Melanin-concentrating hormone expression in slice cultures of rat hypothalamus is not affected by 2-deoxyglucose.
In rats, melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons are mainly located within the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). This area is known to be involved in the control of feeding and to contain glucose-sensitive cells. As a role for MCH in the regulation of food intake has been reported, we investigated the effects of 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) on MCH expression in cultured LHA slices, to verify if MCH neurons are sensitive to local glucoprivation through a modulation of MCH synthesis. After a 2-10 h 2DG incubation, competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) did not show any variation of MCH mRNA; no change was also observed in MCH immunocytochemical labeling. A slight decrease of MCH mRNA (5-15%) after a 17 h 2DG treatment might be due to a general degradation of neurons induced by long-term glucoprivation. In conclusion, we suggest that MCH neurons are not the glucose-sensitive cells previously described in the LHA and that the signals inducing their previously reported response to glycemia variations do not arise from the LHA itself.
Bayer
L
L
CNRS ESA 6025, Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie Cytogénétique, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Besançon, France.
Poncet
F
F
Fellmann
D
D
Griffond
B
B
D000818:Animals; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008547:Melanophores / Q000378:metabolism; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D008543:Melanins; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C019463:melanin-concentrating hormone; D003847:Deoxyglucose