动物食欲调节的中枢信号通路

下丘脑是动物食欲调节的中枢，外周食欲信号在下丘脑中经食欲调节网络整合，产生饱感或饥饿。其中，以 ５′－磷酸腺苷激活的蛋白激酶（ＡＭＰＫ）调控位点上的 ＡＭＰＫ-ＡＣＣ-ＣＰＴ１和 ＵＣＰ２-ＦＯＸＯ１-ｐＣＲＥＢ信号通路以及雷帕霉素靶蛋白（ｍＴＯＲ）调控位点上的 ＰＩ３Ｋ-Ａｋｔ-ｍＴＯＲ和 ｍＴＯＲ-４ＥＢＰ１／ｐ７０Ｓ６Ｋ-ＮＰＹ／ＡｇＲＰ信号通路尤为重要。ＡＭＰＫ和 ｍＴＯＲ在 ＡＭＰＫ-ＴＳＣ ｍＴＯＲ通路、固醇类调节因子绑定蛋白（ＳＲＥＢＰ）基因表达和吞噬启动激酶（Ｕｌｋ１）活性通路上存在互作。外周营养和能量信号传输到下丘脑后，经过这些网络的传输和分析，作用于下丘脑中的食欲相关肽，最终调控动物的采食行为。     

绵羊MTNR1a基因mRNA表达量的季节性差异

本试验分别于春分、夏至、秋分和冬至4个节气,随机选择体况良好体重相近的蒙古羊8只,外科手术取下丘脑、垂体组织样品,采用RT-PCR方法对其褪黑素受体MTNR1a基因表达进行半定量分析.结果表明:绵羊MTNR1a基因表达存在明显的季节性节律,下丘脑MTNR1a基因表达量在夏至时最低,秋分时最高,春冬季节相近;垂体MTNR1a基因表达量在秋分时最低,夏至时最高,春冬季节也相近.     

基于转录组测序技术研究饲粮赖氨酸水平调控贵州黄鸡采食量的差异表达基因和信号通路

本试验旨在利用转录组测序(RNA-Seq)技术研究饲粮赖氨酸(Lys)水平调控贵州黄鸡采食量的分子机制,挖掘与采食量相关的候选基因和信号通路,进一步提高家禽采食量以及促进养殖效益。选取健康的1日龄贵州黄鸡雏鸡400羽,随机分为4组,每组5个重复,每个重复20羽。各组饲粮Lys水平分别为0.7%、0.9%、1.1%和1.3%。试验期6周。在6周龄时,选取平均日采食量差异极显著(P<0.01)的0.9%Lys水平组(b组,n=3)和1.3%Lys水平组(d组,n=3)中的贵州黄鸡各3只,采集下丘脑组织进行RNA-Seq分析、差异表达基因GO功能富集和KEGG信号通路分析,利用实时荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)验证RNA-Seq测序数据。结果表明:1)0.7%、0.9%、1.1%Lys水平组1~6周龄平均日采食量极显著高于1.3%Lys水平组(P <0.01),其中,0.9%Lys水平组最高。2)每个样品所产的测序读数比对到鸡参考基因组上比对率均在89%以上,Q20、Q30含量分别在97%、93%以上;b组和d组共筛选到2 006个差异表达基因,其中,1 275个基因表达上调,731个基因表达下调。GO功能主要在调节神经过程、投射神经元形态发生、负调控神经发生等生物学过程极显著富集;KEGG通路显著富集到19条通路,富集到磷脂酰肌醇信号系统、叉头框转录因子O信号传导途径、哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白信号通路、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶信号通路、神经活性配体-受体相互作用信号通路和脂肪细胞因子信号通路6条通路可能影响贵州黄鸡的采食量。筛选到神经肽Y (NPY)、前阿黑皮素原(POMC)、刺鼠相关蛋白(AgRP)、可卡因和安非他明调控转录前肽(CARTPT)富集到神经活性配体-受体相互作用信号通路和脂肪细胞因子信号通路上。qRT-PCR结果显示6个随机选择的差异表达基因的表达趋势与RNA-Seq结果一致。综上所述,0.7%、0.9%、1.1%赖氨酸水平组1~6周龄平均日采食量极显著高于1.3%赖氨酸水平组。不同水平赖氨酸可能通过调控下丘脑组织NPY、AgRP、CARTPT和POMC等相关基因的表达,作用于神经活性配体-受体相互作用通路和脂肪细胞因子信号通路,以此来调控贵州黄鸡的采食量。     

IFN-γ对妊娠早期大鼠下丘脑中IL-18表达的影响

为探讨y干扰素(IFN-y)对妊娠早期大鼠下丘脑中白细胞介素-18(IL-18)表达及其对妊娠结局的影响,将妊娠9d的SD大鼠随机分为对照组、试验1组和试验2组,采用生殖道肌肉注射的方法,对照组大鼠生殖道肌肉注射生理盐水,试验组大鼠注射IFN-y,其中1 组剂量为2.5×104 U/只,2组剂量为7.5×104 U/只...     

乏情期奶山羊下丘脑催产素样神经元的分布

为了揭示不同生理期催产素(Oxytocin,OT)在下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴中的分布特点,采用链霉素抗生物素蛋白-过氧化物酶(Streptaridin-peroxidase,SP)法研究了OT免疫反应产物在乏情期奶山羊下丘脑中的分布。结果显示:OT样神经元存在于视上核、室旁核弓状核、室周核、穹隆周核、下丘脑前核、下丘脑后核、腹外侧核、背内侧核、下丘脑外侧区以及乳头体各核团等27个核区,分布区域呈前端尖、中部宽、后钝圆的梭形带。此外,在室旁核观察到大量的强阳性神经纤维,第三脑室附近的纤维伸向脑室内。说明OT在下丘脑广泛存在,且下丘脑OT经神经垂体、第三脑室、血管3条途径释放,经血液循环最终作用于靶细胞而发挥生理作用。     

神经元在动物下丘脑中分布的研究进展

对近年来研究较多的神经元在动物下丘脑各个神经核中的分布情况作了介绍,指出神经元在下丘脑各个神经核均有分布,甚至有几种神经元同时分布在某些神经核中,视上核(SON)、室旁核(PVN)及弓状核(ARC)是多种神经元集中分布的主要神经核,为进一步研究下丘脑的生理功能提供了形态学资料。     

Effects of melatonin,p-chlorophenylalanine,and α-methylparatyrosine on plasma gonadotropin level and ovarian activity in the catfish,Heteropneustes fossilis: A study correlating changes in hypothalamic monoamines

The effects of (ip, 10 injections over 20 days) of melatonin (75 g 100 g^–1 BW), the serotonin (5-HT)-synthesis blocker, para-cholorophenylalanine (p-CPA, 10 mg 100g^{–1 BW}) and the catecholamine-synthesis blocker, -methylparatyrosine (-MPT, 10 mg 100 g^–1 BW) on gonadotropin (GTH) secretion and ovarian activity were studied in ^{Heteropneustes fossilis} during late preparatory to early prespawning (April–May). The treatments resulted in significant reductions of plasma GTH and estradiol-17 levels, the gonadosomatic index, frequency distribution of vitellogenic and postvitellogenic oocytes, and ovarian and serum ³²p-labelled alkali-labile phosphoprotein (a marker of vitellogenic activity). Most of the oocytes were nonvitellogenic or had undergone atretic changes. The hepatic ³²-phosphoprotein content increased significantly over the saline control value. The effects were similar and pronounced in the p-CPA and melatonin-treated groups but were moderate in the -MPT-treated group. Hypothalamic 5-HT content and turnover were significantly inhibited in the p-CPA and melatonin-treated groups but the content and turnover of catecholamines were not. The -MPT treatment decreased significantly the content and turnover of dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), and adrenaline (A) but did not influence the 5-HT content or turnover. These results suggest that 5-HT, NA and A are stimulatory to GTH secretion and that melatonin may act on the serotonergic system to inhibit the pituitary-gonadal axis.to whom correspondence should be addressed.A part of the results was presented at the International Workshop on Pineal gland: Its molecular signals and published as an abstract in Neuroendocrinol. Lett. 14: 399 pp., 1992.     

Tyrosine hydroxylase activity and dopamine turnover of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) brain: the special status of the hypothalamus

The dynamics of catecholamine (CA)-synthesis enzymes have been poorly studied in fish. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme of CA synthesis has been only studied inin vitro conditions. In the present report thein vivo CA synthesis and the CA metabolism were studied in different regions of the forebrain of the rainbow trout. Levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and the rate of accumulation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) were determined by HPLC following a treatment with hydroxybenzylhydrazine (NSD), a potential inhibitor of DOPA decarboxylase. Kinetics of the accumulation of DOPA and of the decline of DOPAC were in agreement with those found in rat, evidencing that the accumulation of DOPA following NSD can be used in trout to quantify thein vivo enzymatic activity of tyrosine hydroxylase. Experiments using treatment with NSD or with methyl-p-tyrosine reached a same conclusion: the DA neuronal activity in trout is much higher than NE neuronal activity. However, the hypothalamus had high DA levelsvs. lowin vitro andin vivo TH activities and exhibited a low CA turnover.