• Daisuke Kohno, Hideyuki Sone, Shigeyasu Tanaka, Hideharu Kurita, Darambazar Gantulga, and Toshihiko Yada.
• Division of Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan.
• Neurosci. Lett. 2011 Jul 25; 499 (3): 194-8.

AbstractAMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor that is activated by the increase of intracellular AMP:ATP ratio. AMPK in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) is activated during fasting and the activation of AMPK stimulates food intake. To clarify the pathway underlying AMPK-induced feeding, we monitored the activity of single ARC neurons by measuring cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) with fura-2 fluorescence imaging. An AMPK activator, AICA-riboside (AICAR), at 200 μM increased [Ca(2+)](i) in 24% of ARC neurons. AMPK and acetyl CoA carboxylase were phosphorylated in the neurons with [Ca(2+)](i) responses to AICAR. AICAR-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increases were inhibited by Ca(2+)-free condition but not by thapsigargin, suggesting that AICAR increases [Ca(2+)](i) through Ca(2+) influx from extracellular space. Among AICAR-responding ARC neurons, 38% were neuropeptide Y (NPY)-immunoreactive neurons while no proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-immunoreactive neuron was observed. Intracerebroventricular administration of AICAR increased food intake, and the AICAR-induced food intake was abolished by the co-administration of NPY Y1 receptor antagonist, 1229U91. These results indicate that the activation of AMPK leads to the activation of ARC NPY neurons through Ca(2+) influx, thereby causing NPY-dependent food intake. These mechanisms could be implicated in the stimulation of food intake by physiological orexigenic substances.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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