Cited by 104Regulation of Appetite and ObesityHypothalamic control of reproductive hormonesNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Synaptic Plasticity in Energy Balance Regulation

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Horvath, Tamas L.·2006·Obesity

Abstract

Leptin regulates energy balance, in part, by modulating the activity of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. Leptin‐deficient (ob/ob) mice differ from wild‐type mice in the number of excitatory and inhibitory post‐synaptic densities and currents onto NPY and POMC neurons. When leptin was delivered to ob/ob mice, the synaptic density rapidly normalized, an effect detectable within 6 hours, several hours before leptin's effect on food intake. Synaptic currents were also shifted toward wild‐type values in leptin‐replaced ob/ob mice. These data suggest that leptin‐mediated plasticity in the ob/ob hypothalamus may underlie some of the hormone's behavioral effects. In an effort to determine whether the observed synaptic plasticity is leptin specific, we analyzed the effects of an orexigenic hormone, ghrelin, and anorexigenic hormone, estradiol. Ghrelin rearranged synapses in wild type animals to support suppressed POMC tone, whereas the estradiol triggered a robust increase in the number of excitatory, glutamate inputs of POMC neurons. The rearrangement of synapses by estradiol was leptin independent, because it was also evident in leptin‐ (ob/ob) and leptin receptor–deficient (db/db) mice and was paralleled with decreased food intake and increased energy expenditure in these mutant, obese animals. Such plasticity was also observed in other hypothalamic regions and extrahypothalamic sites. These observations raise the notion that synaptic plasticity is a major way through which peripheral metabolic hormones influence brain functions.

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Crossref · 10.1038/oby.2006.314

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Authors
Horvath, T. L.
Venue
Obesity
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2006-08
Volume
14
Issue
S8
Pages
228S-233S
ISSN
  • 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
  • 1930-739X
OpenAlex
W2084769437
Cited by
104
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 8
FWCI
0.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Obesity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
synaptic plasticity, energy balance, leptin, ob/ob mice, POMC neurons, NPY neurons, arcuate nucleus, hypothalamus, ghrelin, estradiol, glutamatergic synapses, dietary intake, energy expenditure, leptin receptor, db/db mice, metabolic hormones
MeSH terms
Animals, Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus, Energy Metabolism, Estradiol, Mice, Obese, Neuronal Plasticity, Neuropeptide Y, Pro-Opiomelanocortin, Peptide Hormones, Mice, Ghrelin

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