title: The short chain sugar acid, 2-buten-4-olide, activates oxytocin-secreting neurons but not arginine vasopressin-secreting neurons in the hypothalamus of rats.
abstract: The effects of intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of 2-buten-4-olide (2-B4O), an endogenous sugar acid, on the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system were examined in rats. Plasma oxytocin (OXT) levels were significantly increased 15-60 min after i.p. administration of 2-B4O (100 mg/kg), whereas plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) did not change. Dual immunostaining revealed that Fos-like immunoreactivity (LI) was predominantly observed in OXT-secreting neurons in the paraventricular (PVN) and the supraoptic nuclei (SON) 120 min after i.p. administration of 2-B4O. In addition, many Fos-LI neurons were observed in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) after i.p. administration of 2-B4O. These results suggest that a peripherally administered high dose of 2-B4O activates OXT-secreting neurons in the hypothalamus through activation of NTS neurons, possibly as a result of a stress response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Kitakyushu 807-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Chiyo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yamaga
authors.forename: Tatsushi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onaka
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mera
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujihara
authors.forename: Nobukazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okimoto
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: Toshitaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueta
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
chemical_list: D001067:Appetite Depressants; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010121:Oxytocin; C004511:butenolide; D015107:4-Butyrolactone