title: Neurotensin induces Fos and Zif268 expression in limbic nuclei of the rat brain.
abstract: The endogenous tridecapeptide neurotensin exerts a wide range of behavioral, electrophysiological and neurochemical effects when administered directly into the brain. These effects are thought to result from the activation of distinct populations of neurotensin receptors distributed throughout the central nervous system. We have mapped the sites of functional change in the rat brain associated with the central administration of neurotensin using the induction of the nuclear protein products of the immediate early genes c-fos and zif268 as markers of cellular activation. The administration of neurotensin into the lateral ventricle of rats produced an increase in the number of nuclei positive for Fos and Zif268 immunoreactivity in the central and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala and the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Neurotensin also produced an increase in serum corticosterone concentration and decrease in body temperature. The intraperitoneal administration of SR48692, a non-peptide neurotensin receptor antagonist, blocked the neurotensin-induced corticosterone secretion and significantly reduced the number of neurotensin-induced Fos-positive and Zif268-positive neurons in the amygdaloid complex. A significant positive correlation was found between the number of Fos-positive nuclei in the central or basolateral nucleus of the amygdala and the serum corticosterone concentration. A significant positive correlation was also found between the number of Zif-positive cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and change in body temperature following treatment. Our findings indicate that the central role of neurotensin in increasing serum corticosterone involves the induction of Fos in the central and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala. In contrast, the neurotensin-induced hypothermia, which was unaffected by pretreatment with SR48692, involves Zif induction in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These data support further the existence of central neurotensin receptor subtypes which may regulate distinct immediate early genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ely
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kilts
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D008032:Limbic System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; C486110:Egr1 protein, rat; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009496:Neurotensin; D003345:Corticosterone