The interaction between novel oscillation within the ventromedial hypothalamus and the sympathetic nervous system

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24500473
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Fusional basic brain science
• Research Institution: Showa University
• Principal Investigator: IIGAYA Kamon 昭和大学, 医学部, 普通研究生 (80445204)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ONIMARU Hiroshi 昭和大学, 医学部, 客員教授 (30177258)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 視床下部腹内側核 / 交感神経 / 肥満 / 摂食 / エネルギー調節

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) is known to play an important role in feeding behavior and sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) control, however, the details of its involvement are unclear. VMH neurons express receptors of various neuropeptides that are involved in the regulation of feeding behavior. We herein report the identification of novel neuron groups that showed oscillations on both sides of the VMH on hypothalamus slice preparations from rats. The application of feeding peptides and changes in extracellular glucose concentration induced frequency changes in VMH oscillation, similar to the changes in the SNA induced by the application of those compounds in brain. The VMH oscillation frequency also corresponded to a low range of heart rate variability which is one of the indexes of SNA. We hypothesize that the VMH oscillation is involved in SNA and that its regulation could be a new strategy for control of energy expenditure and eventually obesity.

Free Research Field

交感神経