title: Differential response to NPY of PVH and dopamine-responsive VMH neurons in overweight rats.
abstract: Neuronal responses to neuropeptide Y and dopamine were recorded in brain slices of hypothalamic paraventricular (PVH) and ventromedial (VMH) nuclei in normal and hyperphagic overweight rats reared in small litters of three pups. NPY significantly activated PVH neurons of normal rats, but inhibited neurons of overweight rats. In the VMH, a significantly higher coincidence of inhibition induced by NPY and dopamine was found in overweight rats. Similar neuronal responses were evoked by a NPY Y5 receptor agonist. Effects of NPY could be blocked by a Y1 receptor antagonist. The altered response of PVH neurons to the feeding-inducing NPY and the increased inhibition by NPY and dopamine in the VMH might contribute to the persisting hyperphagia and overweight of postnatally overnourished rats.
authors.affiliation: Johannes-Mueller-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine (Charité), Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Davidowa
authors.forename: Yuzhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plagemann
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014697:Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D004298:Dopamine