Role of central glucagon-like peptide-1 in hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical facilitation following chronic stress

M Tauchi, R Zhang, DA D'Alessio, RJ Seeley… - Experimental …, 2008 - Elsevier
M Tauchi, R Zhang, DA D'Alessio, RJ Seeley, JP Herman
Experimental neurology, 2008Elsevier
Central glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) regulates food intake, glucose homeostasis, and
behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to acute stress. Given its pronounced role in
acute stress regulation, the GLP-1 system is a prime candidate for mediating the prolonged
drive of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis by chronic stress. To test this
hypothesis, we evaluated the necessity and sufficiency of GLP-1 for production of chronic
stress-induced changes in HPA axis function. Exogenous GLP-1 or the GLP-1 receptor …
Central glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) regulates food intake, glucose homeostasis, and behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to acute stress. Given its pronounced role in acute stress regulation, the GLP-1 system is a prime candidate for mediating the prolonged drive of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis by chronic stress. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the necessity and sufficiency of GLP-1 for production of chronic stress-induced changes in HPA axis function. Exogenous GLP-1 or the GLP-1 receptor antagonist, dHG-exendin, were delivered into the 3rd ventricle of control animals or animals exposed to chronic variable stress (CVS) for 7 days. Animals in the CVS groups received GLP-1 or dHG-exendin immediately prior to each stress exposure. Prior to and at the end of the 7-day trial, chronically-stressed animals were subjected to a novel stressor to test for HPA axis facilitation. Neither GLP-1 nor dHG-exendin affected CVS-associated increases in adrenal weight or decreases in basal plasma glucose levels. In addition, neither exogenous GLP-1 nor dHG-exendin altered any index of HPA axis activity in unstressed rats. However, GLP-1 enhanced CVS-induced facilitation of corticosterone (but not ACTH) response to an acute stress, whereas dHG-exendin inhibited facilitation. In addition, GLP-1 decreased body weight in chronically-stressed animals. dHG-exendin increased food intake and body weight in unstressed animals, consistent with a tonic role for GLP-1 in body weight regulation. Overall, our data suggest that brain GLP-1 modulates HPA axis activity within the context of chronic stress, perhaps at the level of the adrenal gland.
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