CNS origins of the sympathetic nervous system outflow to brown adipose tissue
Abstract
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a critical role in cold- and diet-induced thermogenesis. Although BAT is densely innervated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), little is known about the central nervous system (CNS) origins of this innervation. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine the neuroanatomic chain of functionally connected neurons from the CNS to BAT. A transneuronal viral tract tracer, Bartha’s K strain of the pseudorabies virus (PRV), was injected into the interscapular BAT of Siberian hamsters. The animals were killed 4 and 6 days postinjection, and the infected neurons were visualized by immunocytochemistry. PRV-infected neurons were found in the spinal cord, brain stem, midbrain, and forebrain. The intensity of labeled neurons in the forebrain varied from heavy infections in the medial preoptic area and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus to few infections in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, with moderate infections in the suprachiasmatic and lateral hypothalamic nuclei. These results define the SNS outflow from the brain to BAT for the first time in any species.
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Acting via the sympathetic nervous system, the hypothalamus is a key effector of CNS influence on adipose tissue, including response to cold.
“Acting via the sympathetic nervous system32,43,44. the hypothalamus is a key effector of CNS influence on adipose tissue, including response to cold.”
From IDOL regulates systemic energy balance through control of neuronal VLDLR expression (2019) · cites this paper as [44]
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- Authors
- Bamshad, M., Song, C. K., & Bartness, T. J.
- Affiliations
- Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurosciences Program, Department of Psychology; and
- Georgia State University (US)
- ORCID
- Bartness, Timothy J.
- Venue
- American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 1999-06-01
- Volume
- 276
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- R1569-R1578
- ISSN
- 0363-6119 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-1490
- OpenAlex
- W2110561527
- Cited by
- 437
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 9.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k02mh000841-08)
- National Institute of Mental Health (KO2-MH-00841)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK035254)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Keywords
- brown adipose tissue, sympathetic nervous system, thermogenesis, pseudorabies virus, transneuronal tracing, hypothalamic nuclei, preoptic area, paraventricular nucleus, spinal cord, brainstem, Siberian hamster
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain Stem, Adipose Tissue, Brown, Central Nervous System, Efferent Pathways, Cricetinae, Male, Mesencephalon, Spinal Cord, Sympathetic Nervous System, Prosencephalon, Phodopus
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