Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 262, Issue 2, 5 March 1999, Pages 77-80
Neuroscience Letters

Insulin-induced hypoglycemia increases preprohypocretin (orexin) mRNA in the rat lateral hypothalamic area

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(98)00976-8Get rights and content

Abstract

The recent identification of two peptides named hypocretins (Hcrt), and expressed in neurons of the rat tuberal lateral hypothalamus (LHA) previously detected by an ovine prolactin antiserum, led us to revisit some experimental procedures intented to understand the physiological roles of these neurons. In the present study, rats received intraperitoneal injections of insulin and/or glucose. Immunocytochemical observations and quantitation of in situ hybridization signals pointed out a clear stimulation of Hcrt neurons following the sole injection of insulin in hypoglycemic but not in hyperglycemic conditions. This result, together with the robust appetite boosting effect of Hcrt reported elsewhere, suggests the involvement of Hcrt neurons in the control of food intake.

Cited by (185)

  • Intra-accumbal orexin-1 receptor inhibition prevents the anxiolytic-like effect of ethanol and leads to increases in orexin-A content and receptor expression

    2019, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
    Citation Excerpt :

    We previously showed that the i.c.v. administration of orexin-A only keeps the animals awake and alert without changes in anxiety levels, simultaneously evaluated by EPM-test and electroencephalographic-activity (EEG) (Magdaleno-Madrigal et al., 2019). On the other hand, increases in orexins mRNA levels have been observed in animals exposed to different stressors, such as immobilization (Ida et al., 2000), cold stress (Ida et al., 2000), or hypoglycemia (Griffond et al., 1999). In general, these data suggest that orexins respond mainly to conditions that require a high degree of alertness and arousal and only to certain stressful conditions.

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text