Brain regulation of nonexercise activity thermogenesis and obesity resistance

BIOHW 5

Catherine M. Kotz, kotzx004@umn.edu, GRECC, MN Obesity Center and Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Minneapolis VA Medical Center and University of Minnesota, One Veterans Drive, Mpls, MN 55417, Jennifer A. Teske, teskeja@umn.edu, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, and Charles J. Billington, billi005@umn.edu, Department of Medicine, Minneapolis VA Medical Center and University of Minnesota, One Veterans Drive, Mpls, MN 55417.
High levels of spontaneous physical activity in lean people, and the Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) derived from that activity, protects them from obesity during caloric challenge while obesity in humans is characterized by dramatically reduced spontaneous physical activity. We have similarly demonstrated that obesity resistant rats have significantly greater spontaneous physical activity than obesity prone rats. Brain mediators of spontaneous physical activity and NEAT are beginning to be uncovered. Orexin neurons are important to arousal and energy metabolism, and brain orexin injections robustly increase spontaneous physical activity and NEAT. Obesity resistant rats are strikingly more sensitive to the physical activity stimulating effects of orexin A, and have elevated gene expression levels for brain orexin receptors. Enhanced orexin receptor expression, sensitivity to orexin A and elevated spontaneous physical activity in obesity resistant rats occur at a young age and persist throughout the lifespan, which protects them from obesity.
 

Genomics of Obesity
1:30 PM-4:25 PM, Monday, August 20, 2007 BCEC -- 203, Oral

Biotechnology of Health and Wellness

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007