Hypothalamic Nesfatin-1 Stimulates Sympathetic Nerve Activity via Hypothalamic ERK Signaling.

Nesfatin-1 acts on the hypothalamus and regulates the autonomic nervous system. However, the hypothalamic mechanisms of nesfatin-1 on the autonomic nervous system are not well understood. In this study, we found that intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of nesfatin-1 increased the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity in rats. Furthermore, the activity of sympathetic nerves, in the kidneys, liver, and white adipose tissue (WAT), and blood pressure was stimulated by the ICV injection of nesfatin-1, and these effects were abolished owing to pharmacological inhibition of ERK. Renal sympathoexcitatory and hypertensive effects were also observed with nesfatin-1 microinjection into the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN). Moreover, nesfatin-1 increased the number of phospho (p)-ERK1/2-positive neurons in the PVN and coexpression of the protein in neurons expressing corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Pharmacological blockade of CRH signaling inhibited renal sympathetic and hypertensive responses to nesfatin-1. Finally, sympathetic stimulation of WAT and increased p-ERK1/2 levels in response to nesfatin-1 were preserved in obese animals such as rats that were fed a high-fat diet and leptin receptor-deficient Zucker fatty rats. These findings indicate that nesfatin-1 regulates the autonomic nervous system through ERK signaling in PVN-CRH neurons to maintain cardiovascular function and that the antiobesity effect of nesfatin-1 is mediated by hypothalamic ERK-dependent sympathoexcitation in obese animals.

L-Ornithine intake affects sympathetic nerve outflows and reduces body weight and food intake in rats.

Ingesting the amino acid l-ornithine effectively improves lipid metabolism in humans, although it is unknown whether it affects the activities of autonomic nerves that supply the peripheral organs related to lipid metabolism, such as adipose tissues. Thus, we investigated the effects of l-ornithine ingestion on autonomic nerves that innervate adipose tissues and the feeding behaviors of rats. Intragastric injection of l-ornithine (2.5%) in urethane-anesthetized rats activated sympathetic nerve activity to white adipose tissue (WAT-SNA), and stimulated sympathetic nerve activity to brown adipose tissue (BAT-SNA). In addition, WAT-SNA responses to l-ornithine were abolished in rats with ablated abdominal vagal nerves. l-ornithine ingestion for 9 weeks also significantly reduced rats' body weight, food intake, and abdominal fat weight. Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) levels in the hypothalamus and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) levels in brown adipose tissue were significantly increased in rats that ingested 2.5% l-ornithine for 9 weeks. These results suggested that ingested l-ornithine was taken up in the gastrointestinal organs and stimulated afferent vagal nerves and activated the central nervous system. Subsequently, increased hypothalamic POMC activated sympathetic neurotransmission to adipose tissues and accelerated energy expenditure.

Central PACAP mediates the sympathetic effects of leptin in a tissue-specific manner.

We previously demonstrated that the peptidergic neurotransmitter pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) affects the autonomic system and contributes to the control of metabolic and cardiovascular functions. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of centrally-mediated sympathetic effects of leptin for obesity-related hypertension. Here we tested whether PACAP signaling in the brain is implicated in leptin-induced sympathetic excitation and appetite suppression. In anesthetized mice, intracerebroventricular (ICV) pre-treatment with PACAP6-38, an antagonist of the PACAP receptors (PAC1-R and VPAC2), inhibited the increase in white adipose tissue sympathetic nerve activity (WAT-SNA) produced by ICV leptin (2µg). In contrast, leptin-induced stimulation of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) was not affected by ICV pre-treatment with PACAP6-38. Moreover, in PACAP-deficient (Adcyap1-/-) mice, ICV leptin-induced WAT-SNA increase was impaired, whereas RSNA response was preserved. The reductions in food intake and body weight evoked by ICV leptin were attenuated in Adcyap1-/- mice. Our data suggest that hypothalamic PACAP signaling plays a key role in the control by leptin of feeding behavior and lipocatabolic sympathetic outflow, but spares the renal sympathetic traffic.

Enhanced expression of nesfatin/nucleobindin-2 in white adipose tissue of ventromedial hypothalamus-lesioned rats.

Nesfatin-1, an anorexigenic protein, is ubiquitously expressed in the body. However, the exact mechanism underlying the in vivo regulation of production of nesfatin/nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2), a precursor protein of nesfatin-1, is unknown. We investigated the influence of modulation of autonomic nerve activity by a ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) lesion and the subsequent effect on nesfatin/NUCB2 production in rat tissues innervated by the peripheral nervous system. Nesfatin/NUCB2 is strongly expressed in the pancreas and liver, moderately expressed in subcutaneous and visceral fat tissues and interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT), but is weakly expressed in the skeletal muscles. Our study results showed that the VMH lesion in VMH-lesioned rats did not affect nesfatin/NUCB2 expression in the pancreas, liver, skeletal muscle, and iBAT; however, the protein expression was significantly high in both subcutaneous and visceral fat tissues. In addition, continuous peripheral administration of carbachol for 5 days did not affect nesfatin/NUCB2 expression, but chemical sympathectomy using 6-hydroxydopamine mimicked the effect of VMH lesion by showing significantly high nesfatin/NUCB2 expression in the subcutaneous fat tissues. These results show that VMH lesion can modulate the autonomic nervous system activity and balance and increase nesfatin/NUCB2 expression in white adipose tissues of rats. Further, this action may be mediated via inhibition of the sympathetic nerve activity.

Effects of Eucommia leaf extracts on autonomic nerves, body temperature, lipolysis, food intake, and body weight.

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver leaf extracts (ELE) have been shown to exert a hypolipidemic effect in hamsters. Therefore, it was hypothesized that ELE might affect lipid metabolism via changes in autonomic nerve activities and causes changes in thermogenesis and body weight. We examined this hypothesis, and found that intraduodenal (ID) injection of ELE elevated epididymal white adipose tissue sympathetic nerve activity (WAT-SNA) and interscapular brown adipose tissue sympathetic nerve activity (BAT-SNA) in urethane-anesthetized rats and elevated the plasma concentration of free fatty acids (FFA) (a marker of lipolysis) and body temperature (BT) (a marker of thermogenesis) in conscious rats. Furthermore, it was observed that ID administration of ELE decreased gastric vagal nerve activity (GVNA) in urethane-anesthetized rats, and that ELE given as food reduced food intake, body and abdominal adipose tissue weights and decreased plasma triglyceride level. These findings suggest that ELE stimulates lipolysis and thermogenesis through elevations in WAT-SNA and BAT-SNA, respectively, suppresses appetite by inhibiting the activities of the parasympathetic nerves innervating the gastrointestinal tract, including GVNA, and decreases the amount of abdominal fat and body weight via these changes.

Short photoperiod-induced decrease of histamine H3 receptors facilitates activation of hypothalamic neurons in the Siberian hamster.

Nonhibernating seasonal mammals have adapted to temporal changes in food availability through behavioral and physiological mechanisms to store food and energy during times of predictable plenty and conserve energy during predicted shortage. Little is known, however, of the hypothalamic neuronal events that lead to a change in behavior or physiology. Here we show for the first time that a shift from long summer-like to short winter-like photoperiod, which induces physiological adaptation to winter in the Siberian hamster, including a body weight decrease of up to 30%, increases neuronal activity in the dorsomedial region of the arcuate nucleus (dmpARC) assessed by electrophysiological patch-clamping recording. Increased neuronal activity in short days is dependent on a photoperiod-driven down-regulation of H3 receptor expression and can be mimicked in long-day dmpARC neurons by the application of the H3 receptor antagonist, clobenproprit. Short-day activation of dmpARC neurons results in increased c-Fos expression. Tract tracing with the trans-synaptic retrograde tracer, pseudorabies virus, delivered into adipose tissue reveals a multisynaptic neuronal sympathetic outflow from dmpARC to white adipose tissue. These data strongly suggest that increased activity of dmpARC neurons, as a consequence of down-regulation of the histamine H3 receptor, contributes to the physiological adaptation of body weight regulation in seasonal photoperiod.