Insulin acts in the arcuate nucleus to increase lumbar sympathetic nerve activity and baroreflex function in rats

PA Cassaglia, SM Hermes, SA Aicher… - The Journal of …, 2011 - Wiley Online Library
PA Cassaglia, SM Hermes, SA Aicher, VL Brooks
The Journal of physiology, 2011Wiley Online Library
Non‐technical summary Though the pancreatic hormone insulin is known to act in the brain
to increase sympathetic nerve activity and baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity, its
specific site of action had yet to be identified. We show that a region in the hypothalamus,
the arcuate nucleus, is the site at which insulin's effects are initiated. This new information
may lead to a greater understanding of the role of insulin in the brain in adverse
cardiovascular complications, like hypertension and heart attacks, which are associated with …
Non‐technical summary  Though the pancreatic hormone insulin is known to act in the brain to increase sympathetic nerve activity and baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity, its specific site of action had yet to be identified. We show that a region in the hypothalamus, the arcuate nucleus, is the site at which insulin's effects are initiated. This new information may lead to a greater understanding of the role of insulin in the brain in adverse cardiovascular complications, like hypertension and heart attacks, which are associated with insulin‐resistant states, such as obesity and diabetes.
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