Biology subjects

Griffiths, J. C.

Publications and source records attributed to Griffiths, J. C..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Insulin evokes release of endozepines from astrocytes of the NTS to modulate glucose metabolism

The central nervous system (CNS) plays a key role in regulating metabolic functions, but conditions like obesity and diabetes can disrupt this balance. Within the CNS, the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) controls glucose metabolism and feeding behaviour. In rodents, the NTS senses insulin and communicates with the liver to regulate glucose production. Even short-term exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) can lead to insulin resistance and impair NTS function. However, we still know little about which cells in the NTS are sensitive to insulin. Our study aimed to identify these insulin-sensitive cells and understand how they affect glucose metabolism. We found that insulin receptors in astrocytes are crucial for the NTSs ability to regulate glucose production in the liver. Insulin evokes the release of endozepines from astrocytes, and injecting endozepines into the NTS reduces glucose production. The effect of endozepines within the NTS is mimicked by GABAA antagonists and prevented by an agonist, suggesting that insulin prompts astrocytes to release endozepines, which then attenuate GABAA receptor activity, ultimately reducing glucose production in the liver. Our study is the first to show that insulin-dependent release of endozepines from NTS- astrocytes is fundamental to control blood glucose levels, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying insulin function within this specific region of the CNS.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Manipulating mitochondrial dynamics in the NTS prevents diet-induced deficits in brown fat morphology and activity

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) uptakes and metabolises both glucose and triglycerides to produce heat and is activated by the central nervous system (CNS) through direct noradrenergic sympathetic innervation. Dysregulation of signalling modules in selective CNS areas such as the nucleus of tractus solitarius (NTS) are linked with altered BAT activity, obesity and diabetes. High-fat diet (HFD)-feeding increases mitochondrial fragmentation in the NTS triggering insulin resistance, hyperphagia and weight gain. Here we sought to determine whether changes in mitochondrial dynamics in the NTS can affect BAT glucose uptake. Our findings demonstrated that short-term HFD feeding reduces BATs ability to take up glucose, as measured by PET/CT scan. However, inhibiting mitochondrial fragmentation in NTS-astrocytes of HFD-fed rats improved BAT glucose uptake while lowering blood glucose and insulin levels. Compared with HFD-fed rats, HFD fed animals, where mitochondrial fragmentation was inhibited in the NTS-astrocytes, had higher levels of catecholaminergic innervation of BAT, and did not present HFD-dependent infiltration of enlarged white fat droplets in the BAT. In regular chow-fed rats, increasing mitochondrial fragmentation in the NTS-astrocytes reduced BAT glucose uptake, catecholaminergic innervation and {beta}3-adrenergic receptor levels. Our data suggest that targeting mitochondrial dynamics in the NTS-astrocytes could be a beneficial strategy to increase glucose utilization and protect from developing obesity and diabetes.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Inhibition of Mitochondrial Fission and iNOS in the Dorsal Vagal Complex Protects from Overeating and Weight Gain

The dorsal vagal complex (DVC) senses changes in insulin levels and controls glucose homeostasis, feeding behaviour and body weight. Three days of high-fat diet (HFD) in rats is sufficient to induce insulin resistance in the DVC and impair its ability to regulate feeding behaviour. HFD-feeding is associated with increased mitochondrial fission in the DVC and fission is regulated by dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). Higher Drp1 activity can inhibit insulin signalling, although the exact mechanisms controlling body weight remain elusive. Here we show that Drp1 activation in DVC leads to higher body weight in rats and Drp1 inhibition in HFD-fed rats reduced body weight gain, cumulative food intake and adipose tissue, and prevented insulin resistance. Rats expressing active Drp1 in the DVC had higher levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and knockdown of iNOS in the DVC of HFD-fed rats led to a reduction in body weight gain, cumulative food intake and adipose tissue, and prevented insulin resistance. In obese insulin-resistant animals, inhibition of mitochondrial fission or DVC iNOS knockdown restored insulin sensitivity and decreased food intake, body weight and fat deposition. Finally, we show that inhibiting mitochondrial fission in DVC astrocytes is sufficient to protect rats from developing HFD-dependent insulin resistance, hyperphagia, body weight gain and fat deposition. Our study uncovers new molecular and cellular targets for brain regulation of whole-body metabolism, which could inform new strategies to combat obesity and diabetes.

neuroscience↗