Hypothalamic effects of neonatal diet: reversible and only partially leptin dependent

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   Figure 1

   Effects of neonatal overfeeding on the neonatal leptin system. (A) Pre-weaning body weights of control (CL) and neonatally overfed (SL) rats. (B) Plasma leptin concentrations at postnatal day (P)7 and 14. (C) Hypothalamic; (D) arcuate nucleus (ARC) leptin receptor expression. (E) Neuronal activation in response to leptin injection at P12; numbers of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (pSTAT3)-positive cells in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). (F) Numbers of pSTAT3-positive cells in the ARC. (G) Representative photomicrographs showing leptin-induced pSTAT3-positive cells in the ARC of CL and SL rats. Data are mean + s.e.m. *P < 0.05. Scale bars = 200 μm.
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   Figure 2

   Effects of neonatal overfeeding on neonatal hypothalamic NPY density. (A, H) Schematic diagram adapted from Paxinos and Watson (2009) illustrating the region of interest sampled for pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) labelling in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) in control (CL) and neonatally overfed (SL) rats. (B) POMC labelling in the ARC. (C) AgRP labelling in the ARC. (D) NPY labelling in the ARC. (E) Representative photomicrographs showing POMC labelling in the ARC in CL and SL rats at P12. (F) Representative photomicrographs showing AgRP labelling in the ARC in CL and SL rats at P12. (G) Representative photomicrographs showing NPY labelling in the ARC in CL and SL rats at P12. (I) AgRP labelling in the PVN. (J) NPY labelling in the PVN. (K) Representative photomicrographs showing AgRP in the PVN in CL and SL rats at P12. (L) Representative photomicrographs showing NPY in the PVN in CL and SL rats at P12. Data are mean + s.e.m. *P < 0.05. Scale bars = 100 μm. A full colour version of this figure is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/JOE-16-0631.
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   Figure 3

   Effects of neonatal overfeeding on the leptin system long term. (A) Adult (P60) body weights of control (CL) and neonatally overfed (SL) rats. (B) Plasma leptin concentrations. (C) Hypothalamic leptin receptor expression. (D) Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) labelling in the arcuate nucleus (ARC).(E) Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) in the ARC. (F) Neuropeptide Y (NPY) labelling in the ARC. (G) AgRP labelling in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). (H) NPY labelling in the PVN. (I, J, K) Representative photomicrographs showing POMC, AgRP and NPY in the ARC in CL and SL adult rats. (L, M) Representative photomicrographs showing AgRP and NPY in the PVN in CL and SL adult rats. Data are mean + s.e.m. *P < 0.05. Scale bars = 100 μm. A full colour version of this figure is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/JOE-16-0631.
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   Figure 4

   Long-term effects of neonatal overfeeding on responses to leptin. (A) Nocturnal food intake following exogenous leptin in control (CL) and neonatally overfed (SL) rats. (B) Diurnal food intake. (C) Total (24 h) food intake. (D) Neuronal activation in response to leptin injection; numbers of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (pSTAT3)-positive cells in the arcuate nucleus (ARC). (E) Representative photomicrographs leptin-induced pSTAT3-positive cells in the ARC in CL and SL adult rats. Data are mean + s.e.m. Parentheses in A, C and D indicate significant main effect of litter size. *P < 0.05. Scale bars = 100 μm.
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   Figure 5

   Long-term effects of neonatal leptin antagonist on neonatal overfeeding-induced changes in the leptin system. (A) Postnatal day (P21) and (B) adult (P56) weights in CL and SL rats given leptin antagonist or vehicle as neonates. (C) Adult plasma leptin concentrations. (D) Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) in the arcuate nucleus (ARC). (E) Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) in the ARC. (F) Neuropeptide Y (NPY) labelling in the ARC. (G) AgRP in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). (H) NPY labelling in the PVN. Data are mean + s.e.m. *^,#P < 0.05. A: * indicates post hoc effects. Parentheses and * in B, C and F indicate significant main effect of litter size, but no post hoc group differences. Parenthesis and ^# in E indicate significant main effect of leptin antagonist, but no post hoc group differences.

• © 2017 Society for Endocrinology