LGR4 and its ligands, R-spondin 1 and R-spondin 3, regulate food intake in the hypothalamus of male rats.

The hypothalamus plays a key role in the regulation of feeding behavior. Several hypothalamic nuclei, including the arcuate nucleus (ARC), paraventricular nucleus, and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH), are involved in energy homeostasis. Analysis of microarray data derived from ARC revealed that leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 4 (LGR4) is highly expressed. LGR4, LGR5, and LGR6 form a subfamily of closely related receptors. Recently, R-spondin (Rspo) family proteins were identified as ligands of the LGR4 subfamily. In the present study, we investigated the distribution and function of LGR4-LGR6 and Rspos (1-4) in the brain of male rat. In situ hybridization showed that LGR4 is expressed in the ARC, VMH, and median eminence of the hypothalamus. LGR4 colocalizes with neuropeptide Y, proopiomelanocortin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor neurons. LGR5 is not detectable with in situ hybridization; LGR6 is only expressed in the epithelial lining of the lower portion of the third ventricle and median eminence. Rspo1 is expressed in the VMH and down-regulated with fasting. Rspo3 is expressed in the paraventricular nucleus and also down-regulated with fasting. Rspos 1 and 3 colocalize with the neuronal marker HuD, indicating that they are expressed by neurons. Injection of Rspo1 or Rspo3 into the third brain ventricle inhibited food intake. Rspo1 decreased neuropeptide Y and increased proopiomelanocortin expression in the ARC. Rspo1 and Rspo3 mRNA is up-regulated by insulin. These data indicate that Rspo1 and Rspo3 and their receptor LGR4 form novel circuits in the brain to regulate energy homeostasis.

Treatment with a growth factor-protein mixture inhibits formation of mineralized nodules in osteogenic cell cultures grown on titanium.

Despite wide clinical application, the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for repairing bone defects and enhancing osseointegration of metal implants is still subject of debate. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a well-defined PRP-like mixture containing platelet-derived growth factor-BB, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, TGF-beta2, albumin, fibronectin, and thrombospondin [growth factors (GFs) + proteins] on the development of the osteogenic phenotype on titanium (Ti) in vitro. Human alveolar bone-derived osteoblastic cells were subcultured on Ti discs and exposed during the first 7 days to osteogenic medium supplemented with GFs + proteins and to osteogenic medium alone thereafter up to 14 days. Control cultures were exposed to only osteogenic medium. Dose-response experiments were carried out using rat primary calvarial cells exposed to GFs + proteins and 1:10 or 1:100 dilutions of the mixture. Treated human-derived cell cultures exhibited a significantly higher number of cycling cells at days 1 and 4 and of total cells at days 4 and 7, significantly reduced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity at days 4, 7, and 10, and no Alizarin red-stained areas (calcium deposits) at day 14, indicating an impairment in osteoblast differentiation. Although the 1:10 and 1:100 dilutions of the mixture restored the proliferative activity of rat-derived osteogenic cells to control levels and promoted a significant increase in ALP activity at day 10 compared with GFs + proteins, mineralized nodule formation was only observed with the 1:100 dilution ( approximately 50% of the control). These results showed that a PRP-like protein mixture inhibits development of the osteogenic phenotype in both human and rat osteoblastic cell cultures grown on Ti.