Topic
Hypothalamus
About: Hypothalamus is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 22301 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1085925 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
More filters
TL;DR: The powerful stimulation of feeding elicited by this neuropeptide suggests an important role for hypothalamic NPY, or a structurally related peptide, in the regulation of feeding behavior.
Abstract: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was injected directly into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) of satiated, brain-cannulated rats, and food and water intake were measured 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 22 hr postinjection. NPY (24, 78, 235, 783, and 2351 pmol/0.3 mul) produced a large, dose-dependent increase in food intake as well as small increase in water intake. The latency to eat was about 10 min, with substantial feeding occurring in the first 30 min. At dose below 78 pmol, the eating generally occurred only within the first hour. At doses above 235 pmol, however, the subjects' food intake continued to increase such that by 4 hr postinjection they had consumed the equivalent of normal 22-hr intake, and 22 hr postinjection they had also eaten significantly more than control subjects. Previous studies have shown that norepinephrine injected into the PVN stimulates feeding through alpha-adrenergic receptors. To investigate a possible interaction, subjects were given PVN injections of phentolamine (60 nmol) prior to injections of either NPY (78 pmol) or norepinephrine (20 nmol). Phentolamine pretreatment significantly decreased feeding elicited by norepinephrine without affecting feeding elicited by NPY. This suggests that NPY does not stimulate feeding through the release of endogenous norepinephrine. The powerful stimulation of feeding elicited by this neuropeptide suggests an important role for hypothalamic NPY, or a structurally related peptide, in the regulation of feeding behavior.
737 citations
TL;DR: The hypothesis that substance P may be a widespread neurotransmitter in the central nervous system is supported by results obtained by applying an indirect immunofluorescent technique.
Abstract: A detailed account of the distribution of immunoreactive substance P-containing structures in the rat central nervous system is presented, from results obtained by applying an indirect immunofluorescent technique. High densities of substance P-containing nerve terminals were present in sensory nuclei and other non-sensory structures such as thalamus, hypothalamus and extrapyramidal system. Substance P-reactive neuron cell bodies were present in spinal root ganglia, nucleus habenulae medialis, nucleus interpeduncularis, caudoputamen and globus pallidus. Most of the neocortex and the cerebellar cortices had no substance P-positive elements. The results support the hypothesis that substance P may be a widespread neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
725 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that counter-regulatory hormones involved in appetite control regulate AMPK activity and that pharmacological activation of AMPK in the hypothalamus increases food intake, and that AMPK is identified as a novel target for anti-obesity drugs.
724 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that leptin depolarizes and increases the firing rate of steroidogenic factor-1 (SF1)-positive neurons in the VMH, and that leptin action at this site plays an important role in reducing body weight and, of note, in resisting diet-induced obesity.
720 citations
TL;DR: A feminization of the liver develops after continuous, but not intermittent, administration of GH to hypophysectomized rats, suggesting that high, infrequent GH pulses with low plasma GH levels in between promotes growth more effectively than an intermediate, rather constant level of plasma GH.
Abstract: THE CLASSICAL CONCEPT of neuroendocrine control of the pituitary as proposed by Harris stipulates that the endocrine functions of the anterior pituitary are controlled by hypothalamic releasing factors or release-inhibiting factors. It was postulated that these factors are present in hypothalamic neurons which project into the median eminence (ME) of the basal hypothalamus and end in contact with the hypothalamic-hypophyseal portal vessels (1). It has subsequently been shown that growth hormone (GH) secretion is regulated by both stimulatory and inhibitory factors of hypothalamic origin. Like other anterior pituitary hormones, GH is secreted episodically. In all mammalian species so far studied spontaneous episodes of GH secretion occur several times over a 24-h period (2–8). Particularly in the adult male rat there is a striking regularity in the GH pulses which occur at 3- to 4-h intervals and reach levels of several hundred ng/ml.
715 citations