Effects Of Hypothalamus-specific NPY Y1 And Y5 Receptor Deletion In High Fat Diet-induced Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$60,420.00
Summary
Obesity is a rising global epidemic, contributing to severe morbidity and mortality and extreme financial burden on society. It is known that the brain controls energy metabolism via molecules such as neuropeptide Y, which has two key receptors involved in weight gain, Y1 and Y5. This study looks at deleting Y1 and Y5 in the brain of overfed subjects to demonstrate their involvement in metabolic adaptations that prevent weight gain in overfeeding, thus developing effective weight loss therapies ....Obesity is a rising global epidemic, contributing to severe morbidity and mortality and extreme financial burden on society. It is known that the brain controls energy metabolism via molecules such as neuropeptide Y, which has two key receptors involved in weight gain, Y1 and Y5. This study looks at deleting Y1 and Y5 in the brain of overfed subjects to demonstrate their involvement in metabolic adaptations that prevent weight gain in overfeeding, thus developing effective weight loss therapies to treat obesity.Read moreRead less
Interactions Between Neuropeptide FF Receptor And Hypothalamic Neuropeptides In The Regulation Of Energy Homeostasis And Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$95,733.00
Summary
Despite the alarming obesity epidemic, there currently exists no effective long-term treatment for obesity. Neuropeptide FF and its receptor NPFF2R have an emerging role in regulating food intake and body fat stores. Results from this study will show whether NPFF2R plays an important role in regulating appetite, metabolic rate, body weight and fat stores, thus help to identify whether NPFF2R-targeted therapeutics would confer significant benefit for the long-term treatment of obesity.
NPY Suppresses Seizures And Modulates Thalamocortical Activity In Animal Models Of Generalized Epilepsy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$386,020.00
Summary
Epilepsy is the most common serious chronic neurological disease in the community, affecting up to 3% of the population in a lifetime and 0.5-1% at any one time. Absence epilepsy is one of the most common types of epilepsy, most frequently seen in childhood and teenage years that may persist into adulthood. Anti-epileptic drugs are effective in controlling absence seizures in most patients, however there is an important group (20-40%) of patients in whom the absence seizures remain uncontrolled ....Epilepsy is the most common serious chronic neurological disease in the community, affecting up to 3% of the population in a lifetime and 0.5-1% at any one time. Absence epilepsy is one of the most common types of epilepsy, most frequently seen in childhood and teenage years that may persist into adulthood. Anti-epileptic drugs are effective in controlling absence seizures in most patients, however there is an important group (20-40%) of patients in whom the absence seizures remain uncontrolled with current medications. Recently there has been considerable interest in the role that chemical in the brain, such as neuropeptide Y (NPY), may play in epilepsy. The research proposed will examine the role of NPY in several animal models of absence epilepsy. We have recently shown that NPY suppresses absence seizures in a rat genetic model of generalised epilepsy, and that this appears to be mediated by Y2 receptors. This work will build on these novel findings, and determine the localisation of the effect within the brain, and the underlying mechanism. We will check NPY effects across several models in different species, a genetic rat model with spontaneous seizures, and in mice treated with a chemical to induce seizures. This will determine its broad applicability. We will also determine the effects of removal of NPY or NPY receptors on the effects of NPY on seizure expression. Finally, brain recording techniques will be applied to determine the mechanism and site within the brain underlying the protective actions of NPY. The project has the potential to provide novel insights into the role of NPY in the expression and modulation of absence seizures. NPY related mechanisms might represent targets for the development of a new class of therapeutic agents for the treatment of absence epilepsy. Targets that are identified as being important in the expression of absence seizures may also prove to be relevant in other types of generalised epilepsy syndromes.Read moreRead less
This study aims to elucidate central pathways which can be manipulated to drive the storage of excess energy away from fat and instead directing it into the production of bone mass. Having identified leptin-responsive NPY neurons as important in the control of energy partitioning, we will focus on manipulating these neurons in the hypothalamus using innovative technology to alter body composition. This research has the potential to result in novel treatments for obesity and osteoporosis.
DIET-INDUCED OBESITY ALTERS THE CENTRAL ACTIONS OF GHRELIN
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$38,599.00
Summary
Ghrelin is a hormone that primarily targets the brain to increase food intake and body weight. It has evolved to prevent starvation during periods of negative energy balance by promoting energy intake and storage. We have identified central ghrelin resistance in diet-induced obesity (DIO) as a novel disturbed neuroendocrine system that restricts excessive food intake. Therefore, a novel approach to treat DIO is to exploit or enhance these intrinsic mechanisms that restrict the development of obe ....Ghrelin is a hormone that primarily targets the brain to increase food intake and body weight. It has evolved to prevent starvation during periods of negative energy balance by promoting energy intake and storage. We have identified central ghrelin resistance in diet-induced obesity (DIO) as a novel disturbed neuroendocrine system that restricts excessive food intake. Therefore, a novel approach to treat DIO is to exploit or enhance these intrinsic mechanisms that restrict the development of obesity.Read moreRead less
The Role Of The Central Insulin-NPY Pathway In The Regulation Of Energy Balance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$474,975.00
Summary
Insulin is known for its role in the regulation of glucose metabolism in the liver, muscle and fat, however very little is known about the role of insulin in the brain. This project aims to improve our understanding on how insulin regulates energy balance and appetite and identifies the exact neuronal networks involved in the brain and to understand the mechanistic insights into the pathology of obesity, providing the means for the development of more effective and safer therapeutic approaches.