Rapid-onset hypoglycemia suppresses Fos expression in discrete parts of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. 2016

Nicholas N Foster, and Sana Azam, and Alan G Watts
Department of Biological Sciences, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.

The consensus view of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) is that it is a key node in the rodent brain network controlling sympathoadrenal counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia. To identify the location of hypoglycemia-responsive neurons in the VMH, we performed a high spatial resolution Fos analysis in the VMH of rats made hypoglycemic with intraperitoneal injections of insulin. We examined Fos expression in the four constituent parts of VMH throughout its rostrocaudal extent and determined their relationship to blood glucose concentrations. Hypoglycemia significantly decreased Fos expression only in the dorsomedial and central parts of the VMH, but not its anterior or ventrolateral parts. Moreover, the number of Fos-expressing neurons was significantly and positively correlated in the two responsive regions with terminal blood glucose concentrations. We also measured Fos responses in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) and in several levels of the periaqueductal gray (PAG), which receives strong projections from the VMH. We found the expected and highly significant increase in Fos in the neuroendocrine PVH, which was negatively correlated to terminal blood glucose concentrations, but no significant differences were seen in any part of the PAG. Our results show that there are distinct populations of VMH neurons whose Fos expression is suppressed by hypoglycemia, and their numbers correlate with blood glucose. These findings support a clear division of glycemic control functions within the different parts of the VMH.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007003 Hypoglycemia A syndrome of abnormally low BLOOD GLUCOSE level. Clinical hypoglycemia has diverse etiologies. Severe hypoglycemia eventually lead to glucose deprivation of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM resulting in HUNGER; SWEATING; PARESTHESIA; impaired mental function; SEIZURES; COMA; and even DEATH. Fasting Hypoglycemia,Postabsorptive Hypoglycemia,Postprandial Hypoglycemia,Reactive Hypoglycemia,Hypoglycemia, Fasting,Hypoglycemia, Postabsorptive,Hypoglycemia, Postprandial,Hypoglycemia, Reactive
D008297 Male Males
D009474 Neurons The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D009928 Organ Specificity Characteristic restricted to a particular organ of the body, such as a cell type, metabolic response or expression of a particular protein or antigen. Tissue Specificity,Organ Specificities,Specificities, Organ,Specificities, Tissue,Specificity, Organ,Specificity, Tissue,Tissue Specificities
D001786 Blood Glucose Glucose in blood. Blood Sugar,Glucose, Blood,Sugar, Blood
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014018 Tissue Distribution Accumulation of a drug or chemical substance in various organs (including those not relevant to its pharmacologic or therapeutic action). This distribution depends on the blood flow or perfusion rate of the organ, the ability of the drug to penetrate organ membranes, tissue specificity, protein binding. The distribution is usually expressed as tissue to plasma ratios. Distribution, Tissue,Distributions, Tissue,Tissue Distributions
D014697 Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus A nucleus of the middle hypothalamus, the largest cell group of the tuberal region with small-to-medium size cells. Hypothalamic Nucleus, Ventromedial,Nucleus, Ventromedial Hypothalamic
D015536 Down-Regulation A negative regulatory effect on physiological processes at the molecular, cellular, or systemic level. At the molecular level, the major regulatory sites include membrane receptors, genes (GENE EXPRESSION REGULATION), mRNAs (RNA, MESSENGER), and proteins. Receptor Down-Regulation,Down-Regulation (Physiology),Downregulation,Down Regulation,Down-Regulation, Receptor
D016760 Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos Cellular DNA-binding proteins encoded by the c-fos genes (GENES, FOS). They are involved in growth-related transcriptional control. c-fos combines with c-jun (PROTO-ONCOGENE PROTEINS C-JUN) to form a c-fos/c-jun heterodimer (TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR AP-1) that binds to the TRE (TPA-responsive element) in promoters of certain genes. Fos B Protein,Fos-Related Antigen,Fos-Related Antigens,c-fos Protein,c-fos Proteins,fos Proto-Oncogene Protein,fos Proto-Oncogene Proteins,p55(c-fos),Antigens, Fos-Related,FRAs,Proto-Oncogene Products c-fos,Proto-Oncogene Proteins fos,p55 c-fos,Antigen, Fos-Related,Fos Related Antigen,Fos Related Antigens,Protein, c-fos,Protein, fos Proto-Oncogene,Proto Oncogene Products c fos,Proto Oncogene Proteins c fos,Proto Oncogene Proteins fos,Proto-Oncogene Protein, fos,c fos Protein,c fos Proteins,fos Proto Oncogene Protein,fos Proto Oncogene Proteins,p55 c fos

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