A role of phosphodiesterase-3B pathway in mediating leptin action on proopiomelanocortin and neurotensin neurons in the hypothalamus.

Abstract

Leptin signaling in the hypothalamus is required for normal food intake and body weight homeostasis. Recent evidence suggests that besides the signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) pathway, several non-STAT3 pathways mediate leptin signaling in the hypothalamus. We have previously demonstrated that leptin stimulates phosphodiesterase-3B (PDE3B) activity in the hypothalamus, and PDE3 inhibitor cilostamide reverses anorectic and body weight reducing effects of leptin. To establish the physiological role of PDE3B signaling in the hypothalamus, we examined if leptin signaling through the PDE3B pathway is responsible for the activation of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and neurotensin (NT) neurons, which are known to play a critical role in energy homeostasis. To this end, we assessed the effect of cilostamide on leptin-induced POMC and NT gene expression in the rat hypothalamus. Results showed that while central injection of leptin significantly increased both POMC and NT mRNA levels in the medial basal hypothalamus, cilostamide completely reversed this effect of leptin suggesting a PDE3B-activation dependent induction of POMC and NT gene expression by leptin. This result further suggests that the PDE3B pathway plays an important role in mediating leptin action in the hypothalamus.

• Authors: Abhiram Sahu
• Journal: Neuroscience letters (Neurosci Lett) Vol. 479 Issue 1 Pg. 18-21 (Jul 19 2010) ISSN: 1872-7972 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 20471454 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Leptin
• Phosphodiesterase 3 Inhibitors
• Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
• Quinolones
• RNA, Messenger
• Neurotensin
• cilostamide
• Pro-Opiomelanocortin
• Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 3
• Pde3b protein, rat

Topics

• Animals
• Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 3 (metabolism)
• Gene Expression
• Hypothalamus (drug effects, enzymology, metabolism)
• Leptin (metabolism)
• Male
• Models, Neurological
• Neurons (drug effects, enzymology, metabolism)
• Neurotensin (genetics, metabolism)
• Phosphodiesterase 3 Inhibitors
• Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Pro-Opiomelanocortin (genetics, metabolism)
• Quinolones (pharmacology)
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Signal Transduction