely unexplored. Here, we show that obesity promotes anatomically restricted remodeling of hypothalamic astrocyte activity. In the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, chemogenetic manipulation of astrocytes results in bidirectional control of neighboring neuron activity, autonomic outflow, glucose metabolism, and energy balance. This process recruits a mechanism involving the astrocytic control of ambient glutamate levels, which becomes defective in obesity. Positive or negative chemogenetic manipulation of PVN astrocyte Ca2+ signals, respectively, worsens or improves metabolic status of diet-induced obese mice. Collectively, these findings highlight a yet unappreciated role for astrocytes in the direct control of systemic metabolism and suggest potential targets for anti-obesity strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew K Kirchner
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Cuong Pham
- Institute of Biology Paris Seine, Neuroscience Paris Seine, CNRS UMR8246, INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Universite, Paris 75005, France
| | - Ewout Foppen
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Raphael G P Denis
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France; Institut Cochin, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Julien Castel
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Chloe Morel
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Enrica Montalban
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Rim Hassouna
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Linh-Chi Bui
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Justine Renault
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Christine Mouffle
- Institute of Biology Paris Seine, Neuroscience Paris Seine, CNRS UMR8246, INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Universite, Paris 75005, France
| | - Cristina García-Cáceres
- Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC) & German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany; Division of Metabolic Diseases, Technische Universität München, Munich, 80333, Germany; Medizinische Klinik and Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias H Tschöp
- Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC) & German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany; Division of Metabolic Diseases, Technische Universität München, Munich, 80333, Germany
| | - Dongdong Li
- Institute of Biology Paris Seine, Neuroscience Paris Seine, CNRS UMR8246, INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Universite, Paris 75005, France
| | - Claire Martin
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France
| | - Javier E Stern
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Serge H Luquet
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France.
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28
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Yesmin R, Watanabe M, Sinha AS, Ishibashi M, Wang T, Fukuda A. A subpopulation of agouti-related peptide neurons exciting corticotropin-releasing hormone axon terminals in median eminence led to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation in response to food restriction. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:990803. [PMID: 36245920 PMCID: PMC9557964 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.990803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The excitatory action of gamma-aminobutyric-acid (GABA) in the median-eminence (ME) led to the steady-state release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from CRH axon terminals, which modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, in ME, the source of excitatory GABAergic input is unknown. We examined agouti-related peptide (AgRP) expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus as a possible source for excitatory GABAergic input. Here, we show that a subpopulation of activated AgRP neurons directly project to the CRH axon terminals in ME elevates serum corticosterone levels in 60% food-restricted mice. This increase in serum corticosterone is not dependent on activation of CRH neuronal soma in the paraventricular nucleus. Furthermore, conditional deletion of Na+-K+-2Cl– cotransporter-1 (NKCC1), which promotes depolarizing GABA action, from the CRH axon terminals results in significantly lower corticosterone levels in response to food restriction. These findings highlight the important role of a subset of AgRP neurons in HPA axis modulation via NKCC1-dependent GABAergic excitation in ME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruksana Yesmin
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Miho Watanabe
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Adya Saran Sinha
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Masaru Ishibashi
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tianying Wang
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Atsuo Fukuda
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
- Advanced Research Facilities and Services, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education and Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- *Correspondence: Atsuo Fukuda,
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29
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Abstract
Anorexia is a loss of appetite or an inability to eat and is often associated with eating disorders. However, animal anorexia is physiologically regulated as a part of the life cycle; for instance, during hibernation, migration or incubation. Anorexia nervosa (AN), on the other hand, is a common eating disorder among adolescent females that experience an intense fear of gaining weight due to body image distortion that results in voluntary avoidance of food intake and, thus, severe weight loss. It has been shown that the neurobiology of feeding extends beyond the hypothalamus. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in food choice and body image perception, both relevant in AN. However, little is known about the neurobiology of AN, and the lack of effective treatments justifies the use of animal models. Glial cells, the dominant population of nerve cells in the central nervous system, are key in maintaining brain homeostasis. Accordingly, recent studies suggest that glial function may be compromised by anorexia. In this review, we summarize recent findings about anorexia and glial cells.
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30
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Lutomska LM, Miok V, Krahmer N, González García I, Gruber T, Le Thuc O, Murat CD, Legutko B, Sterr M, Saher G, Lickert H, Müller TD, Ussar S, Tschöp MH, Lutter D, García-Cáceres C. Diet triggers specific responses of hypothalamic astrocytes in time and region dependent manner. Glia 2022; 70:2062-2078. [PMID: 35802021 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hypothalamic astrocytes are particularly affected by energy-dense food consumption. How the anatomical location of these glial cells and their spatial molecular distribution in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC) determine the cellular response to a high caloric diet remains unclear. In this study, we investigated their distinctive molecular responses following exposure to a high-fat high-sugar (HFHS) diet, specifically in the ARC. Using RNA sequencing and proteomics, we showed that astrocytes have a distinct transcriptomic and proteomic profile dependent on their anatomical location, with a major proteomic reprogramming in hypothalamic astrocytes. By ARC single-cell sequencing, we observed that a HFHS diet dictates time- and cell- specific transcriptomic responses, revealing that astrocytes have the most distinct regulatory pattern compared to other cell types. Lastly, we topographically and molecularly characterized astrocytes expressing glial fibrillary acidic protein and/or aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1 in the ARC, of which the abundance was significantly increased, as well as the alteration in their spatial and molecular profiles, with a HFHS diet. Together, our results provide a detailed multi-omics view on the spatial and temporal changes of astrocytes particularly in the ARC during different time points of adaptation to a high calorie diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Maria Lutomska
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Viktorian Miok
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Natalie Krahmer
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ismael González García
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Tim Gruber
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ophélia Le Thuc
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Cahuê Db Murat
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Beata Legutko
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael Sterr
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Gesine Saher
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Heiko Lickert
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Timo D Müller
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Eberhard Karls University Hospitals and Clinics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Siegfried Ussar
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany.,RG Adipocytes and Metabolism, Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Matthias H Tschöp
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Dominik Lutter
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Cristina García-Cáceres
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany.,Medizinische Klinik and Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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31
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Nampoothiri S, Nogueiras R, Schwaninger M, Prevot V. Glial cells as integrators of peripheral and central signals in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Nat Metab 2022; 4:813-825. [PMID: 35879459 PMCID: PMC7613794 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-022-00610-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Communication between the periphery and the brain is key for maintaining energy homeostasis. To do so, peripheral signals from the circulation reach the brain via the circumventricular organs (CVOs), which are characterized by fenestrated vessels lacking the protective blood-brain barrier (BBB). Glial cells, by virtue of their plasticity and their ideal location at the interface of blood vessels and neurons, participate in the integration and transmission of peripheral information to neuronal networks in the brain for the neuroendocrine control of whole-body metabolism. Metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, can disrupt the brain-to-periphery communication mediated by glial cells, highlighting the relevance of these cell types in the pathophysiology of such complications. An improved understanding of how glial cells integrate and respond to metabolic and humoral signals has become a priority for the discovery of promising therapeutic strategies to treat metabolic disorders. This Review highlights the role of glial cells in the exchange of metabolic signals between the periphery and the brain that are relevant for the regulation of whole-body energy homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreekala Nampoothiri
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, Lille, France
| | - Ruben Nogueiras
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigation Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrition, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Markus Schwaninger
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Vincent Prevot
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, EGID, DISTALZ, Lille, France.
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32
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Liu J, Feng X, Wang Y, Xia X, Zheng JC. Astrocytes: GABAceptive and GABAergic Cells in the Brain. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:892497. [PMID: 35755777 PMCID: PMC9231434 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.892497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes, the most numerous glial cells in the brain, play an important role in preserving normal neural functions and mediating the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. Recent studies have shown that astrocytes are GABAceptive and GABAergic astrocytes express GABAA receptors, GABAB receptors, and GABA transporter proteins to capture and internalize GABA. GABAceptive astrocytes thus influence both inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission by controlling the levels of extracellular GABA. Furthermore, astrocytes synthesize and release GABA to directly regulate brain functions. In this review, we highlight recent research progresses that support astrocytes as GABAceptive and GABAergic cells. We also summarize the roles of GABAceptive and GABAergic astrocytes that serve as an inhibitory node in the intercellular communication in the brain. Besides, we discuss future directions for further expanding our knowledge on the GABAceptive and GABAergic astrocyte signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuanran Feng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Translational Research Center, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohuan Xia
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Nanocatalytic Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jialin C Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Nanocatalytic Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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33
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Desroziers E. Unusual suspects: Glial cells in fertility regulation and their suspected role in polycystic ovary syndrome. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13136. [PMID: 35445462 PMCID: PMC9489003 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing-hormone (GnRH) neurons sitting within the hypothalamus control the production of gametes and sex steroids by the gonads, therefore ensuring survival of species. As orchestrators of reproductive function, GnRH neurons integrate information from external and internal cues. This occurs through an extensively studied neuronal network known as the "GnRH neuronal network." However, the brain is not simply composed of neurons. Evidence suggests a role for glial cells in controlling GnRH neuron activity, secretion and fertility outcomes, although numerous questions remain. Glial cells have historically been seen as support cells for neurons. This idea has been challenged by the discovery that some neurological diseases originate from glial dysfunction. The prevalence of infertility disorders is increasing worldwide, with one in four couples being affected; therefore, it remains essential to understand the mechanisms by which the brain controls fertility. The "GnRH glial network" could be a major player in infertility disorders and represent a potential therapeutic target. In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common infertility disorder of reproductive aged women worldwide, the brain is considered a prime suspect. Recent studies have demonstrated pathological neuronal wiring of the "GnRH neuronal network" in PCOS-like animal models. However, the role of the "GnRH glial network" remains to be elucidated. In this review, I aim to propose glial cells as unusual suspects in infertility disorders such as PCOS. In the first part, I state our current knowledge about the role of glia in the regulation of GnRH neurons and fertility. In the second part, based on our recent findings, I discuss how glial cells could be implicated in PCOS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Desroziers
- Department of Physiology, Centre for NeuroendocrinologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neuroscience Paris Seine – Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Neuroplasticity of Reproductive Behaviours TeamParisFrance
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34
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Kim YJ, Kang D, Yang HR, Park BS, Tu TH, Jeong B, Lee BJ, Kim JK, Kim JG. Metabolic Profiling of the Hypothalamus of Mice during Short-Term Food Deprivation. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12050407. [PMID: 35629911 PMCID: PMC9144291 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12050407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient availability and utilization in hypothalamic cells are directly associated with the regulation of whole-body energy homeostasis. Thus, establishing metabolic profiling in the hypothalamus in response to metabolic shift is valuable to better understand the underlying mechanism of appetite regulation. In the present study, we evaluate the alteration of lipophilic and hydrophilic metabolites in both the hypothalamus and serum of fasted mice. Fasted mice displayed an elevated ketone body and decreased lactate levels in the hypothalamus. In support of the metabolite data, we further confirmed that short-term food deprivation resulted in the altered expression of genes involved in cellular metabolic processes, including the shuttling of fuel sources and the production of monocarboxylates in hypothalamic astrocytes. Overall, the current study provides useful information to close the gap in our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying hypothalamic control of whole-body energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Jin Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea; (Y.J.K.); (H.R.Y.); (B.S.P.); (T.H.T.)
| | - Dasol Kang
- Department of Biological Science, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (B.J.L.)
| | - Hye Rim Yang
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea; (Y.J.K.); (H.R.Y.); (B.S.P.); (T.H.T.)
| | - Byong Seo Park
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea; (Y.J.K.); (H.R.Y.); (B.S.P.); (T.H.T.)
| | - Thai Hien Tu
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea; (Y.J.K.); (H.R.Y.); (B.S.P.); (T.H.T.)
| | - Bora Jeong
- Department of Biological Science, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (B.J.L.)
| | - Byung Ju Lee
- Department of Biological Science, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (B.J.L.)
| | - Jae Kwang Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea; (Y.J.K.); (H.R.Y.); (B.S.P.); (T.H.T.)
- Correspondence: (J.K.K.); (J.G.K.); Tel.: +82-32-835-8241 (J.K.K.); +82-32-835-8256 (J.G.K.)
| | - Jae Geun Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea; (Y.J.K.); (H.R.Y.); (B.S.P.); (T.H.T.)
- Correspondence: (J.K.K.); (J.G.K.); Tel.: +82-32-835-8241 (J.K.K.); +82-32-835-8256 (J.G.K.)
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Lyon KA, Allen NJ. From Synapses to Circuits, Astrocytes Regulate Behavior. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 15:786293. [PMID: 35069124 PMCID: PMC8772456 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.786293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are non-neuronal cells that regulate synapses, neuronal circuits, and behavior. Astrocytes ensheath neuronal synapses to form the tripartite synapse where astrocytes influence synapse formation, function, and plasticity. Beyond the synapse, recent research has revealed that astrocyte influences on the nervous system extend to the modulation of neuronal circuitry and behavior. Here we review recent findings on the active role of astrocytes in behavioral modulation with a focus on in vivo studies, primarily in mice. Using tools to acutely manipulate astrocytes, such as optogenetics or chemogenetics, studies reviewed here have demonstrated a causal role for astrocytes in sleep, memory, sensorimotor behaviors, feeding, fear, anxiety, and cognitive processes like attention and behavioral flexibility. Current tools and future directions for astrocyte-specific manipulation, including methods for probing astrocyte heterogeneity, are discussed. Understanding the contribution of astrocytes to neuronal circuit activity and organismal behavior will be critical toward understanding how nervous system function gives rise to behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krissy A Lyon
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicola J Allen
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
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Obara-Michlewska M. The contribution of astrocytes to obesity-associated metabolic disturbances. J Biomed Res 2022; 36:299-311. [PMID: 36131679 PMCID: PMC9548436 DOI: 10.7555/jbr.36.20200020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Obara-Michlewska
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-106, Poland
- Marta Obara-Michlewska, Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 A. Pawinskiego Street, Warsaw 02-106, Poland. Tel/Fax: +48-22-6046416, E-mail:
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Clayton RW, Lovell-Badge R, Galichet C. The Properties and Functions of Glial Cell Types of the Hypothalamic Median Eminence. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:953995. [PMID: 35966104 PMCID: PMC9363565 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.953995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The median eminence (ME) is part of the neuroendocrine system (NES) that functions as a crucial interface between the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The ME contains many non-neuronal cell types, including oligodendrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), tanycytes, astrocytes, pericytes, microglia and other immune cells, which may be involved in the regulation of NES function. For example, in mice, ablation of tanycytes (a special class of ependymal glia with stem cell-like functions) results in weight gain, feeding, insulin insensitivity and increased visceral adipose, consistent with the demonstrated ability of these cells to sense and transport both glucose and leptin, and to differentiate into neurons that control feeding and metabolism in the hypothalamus. To give a further example, OPCs in the ME of mice have been shown to rapidly respond to dietary signals, in turn controlling composition of the extracellular matrix in the ME, derived from oligodendrocyte-lineage cells, which may contribute to the previously described role of these cells in actively maintaining leptin-receptor-expressing dendrites in the ME. In this review, we explore and discuss recent advances such as these, that have developed our understanding of how the various cell types of the ME contribute to its function in the NES as the interface between the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. We also highlight avenues of future research which promise to uncover additional functions of the ME and the glia, stem and progenitor cells it contains.
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Varela L, Kim JG, Fernández-Tussy P, Aryal B, Liu ZW, Fernández-Hernando C, Horvath TL. Astrocytic lipid metabolism determines susceptibility to diet-induced obesity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj2814. [PMID: 34890239 PMCID: PMC11323787 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj2814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Hypothalamic astrocytes play pivotal roles in both nutrient sensing and the modulation of synaptic plasticity of hypothalamic neuronal circuits in control of feeding and systemic glucose and energy metabolism. Here, we show the relevance of astrocytic fatty acid (FA) homeostasis under the opposing control of angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL-4) and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in the cellular adaptations of hypothalamic astrocytes and neurons to the changing metabolic milieu. We observed that increased availability of FA in astrocytes induced by cell- and time-selective knockdown of Angptl4 protected against diet-induced obesity, while cell- and time-selective knockdown of Angptl4-regulated Pparγ lead to elevated susceptibility to obesity. Overall, our results unravel a previously unidentified role for astrocytic FA metabolism in central control of body weight and glucose homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Varela
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jae Geun Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 406-772, South Korea
| | - Pablo Fernández-Tussy
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Binod Aryal
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Zhong Wu Liu
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Carlos Fernández-Hernando
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Tamas L. Horvath
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar St., BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Mohajeri M, Horriatkhah E, Mohajery R. The effect of glutamine supplementation on serum levels of some inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and appetite in COVID-19 patients: a case-control study. Inflammopharmacology 2021; 29:1769-1776. [PMID: 34709541 PMCID: PMC8552429 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-021-00881-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Background Malnutrition is seen in COVID-19 patients, and reducing malnutrition with appropriate therapies may improve these patients' health. This case–control study aimed to assess and compare serum levels of some inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and appetite in COVID-19 patients with respiratory infections that receive glutamine treatment with a control group. Methods In this study, patients who consented to use glutamine were considered as the case group and other patients who did not use glutamine were considered as a control group. Two hundred twenty-two COVID-19 patients (51.2 ± 6.7) using l-Glutamine and 230 COVID-19 patients (51.3 ± 8.2) with similar age, gender, and clinical status, as the control group, were included in the study. For 5 days, the case group consumed 10 g of glutamine supplement three times per day. At the end of the 5 days, blood samples were taken again to test for serum levels of IL1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, malondialdehyde, and total antioxidant capacity, then all data were analyzed. Results Serum levels of β-1 interleukin, tumor necrosis factor-α and hs-CRP were significantly reduced with five days of glutamine supplementation (p < 0.05), and patients’ appetite during 5 days of glutamine supplementation compared with the control group had a significant increase (p < 0.05). Conclusion Glutamine supplementation in COVID-19 patients with respiratory infection significantly reduces serum levels of interleukin-1 β, hs-CRP, and tumor necrosis factor-α and significantly increases appetite, so glutamine supplementation may be useful for COVID-19 patients in the hospital.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Mohajeri
- Digestive Disease Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.
- Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Ardabil, Iran.
| | - Ehsan Horriatkhah
- Digestive Disease Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
- Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Mohajery
- Energy Management Research Center, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
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Astrocyte Gliotransmission in the Regulation of Systemic Metabolism. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11110732. [PMID: 34822390 PMCID: PMC8623475 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11110732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal brain function highly relies on the appropriate functioning of astrocytes. These glial cells are strategically situated between blood vessels and neurons, provide significant substrate support to neuronal demand, and are sensitive to neuronal activity and energy-related molecules. Astrocytes respond to many metabolic conditions and regulate a wide array of physiological processes, including cerebral vascular remodeling, glucose sensing, feeding, and circadian rhythms for the control of systemic metabolism and behavior-related responses. This regulation ultimately elicits counterregulatory mechanisms in order to couple whole-body energy availability with brain function. Therefore, understanding the role of astrocyte crosstalk with neighboring cells via the release of molecules, e.g., gliotransmitters, into the parenchyma in response to metabolic and neuronal cues is of fundamental relevance to elucidate the distinct roles of these glial cells in the neuroendocrine control of metabolism. Here, we review the mechanisms underlying astrocyte-released gliotransmitters that have been reported to be crucial for maintaining homeostatic regulation of systemic metabolism.
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Hypothalamic Astrocytes as a Specialized and Responsive Cell Population in Obesity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126176. [PMID: 34201099 PMCID: PMC8228119 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are a type of glial cell anatomically and functionally integrated into the neuronal regulatory circuits for the neuroendocrine control of metabolism. Being functional integral compounds of synapses, astrocytes are actively involved in the physiological regulatory aspects of metabolic control, but also in the pathological processes that link neuronal dysfunction and obesity. Between brain areas, the hypothalamus harbors specialized functional circuits that seem selectively vulnerable to metabolic damage, undergoing early cellular rearrangements which are thought to be at the core of the pathogenesis of diet-induced obesity. Such changes in the hypothalamic brain region consist of a rise in proinflammatory cytokines, the presence of a reactive phenotype in astrocytes and microglia, alterations in the cytoarchitecture and synaptology of hypothalamic circuits, and angiogenesis, a phenomenon that cannot be found elsewhere in the brain. Increasing evidence points to the direct involvement of hypothalamic astrocytes in such early metabolic disturbances, thus moving the study of these glial cells to the forefront of obesity research. Here we provide a comprehensive review of the most relevant findings of molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms by which hypothalamic astrocytes might be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity.
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