Fasting pancreatic polypeptide predicts incident microvascular and macrovascular complications of type 2 diabetes: An observational study.

AIMS: Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is elevated in people with vascular risk factors such as type 2 diabetes or increased visceral fat. We investigated potential relationships between PP and microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Animal study: Subcutaneous PP infusion for 4 weeks in high fat diet mouse model. Retinal mRNA submitted for Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Human study: fasting PP measured in 1478 participants and vascular complications recorded over median 5.5 (IQR 4.9-5.8) years follow-up. RESULTS: Animal study: The retinal transcriptional response to PP was indicative of cellular stress and damage, and this footprint matched responses described in previously published studies of retinal disease. Of mechanistic importance the transcriptional landscape was consistent with upregulation of folliculin, a recently identified susceptibility gene for diabetic retinopathy. Human study: Adjusting for established risk factors, PP was associated with prevalent and incident clinically significant retinopathy (odds ratio (OR) 1.289 (1.107-1.501) p = 0.001; hazard ratio (HR) 1.259 (1.035-1.531) p = 0.0213), albuminuria (OR 1.277 (1.124-1.454), p = 0.0002; HR 1.608 (1.208-2.141) p = 0.0011), and macrovascular disease (OR 1.021 (1.006-1.037) p = 0.0068; HR 1.324 (1.089-1.61), p = 0.0049), in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and progression to diabetes in non-diabetic individuals (HR 1.402 (1.081-1.818), p = 0.0109). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated fasting PP is independently associated with vascular complications of diabetes and affects retinal pathways potentially influencing retinal neuronal survival. Our results suggest possible new roles for PP-fold peptides in the pathophysiology of diabetes complications and vascular risk stratification.

Interleukin-22 orchestrates a pathological endoplasmic reticulum stress response transcriptional programme in colonic epithelial cells.

OBJECTIVE: The functional role of interleukin-22 (IL22) in chronic inflammation is controversial, and mechanistic insights into how it regulates target tissue are lacking. In this study, we evaluated the functional role of IL22 in chronic colitis and probed mechanisms of IL22-mediated regulation of colonic epithelial cells. DESIGN: To investigate the functional role of IL22 in chronic colitis and how it regulates colonic epithelial cells, we employed a three-dimentional mini-gut epithelial organoid system, in vivo disease models and transcriptomic datasets in human IBD. RESULTS: As well as inducing transcriptional modules implicated in antimicrobial responses, IL22 also coordinated an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response transcriptional programme in colonic epithelial cells. In the colon of patients with active colonic Crohn's disease (CD), there was enrichment of IL22-responsive transcriptional modules and ER stress response modules. Strikingly, in an IL22-dependent model of chronic colitis, targeting IL22 alleviated colonic epithelial ER stress and attenuated colitis. Pharmacological modulation of the ER stress response similarly impacted the severity of colitis. In patients with colonic CD, antibody blockade of IL12p40, which simultaneously blocks IL12 and IL23, the key upstream regulator of IL22 production, alleviated the colonic epithelial ER stress response. CONCLUSIONS: Our data challenge perceptions of IL22 as a predominantly beneficial cytokine in IBD and provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of IL22-mediated pathogenicity in chronic colitis. Targeting IL22-regulated pathways and alleviating colonic epithelial ER stress may represent promising therapeutic strategies in patients with colitis. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02749630.

Diabetes through a 3D lens: organoid models.

Diabetes is one of the most challenging health concerns facing society. Available drugs treat the symptoms but there is no cure. This presents an urgent need to better understand human diabetes in order to develop improved treatments or target remission. New disease models need to be developed that more accurately describe the pathology of diabetes. Organoid technology provides an opportunity to fill this knowledge gap. Organoids are 3D structures, established from pluripotent stem cells or adult stem/progenitor cells, that recapitulate key aspects of the in vivo tissues they mimic. In this review we briefly introduce organoids and their benefits; we focus on organoids generated from tissues important for glucose homeostasis and tissues associated with diabetic complications. We hope this review serves as a touchstone to demonstrate how organoid technology extends the research toolbox and can deliver a step change of discovery in the field of diabetes.

Islet neuropeptide Y receptors are functionally conserved and novel targets for the preservation of beta-cell mass.

AIMS: Two unmet therapeutic strategies for diabetes treatment are prevention of beta-cell death and stimulation of beta-cell replication. Our aim was to characterize the role of neuropeptide Y receptors in the control of beta-cell mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used endogenous and selective agonists of the NPY receptor system to explore its role in the prevention of beta-cell apoptosis and proliferation in islets isolated from both mouse and human donors. We further explored the intra-cellular signalling cascades involved, using chemical inhibitors of key signalling pathways. As proof of principle we designed a long-acting analogue of [Leu31 Pro34 ]-NPY, an agonist of the islet-expressed Y receptors, to determine if targeting this system could preserve beta-cell mass in vivo. RESULTS: Our data reveal that NPY Y1, 4 and 5 receptor activation engages a generalized and powerful anti-apoptotic pathway that protects mouse and human islets from damage. These anti-apoptotic effects were dependent on stimulating a Gαi-PLC-PKC signalling cascade, which prevented cytokine-induced NFkB signalling. NPY receptor activation functionally protected islets by restoring glucose responsiveness following chemically induced injury in both species. NPY receptor activation attenuated beta-cell apoptosis, preserved functional beta-cell mass and attenuated the hyperglycaemic phenotype in a low-dose streptozotocin model of diabetes. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our observations identify the islet Y receptors as promising targets for the preservation of beta-cell mass. As such, targeting these receptors could help to maintain beta-cell mass in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and may also be useful for improving islet transplantation outcomes.

Peptide YY: more than just an appetite regulator.

Replenishment of beta cell mass is a key aim of novel therapeutic interventions for diabetes, and the implementation of new strategies will be aided by understanding the mechanisms employed to regulate beta cell mass under normal physiological conditions. We have recently identified a new role for the gut hormone peptide YY (PYY) and the neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptor systems in the control of beta cell survival. PYY is perhaps best known for its role in regulating appetite and body weight, but its production by islet cells, the presence of NPY receptors on islets and the demonstration that Y1 activation causes proliferation of beta cells and protects them from apoptosis, suggest a role for this peptide in modulating beta cell mass. This review introduces PYY and its potential role in glucose homeostasis, then focuses on evidence supporting the concept that PYY and NPY receptors are exciting new targets for the preservation of beta cells.

Selective ablation of peptide YY cells in adult mice reveals their role in beta cell survival.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the pancreas, peptide YY (PYY) is expressed by a subpopulation of nonbeta cells in the islets of Langerhans. We investigated the function of these cells in the pancreas of adult mice. METHODS: We generated mice in which administration of diphtheria toxin (DT) led to specific ablation of PYY-expressing cells. We investigated the effects of loss of PYY cells on glucose homeostasis. RESULTS: Loss of PYY cells in adult mice resulted in severe hyperglycemia, which was associated with significant loss of pancreatic insulin and disruption of islet morphology. In vitro administration of DT to isolated islets significantly reduced numbers of PYY-expressing cells and levels of insulin. Administration of either pancreatic polypeptide (a strong agonist of the receptor Y(4)) or PYY(3-36) (a selective agonist of the receptor Y(2)) did not restore loss of pancreatic insulin following administration of DT. However, a long-acting PYY analogue reduced the loss of insulin, and administration of this analogue reduced the hyperglycemia and insulin loss induced by streptozotocin in mice. CONCLUSIONS: PYY appears to regulate beta cell function and survival via the receptor Y(1/2). These findings might be developed to treat and prevent loss of beta cells in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor utilises cellular zinc signals to maintain the gut epithelial barrier.

Zinc and plant-derived ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) are dietary components affecting intestinal epithelial barrier function. Here, we explore whether zinc and the AHR pathway are linked. We show that dietary supplementation with an AHR pre-ligand offers protection against inflammatory bowel disease in a mouse model while protection fails in mice lacking AHR in the intestinal epithelium. AHR agonist treatment is also ineffective in mice fed zinc depleted diet. In human ileum organoids and Caco-2 cells, AHR activation increases total cellular zinc and cytosolic free Zn2+ concentrations through transcription of genes for zinc importers. Tight junction proteins are upregulated through zinc inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer and calpain activity. Our data show that AHR activation by plant-derived dietary ligands improves gut barrier function at least partly via zinc-dependent cellular pathways, suggesting that combined dietary supplementation with AHR ligands and zinc might be effective in preventing inflammatory gut disorders.

Sulfated Progesterone Metabolites That Enhance Insulin Secretion via TRPM3 Are Reduced in Serum From Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Serum progesterone sulfates were evaluated in the etiology of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Serum progesterone sulfates were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in four patient cohorts: 1) the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes study; 2) London-based women of mixed ancestry and 3) U.K.-based women of European ancestry with or without GDM; and 4) 11-13 weeks pregnant women with BMI ≤25 or BMI ≥35 kg/m2 with subsequent uncomplicated pregnancies or GDM. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was evaluated in response to progesterone sulfates in mouse islets and human islets. Calcium fluorescence was measured in HEK293 cells expressing transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 3 (TRPM3). Computer modeling using Molecular Operating Environment generated three-dimensional structures of TRPM3. Epiallopregnanolone sulfate (PM5S) concentrations were reduced in GDM (P < 0.05), in women with higher fasting plasma glucose (P < 0.010), and in early pregnancy samples from women who subsequently developed GDM with BMI ≥35 kg/m2 (P < 0.05). In islets, 50 µmol/L PM5S increased GSIS by at least twofold (P < 0.001); isosakuranetin (TRPM3 inhibitor) abolished this effect. PM5S increased calcium influx in TRPM3-expressing HEK293 cells. Computer modeling and docking showed identical positioning of PM5S to the natural ligand in TRPM3. PM5S increases GSIS and is reduced in GDM serum. The activation of GSIS by PM5S is mediated by TRPM3 in both mouse and human islets.

The hyperphagic effect of ghrelin is inhibited in mice by a diet high in fat.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Ghrelin is the only peripheral hormone known to increase food intake. It is released from the stomach and is thought to function as a signal of energy deficit and a meal initiator. We generated transgenic mice in which levels of bioactive ghrelin are increased in the stomach and circulation. These mice, as expected, are hyperphagic and glucose intolerant. We investigated whether exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) would exacerbate this phenotype. METHODS: We investigated the effect of HFD on energy and glucose homeostasis in ghrelin transgenic mice. We determined dietary preference; expression of hypothalamic neuropeptides that control food intake; and, using fast-performance liquid chromatography, the circulating forms of ghrelin. We measured food intake during continuous administration of ghrelin in wild-type mice fed either regular chow or an HFD. RESULTS: Ghrelin transgenic mice were resistant to diet-induced obesity because of their reduced food intake. This was not caused by alterations to food preference, hypothalamic signaling of neuropeptides that control food intake, or the form of circulating acylated ghrelin. Long-term administration of ghrelin to wild-type mice failed to increase ingestion of an HFD but, as expected, increased intake of regular chow. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report that diets high in fat inhibit the hyperphagic effect of ghrelin; these findings indicate that features of the diet are important determinants of ghrelin's function. This information is important for the development of anti-obesity drugs that target ghrelin signaling.

Chronic peptide-based GIP receptor inhibition exhibits modest glucose metabolic changes in mice when administered either alone or combined with GLP-1 agonism.

Combinatorial gut hormone therapy is one of the more promising strategies for identifying improved treatments for metabolic disease. Many approaches combine the established benefits of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonism with one or more additional molecules with the aim of improving metabolic outcomes. Recent attention has been drawn to the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) system due to compelling pre-clinical evidence describing the metabolic benefits of antagonising the GIP receptor (GIPR). We rationalised that benefit might be accrued from combining GIPR antagonism with GLP-1 agonism. Two GIPR peptide antagonists, GIPA-1 (mouse GIP(3-30)NH2) and GIPA-2 (NαAc-K10[γEγE-C16]-Arg18-hGIP(5-42)), were pharmacologically characterised and both exhibited potent antagonist properties. Acute in vivo administration of GIPA-1 during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) had negligible effects on glucose tolerance and insulin in lean mice. In contrast, GIPA-2 impaired glucose tolerance and attenuated circulating insulin levels. A mouse model of diet-induced obesity (DIO) was used to investigate the potential metabolic benefits of chronic dosing of each antagonist, alone or in combination with liraglutide. Chronic administration studies showed expected effects of liraglutide, lowering food intake, body weight, fasting blood glucose and plasma insulin concentrations while improving glucose sensitivity, whereas delivery of either GIPR antagonist alone had negligible effects on these parameters. Interestingly, chronic dual therapy augmented insulin sensitizing effects and lowered plasma triglycerides and free-fatty acids, with more notable effects observed with GIPA-1 compared to GIPA-2. Thus, the co-administration of both a GIPR antagonist with a GLP1 agonist uncovers interesting beneficial effects on measures of insulin sensitivity, circulating lipids and certain adipose stores that seem influenced by the degree or nature of GIP receptor antagonism.

The Glucose Tolerance Test in Mice.

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by glucose intolerance, caused by insulin resistance in peripheral metabolic tissues and by impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, the hallmark of beta-cell dysfunction. The glucose tolerance test is used in clinic and research to identify individuals with impaired glucose tolerance and overt type 2 diabetes. It is the most routinely used physiological test for first pass assessment of glucose homeostasis in rodents because of its simplicity. The GTT measures changes in blood glucose concentration over a 2-h period following the administration of a bolus of glucose. However, this simplicity belies several important considerations which need to be addressed, to aid reproducibility and produce interpretable data. Here, we describe in detail how to perform a GTT using four different routes of glucose administration: intraperitoneal, oral, voluntary oral, and intravenous.

ISX-9 manipulates endocrine progenitor fate revealing conserved intestinal lineages in mouse and human organoids.

OBJECTIVE: Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) survey the gut luminal environment and coordinate hormonal, immune and neuronal responses to it. They exhibit well-characterised physiological roles ranging from the control of local gut function to whole body metabolism, but little is known regarding the regulatory networks controlling their differentiation, especially in the human gut. The small molecule isoxazole-9 (ISX-9) has been shown to stimulate neuronal and pancreatic beta-cell differentiation, both closely related to EEC differentiation. Our aim was to use ISX-9 as a tool to explore EEC differentiation. METHODS: We investigated the effects of ISX-9 on EEC differentiation in mouse and human intestinal organoids, using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), fluorescent-activated cell sorting, immunostaining and single-cell RNA sequencing. RESULTS: ISX-9 increased the number of neurogenin3-RFP (Ngn3)-positive endocrine progenitor cells and upregulated NeuroD1 and Pax4, transcription factors that play roles in mouse EEC specification. Single-cell analysis showed induction of Pax4 expression in a developmentally late Ngn3+ population of cells and potentiation of genes associated with progenitors biased toward serotonin-producing enterochromaffin (EC) cells. Further, we observed enrichment of organoids with functional EC cells that was partly dependent on stimulation of calcium signalling in a population of cells residing outside the crypt base. Inducible Pax4 overexpression, in ileal organoids, uncovered its importance as a component of early human endocrine specification and highlighted the potential existence of two major endocrine lineages, the early appearing enterochromaffin lineage and the later developing peptidergic lineage which contains classical gut hormone cell types. CONCLUSION: Our data provide proof-of-concept for the controlled manipulation of specific endocrine lineages with small molecules, whilst also shedding new light on human EEC differentiation and its similarity to the mouse. Given their diverse roles, understanding endocrine lineage plasticity and its control could have multiple therapeutic implications.

Ursodeoxycholic acid enriches intestinal bile salt hydrolase-expressing Bacteroidetes in cholestatic pregnancy.

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment can reduce itch and lower endogenous serum bile acids in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). We sought to determine how it could influence the gut environment in ICP to alter enterohepatic signalling. The gut microbiota and bile acid content were determined in faeces from 35 pregnant women (14 with uncomplicated pregnancies and 21 with ICP, 17 receiving UDCA). Faecal bile salt hydrolase activity was measured using a precipitation assay. Serum fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) and 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4) concentrations were measured following a standardised diet for 21 hours. Women with a high ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes were more likely to be treated with UDCA (Fisher's exact test p = 0.0178) than those with a lower ratio. Bile salt hydrolase activity was reduced in women with low Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes. Women taking UDCA had higher faecal lithocholic acid (p < 0.0001), with more unconjugated bile acids than women with untreated ICP or uncomplicated pregnancy. UDCA-treatment increased serum FGF19, and reduced C4 (reflecting lower bile acid synthesis). During ICP, UDCA treatment can be associated with enrichment of the gut microbiota with Bacteroidetes. These demonstrate high bile salt hydrolase activity, which deconjugates bile acids enabling secondary modification to FXR agonists, enhancing enterohepatic feedback via FGF19.

Enteroendocrine Progenitor Cell-Enriched miR-7 Regulates Intestinal Epithelial Proliferation in an Xiap-Dependent Manner.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The enteroendocrine cell (EEC) lineage is important for intestinal homeostasis. It was recently shown that EEC progenitors contribute to intestinal epithelial growth and renewal, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. MicroRNAs are under-explored along the entire EEC lineage trajectory, and comparatively little is known about their contributions to intestinal homeostasis. METHODS: We leverage unbiased sequencing and eight different mouse models and sorting methods to identify microRNAs enriched along the EEC lineage trajectory. We further characterize the functional role of EEC progenitor-enriched miRNA, miR-7, by in vivo dietary study as well as ex vivo enteroid in mice. RESULTS: First, we demonstrate that miR-7 is highly enriched across the entire EEC lineage trajectory and is the most enriched miRNA in EEC progenitors relative to Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells. Next, we show in vivo that in EEC progenitors miR-7 is dramatically suppressed under dietary conditions that favor crypt division and suppress EEC abundance. We then demonstrate by functional assays in mouse enteroids that miR-7 exerts robust control of growth, as determined by budding (proxy for crypt division), EdU and PH3 staining, and likely regulates EEC abundance also. Finally, we show by single-cell RNA sequencing analysis that miR-7 regulates Xiap in progenitor/stem cells and we demonstrate in enteroids that the effects of miR-7 on mouse enteroid growth depend in part on Xiap and Egfr signaling. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates for the first time that EEC progenitor cell-enriched miR-7 is altered by dietary perturbations and that it regulates growth in enteroids via intact Xiap and Egfr signaling.

Modelling pancreatic ß-cell inflammation in zebrafish identifies the natural product wedelolactone for human islet protection.

Islet inflammation and cytokine production are implicated in pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction and diabetes pathogenesis. However, we lack therapeutics to protect the insulin-producing ß-cells from inflammatory damage. Closing this clinical gap requires the establishment of new disease models of islet inflammation to facilitate screening efforts aimed at identifying new protective agents. Here, we have developed a genetic model of Interleukin-1ß (Il-1ß)-driven islet inflammation in zebrafish, a vertebrate that allows for non-invasive imaging of ß-cells and in vivo drug discovery. Live imaging of immune cells and ß-cells in our model revealed dynamic migration, increased visitation and prolonged macrophage retention in the islet, together with robust activation of NF-κB signalling in ß-cells. We find that Il-1ß-mediated inflammation does not cause ß-cell destruction but, rather, it impairs ß-cell function and identity. In vivo, ß-cells exhibit impaired glucose-stimulated calcium influx and reduced expression of genes involved in function and maturity. These defects are accompanied by α-cell expansion, glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia following a glucose challenge. Notably, we show that a medicinal plant derivative (wedelolactone) is capable of reducing the immune-cell infiltration while also ameliorating the hyperglycemic phenotype of our model. Importantly, these anti-diabetic properties in zebrafish are predictive of wedelolactone's efficacy in protecting rodent and human islets from cytokine-induced apoptosis. In summary, this new zebrafish model of diabetes opens a window to study the interactions between immune and ß-cells in vivo, while also allowing the identification of therapeutic agents for protecting ß-cells from inflammation.

Age-related islet inflammation marks the proliferative decline of pancreatic beta-cells in zebrafish.

The pancreatic islet, a cellular community harboring the insulin-producing beta-cells, is known to undergo age-related alterations. However, only a handful of signals associated with aging have been identified. By comparing beta-cells from younger and older zebrafish, here we show that the aging islets exhibit signs of chronic inflammation. These include recruitment of tnfα-expressing macrophages and the activation of NF-kB signaling in beta-cells. Using a transgenic reporter, we show that NF-kB activity is undetectable in juvenile beta-cells, whereas cells from older fish exhibit heterogeneous NF-kB activity. We link this heterogeneity to differences in gene expression and proliferation. Beta-cells with high NF-kB signaling proliferate significantly less compared to their neighbors with low activity. The NF-kB signalinghi cells also exhibit premature upregulation of socs2, an age-related gene that inhibits beta-cell proliferation. Together, our results show that NF-kB activity marks the asynchronous decline in beta-cell proliferation with advancing age.

3D intestinal organoids in metabolic research: virtual reality in a dish.

The advent of near physiological organoid technology has produced a step change in our understanding of stem cells and has provided the research community with a powerful new cell based tool to model human physiology and disease. We review the pros and cons of intestinal organoid culture systems. The molecular and genetic tools to manipulate them and how they are being used to answer fundamental questions in metabolic research, including the function of enteroendocrine cells in health and disease.

Fermentable carbohydrate stimulates FFAR2-dependent colonic PYY cell expansion to increase satiety.

OBJECTIVE: Dietary supplementation with fermentable carbohydrate protects against body weight gain. Fermentation by the resident gut microbiota produces short-chain fatty acids, which act at free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2). Our aim was to test the hypothesis that FFAR2 is important in regulating the beneficial effects of fermentable carbohydrate on body weight and to understand the role of gut hormones PYY and GLP-1. METHODS: Wild-type or Ffar2-/- mice were fed an inulin supplemented or control diet. Mice were metabolically characterized and gut hormone concentrations, enteroendocrine cell density measurements were carried out. Intestinal organoids and colonic cultures were utilized to substantiate the in vivo findings. RESULTS: We provide new mechanistic insight into how fermentable carbohydrate regulates metabolism. Using mice that lack FFAR2, we demonstrate that the fermentable carbohydrate inulin acts via this receptor to drive an 87% increase in the density of cells that produce the appetite-suppressing hormone peptide YY (PYY), reduce food intake, and prevent diet-induced obesity. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that FFAR2 is predominantly involved in regulating the effects of fermentable carbohydrate on metabolism and does so, in part, by enhancing PYY cell density and release. This highlights the potential for targeting enteroendocrine cell differentiation to treat obesity.

Post-embryonic ablation of AgRP neurons in mice leads to a lean, hypophagic phenotype.

Agouti-related protein (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) are colocalized in arcuate nucleus (arcuate) neurons implicated in the regulation of energy balance. Both AgRP and NPY stimulate food intake when administered into the third ventricle and are up-regulated in states of negative energy balance. However, mice with targeted deletion of either NPY or AgRP or both do not have major alterations in energy homeostasis. Using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenesis we have targeted expression of a neurotoxic CAG expanded form of ataxin-3 to AgRP-expressing neurons in the arcuate. This resulted in a 47% loss of AgRP neurons by 16 weeks of age, a significantly reduced body weight, (wild-type mice (WT) 34.7+/-0.7 g vs. transgenic mice (Tg) 28.6+/-0.6 g, P<0.001), and reduced food intake (WT 5.0+/-0.2 vs. Tg 3.6+/-0.1 g per day, P<0.001). Transgenic mice had significantly reduced total body fat, plasma insulin, and increased brown adipose tissue UCP1 expression. Transgenic mice failed to respond to peripherally administered ghrelin but retained sensitivity to PYY 3-36. These data suggest that postembryonic partial loss of AgRP/NPY neurons leads to a lean, hypophagic phenotype.

Hypothalamic cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and agouti-related protein (AgRP) neurons coexpress the NOP1 receptor and nociceptin alters CART and AgRP release.

Nociceptin or orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and its receptor NOP1 are expressed in hypothalamic nuclei involved in energy homeostasis. N/OFQ administered by intracerebroventricular or arcuate nucleus (ARC) injection increases food intake in satiated rats. The mechanisms by which N/OFQ increases food intake are unknown. We hypothesized that N/OFQ may regulate hypothalamic neurons containing peptides involved in the control of food intake such as cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), alphaMSH, neuropeptide Y (NPY), and agouti-related protein (AgRP). We investigated the ability of N/OFQ to alter the release of CART, alphaMSH, NPY, and AgRP using ex vivo medial basal hypothalamic explants. Incubation of hypothalamic explants with N/OFQ (1, 10, 100 nM) resulted in significant changes in CART and AgRP release. One hundred nanomoles N/OFQ caused a 33% decrease in release of CART (55-102) immunoreactivity (IR) and increased release of AgRP-IR to 163% but produced no change in either alphaMSH-IR or NPY-IR. Double immunocytochemistry/in situ hybridization demonstrated that CART-IR and NOP1 mRNA are colocalized throughout the hypothalamus, in particular in the paraventricular nucleus, lateral hypothalamus, zona incerta, and ARC, providing an anatomical basis for N/OFQ action on CART release. Dual in situ hybridization demonstrated that AgRP neurons in the ARC also express the NOP1 receptor. Our data suggest that nociceptin via the NOP1 receptor may increase food intake by decreasing the release of the anorectic peptide CART and increasing the release of the orexigenic peptide AgRP.