title: POMC overexpression in the ventral tegmental area ameliorates dietary obesity.
abstract: The activation of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in different regions of the brain, including the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC) and the nucleus of the solitary tract curtails feeding and attenuates body weight. In this study, we compared the effects of delivery of a recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) construct encoding POMC to the ARC with delivery to the ventral tegmental area (VTA). F344×Brown Norway rats were high-fat (HF) fed for 14 days after which self-complementary rAAV constructs expressing either green fluorescent protein or the POMC gene were injected using coordinates targeting either the VTA or the ARC. Corresponding increased POMC levels were found at the predicted injection sites and subsequent α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone levels were observed. Food intake and body weight were measured for 4 months. Although caloric intake was unaltered by POMC overexpression, weight gain was tempered with POMC overexpression in either the VTA or the ARC compared with controls. There were parallel decreases in adipose tissue reserves. In addition, levels of oxygen consumption and brown adipose tissue uncoupling protein 1 were significantly elevated with POMC treatment in the VTA. Interestingly, tyrosine hydroxylase levels were increased in both the ARC and VTA with POMC overexpression in either the ARC or the VTA. In conclusion, these data indicate a role for POMC overexpression within the VTA reward center to combat HF-induced obesity.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Aging and Geriatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, PO Box 100267, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Lourdes M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Andino
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ryder
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Matheny
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Melanie K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Judge
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Nihal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tümer
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Scarpace
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C000604373:Ucp1 protein, rat; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin