title: Glucocorticoids induced high fat diet preference via activating hypothalamic AMPK signaling in chicks.
abstract: Glucocorticoids (GCs) stimulate appetite, contributing to enhanced fat deposition. Our present study was conducted to determine whether GCs could evoke an appetite specifically for fat-rich diets in chicks. Chicks were subjected to a subcutaneous injection of corticosterone (CORT, 2mg/kg body weight/day) or corn oil (control), and food preference was tested. The results showed that CORT-chicks consumed more high-fat diet (HFD) compared with controls. In HFD-fed chicks, hypothalamic phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA levels were increased by CORT treatment. Activating AMPK with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-d-ribofuranoside, an AMPK activator, via intracerebroventricular injection further enhanced the CORT-induced HFD consumption and concurrently up-regulated NPY mRNA levels and phosphorylated AMPKα and acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase levels. The dramatic increase in HFD consumption and upregulation of NPY mRNA levels and phospho-AMPKα levels induced by peripheral CORT injection was not altered by intracerebroventricular infusion of compound C (4-16μg), an AMPK inhibitor. In conclusion, CORT challenge caused a HFD preference by enhancing the AMPK pathway in the hypothalamus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Hongchao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China. Electronic address: hailin@sdau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012265:Ribonucleotides; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; C031143:AICA ribonucleotide; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: AMPK; Glucocorticoids; HFD preference; Neuropeptides