饥饿对幼年斑马鱼下丘脑摄食相关性神经肽表达的影响

脊椎动物下丘脑中的神经肽Y(Neuropeptide Y, NPY)、GALANIN和GMAP蛋白前体(GALANIN and GMAP prepropeptide, GAL)、Agouti相关蛋白(Agouti related neuropeptide, AGRP)和阿片促黑色素原(Proopiomelanocortin, POMC)与摄食密切相关,但在斑马鱼中对这些神经肽与摄食之间关系的研究较少。本文通过原位杂交技术和实时定量PCR方法,观察饥饿1 d、饥饿2 d和饥饿2 d喂食2 d后斑马鱼下丘脑中npy、galanin、agrp和pomca的表达情况。结果显示,饥饿处理之后,agrp和galanin在斑马鱼下丘脑中的表达量显著上升(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,饥饿2 d后斑马鱼下丘脑中pomca表达量显著下降(P<0.05)。饥饿2 d喂食2 d后斑马鱼下丘脑中pomca、agrp和galanin的表达量与对照组相比没有显著性差异。所有实验中npy在斑马鱼下丘脑中的表达没有显著性差异。这表明饥饿处理促使斑马鱼下丘脑中agrp和galanin表达上调,pomca表达下调;及时摄食可以恢复agrp、galanin和pomca在下丘脑中的表达水平。

Effects of starvation on the expression of feeding related neuropeptides in the larval zebrafish hypothalamus

Vertebrate feeding behavior is regulated by neuropeptide Y (NPY), GALANIN and GMAP prepropeptide (GAL), agouti related neuropeptide (AGRP) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in the hypothalamus. However, there are few studies on the relationship between these neuropeptides and feeding in zebrafish larvae. In the present study, real-time quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization were applied to examine the expression levels of npy, galanin, agrp and pomca in the hypothalamus of zebrafish larvae after starvation and re-feeding. The results showed the expression of agrp and galanin increased significantly after starvation compared to the control group, whilst the expression of pomca decreased significantly compared to control. If the animals were re-fed for two days after starvation, the expression of pomca, agrp and galanin showed no significant difference from the control. Expression of npy did not alter in either condition. These results indicate that starvation increases expression levels of agrp and galanin, and reduces the pomca expression. In addition, these starvation-induced changes can be reversed by re-feeding.