title: Distribution of neuropeptide W in the rat brain.
abstract: Neuropeptide W (NPW), which was recently isolated from the porcine hypothalamus, has been identified as the endogenous ligand of the orphan G protein-coupled receptors GPR7 (NPBWR1) and GPR8 (NPBWR2). Infusion of NPW increases food intake in the light phase, whereas in the dark phase, it has the opposite effect. In this study, we used RT-PCR analysis to examine the gene expression of NPW mRNA in the rat brain, and performed a detailed analysis of the distribution of NPW-positive neurons by use of immunohistochemistry at both the light and electron microscopic levels. NPW mRNA expression was demonstrated in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), arcuate nucleus (ARC), ventromedial nucleus (VMH) and lateral hypothalamus (LH). At the light microscopic level, NPW-like immunoreactive (NPW-LI) cell bodies were found in the preoptic area (POA), PVN, ARC, VMH, LH, PMD (dorsal premammillary nucleus), periaqueductal gray (PAG), lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB), and prepositus nucleus (Pr). NPW-LI axon terminals were shown in the POA, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), amygdala, PVN, ARC, VMH, LH, and PAG, LPB. In addition, at the electron microscopic level, NPW-LI cell bodies and dendritic processes were often seen to receive inputs from other unknown neurons in the ARC, PVN, VMH and amygdala. Our observations indicate that NPW-LI neurons widely distributed in the rat brain region. These finding suggest that NPW may have important roles in feeding behavior, energy homeostasis, emotional response and regulation of saliva secretion.
authors: Department of Anatomy, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan.
authors: Fumiko
authors: F
authors: Takenoya
authors: Michiko
authors: M
authors: Yagi
authors: Haruaki
authors: H
authors: Kageyama
authors: Kanako
authors: K
authors: Shiba
authors: Kei
authors: K
authors: Endo
authors: Naoko
authors: N
authors: Nonaka
authors: Yukari
authors: Y
authors: Date
authors: Masamitsu
authors: M
authors: Nakazato
authors: Seiji
authors: S
authors: Shioda
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C496874:neuropeptide W, rat