Hepatoportal Leptin Sensors and Their Reflex Effects on Autonomic Outflow in the Rat

Afferent nerve signals were recorded from a peripheral cut end of the small nerve bundle of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve in anesthetized rats. An injection of leptin (100 pg, 0.1 mL) into the portal vein facilitated the afferent activity. The response was dose dependent. Further, an intrave...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Akira Niijima
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2011-01-01
Series:Journal of Obesity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/516842
Description
Summary:Afferent nerve signals were recorded from a peripheral cut end of the small nerve bundle of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve in anesthetized rats. An injection of leptin (100 pg, 0.1 mL) into the portal vein facilitated the afferent activity. The response was dose dependent. Further, an intravenous (IV) injection of leptin (1 ng, 0.1 mL) facilitated the efferent nerve activity of the sympathetic nerve to the adrenal gland and suppressed that of the celiac branch of the vagus nerve. In hepatic vagotomized rats, no change in efferent activity of the adrenal sympathetic nerve nor celiac branch of the vagus nerve was observed following iv administration of leptin. These observations suggest that leptin sensors in the hepatoportal region play a role in reflex modulation of autonomic outflow in relation to metabolic functions.
ISSN:2090-0708
2090-0716