Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kir2.3

Title: Intracerebroventricular administration of urotensin II regulates food intake and sympathetic nerve activity in brown adipose tissue.

Authors: Tohru Yasuda, Takayuki Masaki, Koro Gotoh, Seiichi Chiba, Tetsuya Kakuma, Hironobu Yoshimatsu

Journal, date & volume: Peptides, 2012 May , 35, 131-5

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22426154

Abstract
To clarify the functional roles of urotensin II in regulating energy balance, we investigated the effects of a central infusion of urotensin II on food intake, uncoupling protein (UCP) 1 mRNA expression, temperature, and sympathetic nervous system activity in brown adipose tissue (BAT), a site that regulates energy expenditure in rodents. A bolus central infusion of urotensin II at a dose of 1 nmol/rat into the third cerebral ventricle decreased food intake (p<0.05). Additionally, urotensin II induced c-Fos-like-immunoreactivity (c-FLI) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) as compared with that in the control (phosphate buffered saline [PBS]-treated) group. Furthermore, urotensin II increased BAT UCP 1 mRNA expression (p<0.05). Finally, central infusion of urotensin II significantly increased BAT sympathetic nerve activity, which was accompanied by a significant elevation in BAT temperature (p<0.05) in rats. Taken together, central infusion of urotensin II regulates food intake and BAT sympathetic nerve activity in rats.