Changes In C-fos Immunoreactivity Research Articles

Acute Hypophagia and Changes in c-Fos Immunoreactivity in Adolescent Rats Treated with Low Doses of Oxytocin and Naltrexone.

A recent case report has shown that an adjunctive oxytocin + naltrexone (OT + NTX) treatment promoted more robust hypophagia and body weight reduction than OT alone in an adolescent male with hypothalamic obesity after craniopharyngioma resection. Thus far, there has been no basic research in adolescent laboratory animals that would examine whether the benefit of OT + NTX on appetite extends onto adolescent individuals without surgically induced overeating. Thus, here we examined whether low doses of combined OT + NTX acutely affect post-deprivation intake of energy-dense, standard chow; intake of energy-dense and palatable high-fat high-sugar (HFHS) diet; or calorie-dilute, palaTable 10% sucrose solution without deprivation in adolescent male rats. We assessed whether OT + NTX decreases water intake after water deprivation or produces a conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Finally, by using c-Fos immunoreactivity, we determined changes in activity of feeding-related brain areas after OT + NTX. We found that individual subthreshold doses of OT and NTX decreased feeding induced by energy and by palatability. Significant c-Fos changes were noted in the arcuate and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei. The hypophagic doses of OT + NTX did not suppress water intake in thirsty rats and did not cause a CTA, which suggests that feeding reduction is not a secondary effect of gastrointestinal discomfort or changes in thirst processing. We conclude that OT + NTX is an effective drug combination to reduce appetite in adolescent male rats.

A non-peptide oxytocin receptor agonist, WAY-267,464, alleviates novelty-induced hypophagia in mice: Insights into changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity

Anxiety caused by the novelty of food or of the environment where the food is presented leads to suppression of consumption (hyponeophagia) reflected by an increased latency to begin feeding and decreased food intake. Studies suggest that some anxiolytics, mainly benzodiazepines and SSRIs, resolve hyponeophagia. Though the neurohormone oxytocin (OT) affects both anxiety responsiveness and feeding-related homeostasis, the link between OT and hyponeophagia has not been established. The current experiments examined the effect of OT receptor stimulation on hyponeophagia in mice and associated changes in brain activity. We found that the OT receptor agonist, WAY-267,464, at 10 and 30mg/kg b. wt. IP, reduced the latency to approach food and increased the amount of food eaten in hyponeophagia tests differing in animals' motivation to eat (hunger, reward) and the anxiogenic context of environmental novelty (illumination and type of the cage). This effect was abolished by the pretreatment with the OT receptor antagonist, L-368,899, at 10mg/kg b. wt. The antagonist also suppressed social transmission of preference for novel food. Mice subjected to novelty conditions causing hypophagia showed significant changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity in the hippocampus, lateral septum, cingulate and piriform cortex and in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, lateral division, posterolateral part (STLP). The pretreatment with WAY-267,464 restored c-Fos levels in the STLP to values detected in control animals subjected to non-anxiogenic conditions. We conclude that OT plays a role in shaping the magnitude of the novelty stress-provoked hypophagia and the activity of the relevant neural networks.

Intragastric gavage with denatonium benzoate acutely induces neuronal activation in the solitary tract nucleus via the vagal afferent pathway.

Natural toxic substances have a bitter taste and their ingestion sends signals to the brain leading to aversive oral sensations. In the present study, we investigated chronological changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) to study the bitter taste reaction time of neurons in the NTS. Equal volumes (0.5 mL) of denatonium benzoate (DB), a bitter tastant, or its vehicle (distilled water) were administered to rats intragastrically. The rats were sacrificed at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 h after treatment. In the vehicle-treated group, the number of c-Fos-positive nuclei started to increase 0.5 h after treatment and peaked 2 h after gavage. In contrast, the number of c-Fos-positive nuclei in the DB-treated group significantly increased 1 h after gavage. Thereafter, the number of c-Fos immunoreactive nuclei decreased over time. The number of c-Fos immunoreactive nuclei in the NTS was also increased in a dose-dependent manner 1 h after gavage. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy significantly decreased DB-induced neuronal activation in the NTS. These results suggest that intragastric DB increases neuronal c-Fos expression in the NTS 1 h after gavage and this effect is mediated by vagal afferent fibers.

Evaluation of c-Fos immunoreactivity in the rat brainstem nuclei relevant in migraine pathogenesis after electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion

Migraine is a common neurological condition, causing high disability, but the pathomechanism of the disease is not yet fully understood. Activation of the trigeminovascular system could play a crucial role in the manifestation of the symptoms, but initial step of this activation remains unknown. Functional imaging studies have revealed that certain brainstem areas, referred to as migraine generators, are activated during a migraine attack, including the dorsal raphe, the periaqueductal gray, the locus coeruleus, and the nucleus raphe magnus. However, the studies performed to date have not demonstrated whether this activation is a trigger or a consequence of the migraine attack. With the aim of evaluating the functional relationship between activation of the trigeminal system and migraine generators, we examined the changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity in the above-mentioned nuclei after stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion, an animal model for trigeminovascular activation. The stimulation led to significant increases in the number of c-Fos immunoreactive cells in the nucleus raphe magnus and in the caudal part of the spinal trigeminal nucleus, 2 and 4 h after the stimulation. Activation of the trigeminal system failed to exhibit uniform activation of the brain stem nuclei related to migraine. Our results suggest that the activation of the trigeminal system in the rat by electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion leads to the activation of the descending pain modulatory system, but not to the activation of "migraine generator" nuclei. Therefore, the activity pattern seen in functional studies may reflect a unique feature, exclusively present in migraine.

Transient down-regulation of sound-induced c-Fos protein expression in the inferior colliculus after ablation of the auditory cortex

We tested whether lesions of the excitatory glutamatergic projection from the auditory cortex (AC) to the inferior colliculus (IC) induce plastic changes in neurons of this nucleus. Changes in neuronal activation in the IC deprived unilaterally of the cortico-collicular projection were assessed by quantitative c-Fos immunocytochemistry. Densitometry and stereology measures of sound-induced c-Fos immunoreactivity in the IC showed diminished labeling at 1, 15, 90, and 180 days after lesions to the AC suggesting protein down-regulation, at least up to 15 days post-lesion. Between 15 and 90 days after the lesion, c-Fos labeling recovers, approaching control values at 180 days. Thus, glutamatergic excitation from the cortex maintains sound-induced activity in neurons of the IC. Subdivisions of this nucleus receiving a higher density of cortical innervation such as the dorsal cortex showed greater changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity, suggesting that the anatomical strength of the projection correlates with effect strength. Therefore, after damage of the corticofugal projection, neurons of the IC down-regulate and further recover sound-induced c-Fos protein expression. This may be part of cellular mechanisms aimed at balancing or adapting neuronal responses to altered synaptic inputs.

Feeding inhibition by urocortin in the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.

Ventricular administration of urocortin (UCN) inhibits feeding, but specific site(s) of UCN action are unknown. In the current studies we examined the effect of UCN in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) on feeding. We tested UCN administered into the PVN in several paradigms: deprivation-induced, nocturnal, and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-induced feeding. We compared the effect of equimolar doses of UCN and corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) on NPY-induced and nocturnal feeding, determined whether UCN in the PVN produced a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) and induced changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity (c-Fos-ir) after UCN and NPY administration in the PVN. UCN in the PVN significantly decreased NPY and nocturnal and deprivation-induced feeding at doses of 1, 10, and 100 pmol, respectively. UCN anorectic effects lasted longer than those attributed to CRH. Ten and thirty picomoles UCN did not induce a CTA, whereas 100 pmol UCN produced a CTA. UCN (100 pmol) in the PVN neither increased c-Fos-ir in any brain region assayed nor altered c-Fos-ir patterns resulting from PVN NPY administration. These data suggest the hypothalamic PVN as a site of UCN action.

The effect of [Phe 1ψ(CH 2-NH)Gly 2]-nociceptin(1-13)NH 2 on feeding and c-Fos immunoreactivity in selected brain sites

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) is an endogenous ligand of the ORL1 receptor. N/OFQ, when administered centrally, stimulates feeding in a fashion similar to other opioids. Intracerebroventricular administration of N/OFQ induces changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity in several feeding-related brain sites. A synthetic pseudopeptide, [Phe 1ι(CH 2-NH)Gly 2]-nociceptin(1-13)-NH 2 (hereafter: [FG]N/OFQ(1-13)NH 2), has been labeled both as an ORL1 agonist and antagonist. The present study was designed to examine the influence of [FG]N/OFQ(1-13)NH 2 on food intake in rats. We also evaluated c-Fos immunoreactivity in those areas of the brain which have been shown to exhibit altered c-Fos expression upon N/OFQ administration. We found that [FG]N/OFQ(1-13)NH 2 increases food consumption in satiated rats. This effect is short-lasting and can be reversed by the opioid antagonist naloxone. Co-administration of [FG]N/OFQ(1-13)NH 2 does not affect orexigenic response to N/OFQ. Intracerebroventricularly-injected [FG]N/OFQ(1-13)NH 2 induces c-Fos expression in the nucleus of the solitary tract, hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei, central nucleus of amygdala, lateral septal and lateral habenular nuclei–brain areas that have been shown to be activated by N/OFQ. These results support the hypothesis that [FG]N/OFQ(1-13)NH 2 acts as an agonist of ORL1 receptor in vivo.

Elevated neuronal c-Fos-like immunoreactivity and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in genetically obese ( ob/ob) mice

Adult genetically obese ( ob/ob) mice display a number of metabolic alterations, the primary cause of which may be a defect in their central nervous system (CNS). The protein encoded by the protooncogene c- fos, c-Fos, functions as a nuclear transcription factor, and also serves as a marker of neuronal activity. The specific objectives of this study were (1) to use c-Fos immunohistochemistry to identify regions with altered neuronal activity in 6–7 week old male lean and ob/ob mice; (2) to examine c- fos relative mRNA abundance by northern blot analysis in brains of these mice and compare it with that of neuropeptide Y (NPY), a peptide well known to alter feeding and (3) determine changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity and mRNA caused by food deprivation. Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) tended to be higher in ad libitum fed ob/ob mice than in lean controls in most brain regions examined. The most prominent and consistent differences were in the paraventricular nuclei (PVN) where the numbers of Fos-positive nuclei were approximately 3 hold higher in ob/ob mice. Food deprivation for 24 h increased FLI in the PVN in lean mice but did not further augment FLI in the PVN of ob/ob mice. Arcuate nuclei of lean and ob/ob mice showed minimal FLI staining under ad libitum fed conditions. Food deprivation however, induced FLI in acurate nuclei of both lean and ob/ob mice. The abundance of c- fos mRNA in whole brain of ob/ob mice averaged several fold higher than in leans under both fed and fasted conditions. There was no difference in whole brain NPY mRNA between lean and ob/ob mice. Prolonged stimulation of c-Fos in specific neurons of ob/ob mice including the paraventricular nucleus probably has modulatory effects on certain genes which in turn account for long term adaptive changes of the ob/ob phenotype.

Stress-induced changes in c-fos immunoreactivity in the porcine brain

An immunocytochemical method was used to examine expression of c-fos protein in forebrain and brainstem regions of prepubertal pigs (n = 2 per treatment) subjected to various physical stressors (snaring, cold exposure and transport simulation) and of an untreated animal. Each of the stress procedures induced specific nuclear labelling of neurons in the hypothalamus (paraventricular and especially supraoptic nuclei) and small amounts of labelling in some brainstem regions. These results confirm and extend findings obtained in rodents and indicate the potential value of this technique for stress and welfare research in ungulates.

Changes in c-fos immunoreactivity in the rat brains during cold acclimation

Changes in c-fos immunoreactivity in the rat brains during cold acclimation