Wiater MF, Oostrom M, Barfield R, Dinh TT, Li A-J, Ritter S (2010) Leptin-saporin lesions of the arcuate nucleus induce an arrhythmic circadian feeding pattern. Neuroscience 2010 Abstracts 733.6. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.
Summary: The endogenous circadian rhythm of feeding is incompletely understood. The leptin sensitive network within the arcuate nucleus (Arc) of the hypothalamus is important for the control of feeding. Genetic deletion of leptin or leptin receptors results in profound obesity, hyperphagia, and the loss of day/night differences in food intake. Because the Arc is critically involved in control of food intake and contains leptin receptors, we hypothesized that the Arc plays an important role in maintenance of feeding rhythms. To examine this hypothesis, we injected a newly developed targeted toxin, leptin conjugated to saporin (LSAP), into the Arc to lesion leptin receptor-expressing neurons in the vicinity of the injection. Controls were injected saporin conjugated to a peptide with no known action or receptor (blank-saporin, BSAP). We expected the Arc LSAP would disrupt the circadian rhythm of food intake, as seen in rats with genetic deletion of leptin or its receptor. Eating rhythms were monitored continuously (each minute) over a 60-day period using BioDAQ (Research Diets) automated meal monitoring equipment. Data were analyzed for circadian rhythm using ClockLab (ActiMetrics) software. Eatograms (food intake in actogram format), showing eating times and durations comparable to actograms used for wheel-running activity, and Chi-square periodograms were generated. Feeding was monitored in light:dark, dark:dark, or light:light conditions. The LSAP injection caused profound hyperphagia, weight gain and disrupted circadian feeding patterns. Although LSAP rats remained sensitive to light and dark under certain circumstances and were capable of an apparent rhythm during light:dark conditions, feeding was arrhythmic by all measures when photic cues were removed (i.e., in dark:dark and light:light conditions). At the end of experimentation, lesions were analyzed using immunohistochemistry to detect agouti gene related protein (AGRP) and α-melanocortin stimulating hormone (α-MSH) neurons, both known to express leptin receptors. Cell bodies positive for these peptides were greatly diminished in the Arc. Results indicate that the Arc contributes importantly to the expression of circadian rhythms of food intake.
Related Products: Leptin-SAP (Cat. #IT-47), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)