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Influence of leptin and GABAB-receptor agonist and antagonist on neurons of the hypothalamic infundibular nucleus in the chicken

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Abstract

In birds and mammals, the neuroendocrine regulation of energy balance is conserved in many aspects. Despite significant similarities between the two groups, differences in the regulatory mechanisms were detected. The present study was performed to carry out investigations of the influence of human leptin and GABAB-receptor agonist and antagonist on the firing rate of neurons of the Nucleus infundibuli hypothalami in brain slices from juvenile chickens. For the first time, we demonstrated a clear, dose-related change in the firing rate of hypothalamic neurons in juvenile chickens after the acute application of recombinant human leptin (1, 10, and 100 nM). All investigated neurons increased their subsequent firing rate. Application of GABAB-receptor agonist baclofen (1 µM) blocked, while antagonist CGP 35348 (10 µM) increased the spontaneous neuronal activity. Simultaneous application of baclofen and leptin reduced the effect observed from single leptin application. This was not found after simultaneously application of leptin and CGP. Altogether, our results indicate that in bird brain slices, and exemplarily in those of the chicken, hypothalamic neurons show mammalian-like responsiveness after acute leptin and GABA application. GABAB-mechanisms involved in GABA release play a likely important role in the leptin-mediated effects on NI neurons via functional leptin receptors.

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Abbreviations

ACSF:

Artificial cerebrospinal fluid

AgRP:

Agouti-related peptide

Bac:

Baclofen

CART:

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript

CGP 35348:

(3-Aminopropyl)(diethoxymethyl)phosphinie

GABA:

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

JAK:

Janus kinase

mRNA:

Messenger ribonucleic acid

NPY:

Neuropeptide Y

POMC:

Proopiomelanocortin

STAT:

Signal transducers and activators of the transcription

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG: TZ 6/17-1). The guest research stay of Prof. Yakimova at the Humboldt University was supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD: 324: A/09/01589). All animal procedures were performed in accordance with the European Communities Council Directive (86/609/EEC) and were approved by the local animal welfare committee (G 0275/09; Lageso Berlin, Germany).

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  1. K. S. Yakimova

    Present address: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

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  1. Faculty of Life Science, Institute of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    S. Bogatyrev, K. S. Yakimova & B. Tzschentke

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Correspondence to B. Tzschentke.

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S. Bogatyrev and K. S. Yakimova have contributed equally to this work.

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Bogatyrev, S., Yakimova, K.S. & Tzschentke, B. Influence of leptin and GABAB-receptor agonist and antagonist on neurons of the hypothalamic infundibular nucleus in the chicken. J Comp Physiol A 203, 291–299 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-017-1168-6

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