Hypothalamic hormone deficiency enables physiological anorexia in ground squirrels during hibernation

Sarah M. Mohr, Rafael Dai Pra, Maryann P. Platt, Viktor V. Feketa, Marya Shanabrough, Luis Varela, Ashley Kristant, Haoran Cao, Dana K. Merriman, Tamas L. Horvath, Sviatoslav N. Bagriantsev () and Elena O. Gracheva ()
Additional contact information
Sarah M. Mohr: Yale University School of Medicine
Rafael Dai Pra: Yale University School of Medicine
Maryann P. Platt: Yale University School of Medicine
Viktor V. Feketa: Yale University School of Medicine
Marya Shanabrough: Yale University School of Medicine
Luis Varela: Yale University School of Medicine
Ashley Kristant: Yale University School of Medicine
Haoran Cao: Yale University School of Medicine
Dana K. Merriman: University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Tamas L. Horvath: Yale University School of Medicine
Sviatoslav N. Bagriantsev: Yale University School of Medicine
Elena O. Gracheva: Yale University School of Medicine

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Mammalian hibernators survive prolonged periods of cold and resource scarcity by temporarily modulating normal physiological functions, but the mechanisms underlying these adaptations are poorly understood. The hibernation cycle of thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) lasts for 5–7 months and comprises weeks of hypometabolic, hypothermic torpor interspersed with 24–48-h periods of an active-like interbout arousal (IBA) state. We show that ground squirrels, who endure the entire hibernation season without food, have negligible hunger during IBAs. These squirrels exhibit reversible inhibition of the hypothalamic feeding center, such that hypothalamic arcuate nucleus neurons exhibit reduced sensitivity to the orexigenic and anorexigenic effects of ghrelin and leptin, respectively. However, hypothalamic infusion of thyroid hormone during an IBA is sufficient to rescue hibernation anorexia. Our results reveal that thyroid hormone deficiency underlies hibernation anorexia and demonstrate the functional flexibility of the hypothalamic feeding center.

Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49996-2 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49996-2

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49996-2

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().