Deletion of the Neurotrophic Factor neudesin Prevents Diet-induced Obesity by Increased Sympathetic Activity

• Published in: Scientific reports 2015-05, Vol.5 (1), p.10049-10049, Article 10049
• Main Authors: Ohta, Hiroya, Konishi, Morichika, Kobayashi, Yusuke, Kashio, Atsuki, Mochiyama, Takayuki, Matsumura, Shigenobu, Inoue, Kazuo, Fushiki, Tohru, Nakao, Kazuwa, Kimura, Ikuo, Itoh, Nobuyuki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 38/39; 38/77; 45/41; 45/90; 631/443/319/1642/393; 631/443/319/2723; Adipose tissue; Adipose tissue (brown); Adipose Tissue, Brown - metabolism; Adipose Tissue, Brown - pathology; Adipose Tissue, White - metabolism; Adipose Tissue, White - pathology; Animals; Central nervous system; Diet, High-Fat; Energy balance; Energy expenditure; Energy Metabolism; Feeding Behavior; Female; Gene Deletion; High fat diet; Humanities and Social Sciences; Lipolysis; Metabolism; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; multidisciplinary; Nerve Growth Factors - deficiency; Nerve Growth Factors - metabolism; Nerve Tissue Proteins - deficiency; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Neurotrophic factors; Obesity; Obesity - prevention & control; Organ Size; Oxidation; PC12 Cells; Rats; Rodents; Science; Sympathetic Nervous System - metabolism
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep10049

Some neurotrophic factors, which are potent regulators of neuronal development and function, have recently been implicated in the control of energy balance by increasing energy expenditure. We previously identified neudesin as a novel neurotrophic factor with potential roles in the central nervous system. Although neudesin is also expressed in various peripheral tissues including adipose tissue, its physiological roles have not yet been elucidated. We found that neudesin knockout (KO) mice were resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity and obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions. neudesin KO mice exhibited increased energy expenditure due to increased sympathetic activity, which resulted in increased heat production and fatty acid oxidation in brown adipose tissue and enhanced lipolysis in white adipose tissue. Thus, neudesin, which may be a negative regulator of sympathetic activity, could represent a novel regulator of the development of obesity and obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions.