Transient expression of neuropeptide W in postnatal XXXX hypothalamus - A putative regulator of energy homeostasis.

@entity32327 @entity19 @entity5207 @entity22386 @entity43876 @entity3843 @entity47344
UNASSIGNED: Neuropeptide B and W (NPB and NPW) are cognate peptide ligands for @entity47344 ( @entity47344 ), a G protein-coupled receptor. In rodents, they have been implicated in the regulation of energy homeostasis, neuroendocrine/autonomic responses, and social interactions. Although localization of these peptides and their receptors in adult rodent brain has been well documented, their expression in @entity19 brain during development is unknown. Here we demonstrate the transient expression of NPW mRNA in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) of postnatal @entity19 brain and its co-localization with @entity32327 ( @entity32327 ) mRNA. Neurons expressing both NPW and @entity32327 mRNAs begin to emerge in the DMH at about postnatal day 0 (P-0) through P-3. Their expression is highest around @entity3843 , declines after @entity5207 , and by @entity22386 only a faint expression of NPW and @entity32327 mRNA remains. In @entity43876 brains, we detected NPW neurons in the region spanning the subincertal nucleus (SubI), the lateral hypothalamic (LH) perifornical (PF) areas, and the DMH, where the highest expression of NPW mRNA was observed. The majority of these postnatal hypothalamic NPW neurons co-express @entity32327 mRNA. A cross of NPW-iCre knock-in @entity19 with a Cre-dependent tdTomato reporter line revealed that more than half of the reporter-positive neurons in the adult DMH, which mature from the transiently NPW-expressing neurons, are sensitive to peripherally administrated leptin. These data suggest that the DMH neurons that transiently co-express NPW and @entity32327 in the peri-weaning period might play a role in regulating energy homeostasis during postnatal development.
