scholarly journals Divergent Leptin Signaling in Proglucagon Neurons of the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract in Mice and Rats

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 492-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihong Huo ◽  
Kevin M. Gamber ◽  
Harvey J. Grill ◽  
Christian Bjørbæk

The central targets mediating the anorectic and other actions of leptin have yet to be fully identified. Although previous studies focused on the hypothalamus, leptin also acts on neurons in extrahypothalamic sites, including the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Moreover, injection of leptin into the NTS of rats suppresses food intake. Within the central nervous system, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), a product of proglucagon, is synthesized almost exclusively in neurons of the NTS. Intracerebroventricular administration of GLP-1 inhibits energy intake, and GLP-1 receptor antagonists attenuate the anorexic effects of leptin in rats. To examine whether NTS proglucagon neurons are directly regulated by leptin, we performed double GLP-1 and phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 immunohistochemistry on brain sections from ip leptin-treated mice and rats. Leptin induced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 in 100% of GLP-1 cells in the caudal brainstem of mice. In striking contrast, 0% of GLP-1-positive neurons in rats responded to leptin. We then measured regulation of NTS proglucagon mRNA using real-time RT-PCR in mice and rats fed ad libitum, fasted, or fasted and treated ip with leptin. In mice, proglucagon mRNA fell by fasting, and this was prevented by leptin administration. In rats, by contrast, proglucagon mRNA was unaffected by either fasting or leptin. Taken together, our studies reveal direct regulation of proglucagon neurons by leptin in mice but not rats along with corresponding species differences in the regulation of proglucagon mRNA expression. These data, combined with previous results, suggest a different mechanism of interaction between leptin and NTS proglucagon neurons in mice and rats.

Endocrinology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 151 (4) ◽  
pp. 1509-1519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke Ruiter ◽  
Patricia Duffy ◽  
Steven Simasko ◽  
Robert C. Ritter

Reduction of food intake and body weight by leptin is attributed largely to its action in the hypothalamus. However, the signaling splice variant of the leptin receptor, LRb, also is expressed in the hindbrain, and leptin injections into the fourth cerebral ventricle or dorsal vagal complex are associated with reductions of feeding and body weight comparable to those induced by forebrain leptin administration. Although these observations suggest direct hindbrain action of leptin on feeding and body weight, the possibility that hindbrain leptin administration also activates the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling in the hypothalamus has not been investigated. Confirming earlier work, we found that leptin produced comparable reductions of feeding and body weight when injected into the lateral ventricle or the fourth ventricle. We also found that lateral and fourth ventricle leptin injections produced comparable increases of STAT3 phosphorylation in both the hindbrain and the hypothalamus. Moreover, injection of 50 ng of leptin directly into the nucleus of the solitary tract also increased STAT3 phosphorylation in the hypothalamic arcuate and ventromedial nuclei. Increased hypothalamic STAT3 phosphorylation was not due to elevation of blood leptin concentrations and the pattern of STAT3 phosphorylation did not overlap distribution of the retrograde tracer, fluorogold, injected via the same cannula. Our observations indicate that even small leptin doses administered to the hindbrain can trigger leptin-related signaling in the forebrain, and raise the possibility that STAT3 phosphorylation in the hypothalamus may contribute to behavioral and metabolic changes observed after hindbrain leptin injections.


Reproduction ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 511-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihua Wen ◽  
Jesse Craig ◽  
Paul W Dyce ◽  
Julang Li

The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) protein is a member of the Stat family that has a variety of biological functions including cell growth, anti-apoptosis, and cell motility, depending on the cell type and stimulus. Recent studies have suggested that Stat3 plays an important role in embryo development. Although the Stat3 gene has been cloned in humans, mice, cow, and rats, its sequence in pigs is unknown. In the present study, the 2476 bp Stat3 cDNA was cloned using real time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR. Comparison of sequences across species revealed that the porcine Stat3 cDNA is 93 and 90% homologous to human and mouse respectively. To study the expression pattern of Stat3, RNA and protein were isolated from heart, lung, kidney, ovary, oviduct, and uterus tissues. RT-PCR and western blot indicated that Stat3 is expressed in all the tissues tested, and the level of expression is relatively high in tissues from the reproductive system. In addition, immunohistochemistry studies suggested that the Stat3 protein was present in the oocyte, granulosa, theca, and interstitial cells of the ovary, the mucosal folds in the oviduct, and both the epithelium and stromal layers in the endometrium. To study whether Stat3 is functional in responding to growth factor stimulation in the ovary, granulosa cells were isolated from large follicles (>3 mm) and cultured in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF; 10 ng/ml) for 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 min, following which western blots were performed using an antibody against the phosphorylated Stat3. Phosphorylated Stat3 was upregulated following 5 min of EGF challenge and was sustained during the 15-min stimulation, and decreased back to the control level following 60-min stimulation. The translocation of phosphorylated Stat3 from cytoplasm to nucleus following stimulation of EGF was also detected via immunocytochemistry. Our data suggests that Stat3 may play a role in porcine ovarian function.


2016 ◽  
Vol 311 (1) ◽  
pp. R115-R123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredrik Anesten ◽  
Marie K. Holt ◽  
Erik Schéle ◽  
Vilborg Pálsdóttir ◽  
Frank Reimann ◽  
...  

Neuronal circuits in the hypothalamus and hindbrain are of importance for control of food intake, energy expenditure, and fat mass. We have recently shown that treatment with exendin-4 (Ex-4), an analog of the proglucagon-derived molecule glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), markedly increases mRNA expression of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the hypothalamus and hindbrain and that this increase partly mediates the suppression of food intake and body weight by Ex-4. Endogenous GLP-1 in the central nervous system (CNS) is produced by preproglucagon (PPG) neurons of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in the hindbrain. These neurons project to various parts of the brain, including the hypothalamus. Outside the brain, IL-6 stimulates GLP-1 secretion from the gut and pancreas. In this study, we aim to investigate whether IL-6 can affect GLP-1-producing PPG neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in mouse hindbrain via the ligand binding part of the IL-6 receptor, IL-6 receptor-α (IL-6Rα). Using immunohistochemistry, we found that IL-6Rα was localized on PPG neurons of the NTS. Recordings of these neurons in GCaMP3/GLP-1 reporter mice showed that IL-6 enhances cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in neurons capable of expressing PPG. We also show that the Ca2+ increase originates from the extracellular space. Furthermore, we found that IL-6Rα was localized on cells in the caudal hindbrain expressing immunoreactive NeuN (a neuronal marker) or CNP:ase (an oligodendrocyte marker). In summary, IL-6Rα is present on PPG neurons in the NTS, and IL-6 can stimulate these cells by increasing influx of Ca2+ to the cytosol from the extracellular space.


Endocrinology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 151 (6) ◽  
pp. 2629-2640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Gil-Lozano ◽  
Diego Pérez-Tilve ◽  
Mayte Alvarez-Crespo ◽  
Aurelio Martís ◽  
Ana M. Fernandez ◽  
...  

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a potent insulinotropic peptide expressed in the gut and brain, which is secreted in response to food intake. The levels of GLP-1 within the brain have been related to the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and hence, this peptide might mediate some responses to stress. Nevertheless, there is little information regarding the effects of circulating GLP-1 on the neuroendocrine control of HPA activity. Here, we have studied the response of corticoadrenal steroids to the peripheral administration of GLP-1 (7-36)-amide and related peptides [exendin (Ex)-3, Ex-4, and Ex-4(3-39)] in rats, mice, and humans. GLP-1 increases circulating corticosterone levels in a time-dependent manner, both in conscious and anaesthetized rats, and it has also increased aldosterone levels. Moreover, GLP-1 augmented cortisol levels in healthy subjects and diabetes mellitus (DM)-1 patients. The effects of GLP-1/Ex-4 on the HPA axis are very consistent after distinct means of administration (intracerebroventricular, iv, and ip), irrespective of the metabolic state of the animals (fasting or fed ad libitum), and they were reproduced by different peptides in this family, independent of glycaemic changes and their insulinotropic properties. Indeed, these effects were also observed in diabetic subjects (DM-1 patients) and in the DM-1 streptozotocin-rat or DM-2 muscle IGF-I receptor-lysine-arginine transgenic mouse animal models. The mechanisms whereby circulating GLP-1 activates the HPA axis remain to be elucidated, although an increase in ACTH after Ex-4 and GLP-1 administration implicates the central nervous system or a direct effect on the pituitary. Together, these findings suggest that GLP-1 may play an important role in regulating the HPA axis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Chen ◽  
Yiyou Zou ◽  
Jie Peng ◽  
Fanggen Lu ◽  
Yani Yin ◽  
...  

The aim of this paper is to determine the modulatory effects ofLactobacillus acidophiluson the IL-23/Th17 immune axis in experimental colitis. DSS-induced mouse models of UC were to be saline, hormones, and different concentrations ofLactobacillus acidophilusintervention. The expression of interleukin- (IL-) 17, tumor necrosis factorα(TNFα), IL-23, transforming growth factorβ1 (TGFβ1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and phosphorylated (p)-STAT3 was examined by RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical analysis. And the results showed that administration ofL. acidophilussuppressed Th17 cell-mediated secretion of proinflammatory cytokine IL-17 through downregulation of IL-23 and TGFβ1 expression and downstream phosphorylation of p-STAT3.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Silva ◽  
V Rausch ◽  
T Peccerella ◽  
G Millonig ◽  
HK Seitz ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 817-827
Author(s):  
Jianbo Zhu ◽  
Lijuan Deng ◽  
Baozhen Chen ◽  
Wenqing Huang ◽  
Xiandong Lin ◽  
...  

Background:Recurrence is the leading cause of treatment failure and death in patients with gastric cancer (GC). However, the mechanism underlying GC recurrence remains unclear, and prognostic markers are still lacking.Methods:We analyzed DNA methylation profiles in gastric cancer cases with shorter survival (<1 year) or longer survival (> 3 years), and identified candidate genes associated with GC recurrence. Then, the biological effects of these genes on gastric cancer were studied.Results:A novel gene, magnesium-dependent phosphatase 1 (mdp1), was identified as a candidate gene whose DNA methylation was higher in GC samples from patients with shorter survival and lower in patients with longer survival. MDP1 protein was highly expressed in GC tissues with longer survival time, and also had a tendency to be expressed in highly differentiated GC samples. Forced expression of MDP1 in GC cell line BGC-823 inhibited cell proliferation, whereas the knockdown of MDP1 protein promoted cell growth. Overexpression of MDP1 in BGC-823 cells also enhanced cell senescence and apoptosis. Cytoplasmic kinase protein c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) were found to mediate the biological function of MDP1.Conclusion:These results suggest that MDP1 protein suppresses the survival of gastric cancer cells and loss of MDP expression may benefit the recurrence of gastric cancer.


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