title: Chronic administration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus reverses obesity induced by high-fat diet.
abstract: An acute injection of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) reduces body weight by decreasing feeding and increasing energy expenditure (EE), in animals on standard laboratory chow. Animals have divergent responses to a high-fat diet (HFD) exposure, with some developing obesity and others remaining lean. In the current study, we tested two hypotheses: 1) BDNF in the PVN reverses HFD-induced obesity, and 2) animals with higher body fat have a greater physiological response to BDNF than those with less body fat. Eighty-four 10-wk old rats were allowed HFD ad libitum for 9 wk and then prepared with bilateral PVN cannulas. Animals were then divided into tertiles based on their body fat rank: high, intermediate, and low (H, I, and L). Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups and then PVN injected with BDNF or control (artificial cerebrospinal fluid, aCSF) every other day for 3 wk. Energy intake (EI), body weight, and body composition were measured. At study's end, rats were killed to allow measurement of other metabolic indices. In parallel, another 12 rats were fed control diet (CD), PVN-cannulated and injected with aCSF. HFD exposure induced obesity, particularly in the H body fat group, with a significant increase in EI, body weight, fat mass, liver size, and serum glucose, triglycerides, insulin, and leptin. BDNF significantly reduced EI, body weight, body fat, lean mass, and serum metabolic indices. These BDNF effects were greatest in the H body fat group. These data indicate that BDNF reduced HFD-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome-like measures, and the animals with the most body fat had the most significant response to BDNF.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research Service (151), One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA. cwang@umn.edu
authors.forename: ChuanFeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Godar
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Billington
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kotz
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000473:pathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D004041:Dietary Fats; D007328:Insulin