Hypothalamic tanycytes generate acute hyperphagia through activation of the arcuate neuronal network.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 32513737.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.1919887117 and PMC identifier 7322081.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Hypothalamic tanycytes are chemosensitive glial cells that contact the cerebrospinal fluid in the third ventricle and send processes into the hypothalamic parenchyma. To test whether they can activate neurons of the arcuate nucleus, we targeted expression of a Ca<sup>2+</sup>-permeable channelrhodopsin (CatCh) specifically to tanycytes. Activation of tanycytes ex vivo depolarized orexigenic (neuropeptide Y/agouti-related protein; NPY/AgRP) and anorexigenic (proopiomelanocortin; POMC) neurons via an ATP-dependent mechanism. In vivo, activation of tanycytes triggered acute hyperphagia only in the fed state during the inactive phase of the light-dark cycle.
Medical subject headings
- Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus
- Ependymoglial Cells
- Hyperphagia
- Neurons