Role of ventromedial hypothalamus on energy homeostasis in albino rats: Effect of gender.
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Date
2012-04
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Abstract
Various brain areas like the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)
are known to influence food intake and body weight. Though obesity is
more common in females, the reports on gender difference in the neural
regulation of energy homeostasis are not adequate. Therefore, the present
study was conducted to assess the gender difference in the effect of VMH
lesion on food intake (FI), body weight (BW), serum lipid profile, thyroid
profile, glucose and insulin levels and glucose-insulin ratio (GIR) in Wistar
albino rats. Twenty-four Wistar albino rats were divided equally into control
and experimental groups with 6 male and 6 female rats in each. In the
experimental group, bilateral electrolytic lesion of VMH was performed by
stereotaxy and post-lesion parameters were recorded. In the control group,
VMH sham lesion was made. Male-female difference in each parameter was
determined. Following VMH lesion, FI was increased (females, P<0.01) and
BW (males, P<0.05) and GIR decreased in males (P<0.001), which was
significantly correlated with BW. T3 was more significantly correlated with
FI and BW in females (P<0.000 and P<0.001). Following VMH lesion, male
rats exhibited significant weight gain in the absence of proportionate
hyperphagia indicating that weight-gain was mainly metabolic in nature.
Also, the male rats developed more susceptibility to insulin resistance. The
female rats developed resistance to weight-gain inspite of hyperphagia,
which could be due to the higher T3 level.
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Keywords
ventromedial hypothalamus, food intake, body weight, lipid profile, thyroid profile, glucose-insulin ratio, Wistar rats
Citation
Dev Sebanti, Pal Pravati, Pal G K, Ananthanarayanan P H, Lalitha V, Gaur Archana, Adithan C. Role of ventromedial hypothalamus on energy homeostasis in albino rats: Effect of gender. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2012 Apr-Jun; 56(2): 107-116.