The increasing incidence of obesity is a major health issue facing the USA. Fortunately, in the past decade several key hormones and central nervous system (CNS) pathways controlling body weight and glucose homeostasis have been identified. Indeed, we now have a rough CNS roadmap through which key metabolic signals like ghrelin exert its effects which may lead to effective strategies to combat the incidence of obesity, diabetes and eating disorders. In the past grant period, we sought to delineate the neural substrates through which ghrelin and its receptor, the growth hormone secretagouge receptor (GHSR;ghrelin receptor) selectively regulate food intake and body weight. We created a novel GHSR null mouse and found that lack of ghrelin signaling protected mice from developing diet-induced obesity and diabetes. In the current proposal, we will extend these observations using our novel mouse model in which we can selectively reactivate GHSR expression in selected cell types. We will identify if vagal sensory neurons in the nodose ganglia are sufficient to restore the orexigenic properties of ghrelin in mice lacking GHSRs everywhere else. We will next determine is GHSR re-expression by key autonomic regulatory neurons in the brainstem is required for normal body weight and glucose homeostasis. Finally, we will also determine if reactivation of GHSRs in 2 cells in the pancreas is sufficient to restore the ability of ghrelin to suppress insulin levels in the face of diet induced obesity.

Public Health Relevance

The experiments proposed in this study have been designed to investigate the role ghrelin plays in regulating food intake, body weight and glucose homeostasis. It is hoped that these studies will result in new targeted therapies to treat mood obesity, diabetes and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DK071320-07
Application #
8080361
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-EMNR-A (02))
Program Officer
Hyde, James F
Project Start
2005-03-01
Project End
2013-05-31
Budget Start
2011-06-01
Budget End
2012-05-31
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$307,751
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Sw Medical Center Dallas
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800771545
City
Dallas
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
75390
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