Abstract
Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) induces neurogenesis, reduces feeding, and induces weight loss. However, the central mechanisms by which CNTF acts are vague. We employed the mHypoE-20/2 line that endogenously expresses the CNTF receptor to examine the direct effects of CNTF on mRNA levels of urocortin-1, urocortin-2, agouti-related peptide, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and neurotensin. We found that treatment of 10 ng/ml CNTF significantly increased only urocortin-1 mRNA by 1.84-fold at 48 h. We then performed intracerebroventricular injections of 0.5 mg/mL CNTF into mice, and examined its effects on urocortin-1 neurons post-exposure. Through double-label immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies against c-Fos and urocortin-1, we showed that central CNTF administration significantly activated urocortin-1 neurons in specific areas of the hypothalamus. Taken together, our studies point to a potential role for CNTF in regulating hypothalamic urocortin-1-expressing neurons to mediate its recognized effects on energy homeostasis, neuronal proliferaton/survival, and/or neurogenesis.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Agouti-Related Protein / genetics
-
Agouti-Related Protein / metabolism
-
Animals
-
Appetite / drug effects
-
Appetite / physiology
-
Appetite Depressants / metabolism
-
Appetite Depressants / pharmacology*
-
Appetite Regulation / drug effects
-
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / genetics
-
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / metabolism
-
Cell Line
-
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / metabolism
-
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / pharmacology*
-
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / genetics
-
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / metabolism
-
Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
-
Hypothalamus / cytology
-
Hypothalamus / drug effects*
-
Hypothalamus / metabolism
-
Injections, Intraventricular
-
Male
-
Mice
-
Mice, Inbred C57BL
-
Neurons / cytology
-
Neurons / drug effects*
-
Neurons / metabolism
-
Neurotensin / genetics
-
Neurotensin / metabolism
-
Receptor, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / genetics
-
Receptor, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / metabolism
-
Urocortins / agonists
-
Urocortins / genetics*
-
Urocortins / metabolism
Substances
-
Agouti-Related Protein
-
Appetite Depressants
-
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
-
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor
-
Receptor, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor
-
Ucn1 protein, mouse
-
Urocortins
-
urocortin 2, mouse
-
Neurotensin
-
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone