AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 259, Issue 4 799-R806, Copyright © 1990 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Preoptic area injection of corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulates sympathetic activity

M. Egawa, H. Yoshimatsu and G. A. Bray
Department of Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.

To investigate the sites of action of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) on sympathetic nerve activity to interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT), we injected CRH into the third cerebroventricle, medial preoptic area (MPOA), and other hypothalamic areas in anesthetized rats. The multiunit discharges of sympathetic nerves to IBAT were recorded electrophysiologically. The intracerebroventricular injection of CRH increased sympathetic nerve activity in a dose-dependent manner over the range 250-1,000 pmol. The microinjection of CRH (200 pmol) into the unilateral MPOA increased the sympathetic nerve activity to IBAT by +150.6 +/- 25.9% at 30 min after injection. However, the injection of saline (0.15 M NaCl) and glucagon (200 pmol) into the MPOA did not increase sympathetic nerve activity. The microinjection of CRH (200 pmol) into the anterior hypothalamic area, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, and lateral hypothalamic area had no significant effect on nerve activity. We conclude that central administration of CRH increases the sympathetic nerve activity to IBAT and that the MPOA is one of the sites for this action. The result is consistent with the hypothesis that CRH is a neurochemical stimulator of the sympathetic nervous system, which may be involved in control of energy expenditure in rodents.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. D. Richardson, K. Omachi, R. Kermani, and S. C. Woods Intraventricular insulin potentiates the anorexic effect of corticotropin releasing hormone in rats Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 2002; 283(6): R1321 - R1326. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Grassi, G. Seravalle, R. Dell'Oro, C. Turri, L. Pasqualinotto, M. Colombo, and G. Mancia Participation of the Hypothalamus-Hypophysis Axis in the Sympathetic Activation of Human Obesity Hypertension, December 1, 2001; 38(6): 1316 - 1320. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Timofeeva, Y. Deshaies, F. Picard, and D. Richard Corticotropin-releasing hormone-binding protein in brain and pituitary of food-deprived obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 1999; 277(6): R1749 - R1759. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Bamshad, C. K. Song, and T. J. Bartness CNS origins of the sympathetic nervous system outflow to brown adipose tissue Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, June 1, 1999; 276(6): R1569 - R1578. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. G. Haynes, D. A. Morgan, A. Djalali, W. I. Sivitz, and A. L. Mark Interactions Between the Melanocortin System and Leptin in Control of Sympathetic Nerve Traffic Hypertension, January 1, 1999; 33(1): 542 - 547. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Raber, S. Chen, L. Mucke, and L. Feng Corticotropin-releasing Factor and Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone as Potential Central Mediators of OB Effects J. Biol. Chem., June 13, 1997; 272(24): 15057 - 15060. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. E. Linthorst, C. Flachskamm, S. J. Hopkins, M. E. Hoadley, MartaS. Labeur, F. Holsboer, and J. M. H. M. Reul Long-Term Intracerebroventricular Infusion of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Alters Neuroendocrine, Neurochemical, Autonomic, Behavioral, and Cytokine Responses to a Systemic Inflammatory Challenge J. Neurosci., June 1, 1997; 17(11): 4448 - 4460. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. C. Heinrichs, J. Lapsansky, D. P. Behan, R. K. W. Chan, P. E. Sawchenko, M. Lorang, N. Ling, W. W. Vale, and E. B. De Souza Corticotropin-releasing factor-binding protein ligand inhibitor blunts excessive weight gain in genetically obese Zucker rats and rats during nicotine withdrawal PNAS, December 24, 1996; 93(26): 15475 - 15480. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]