Control of lipolysis by a population of oxytocinergic sympathetic neurons.
Erwei LiLuhong WangDaqing WangJingyi ChiZeran LinGordon I SmithSamuel KleinPaul CohenEvan D RosenPublished in: Nature (2023)
Oxytocin (OXT), a nine-amino-acid peptide produced in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary, has well-known actions in parturition, lactation and social behaviour 1 , and has become an intriguing therapeutic target for conditions such as autism and schizophrenia 2 . Exogenous OXT has also been shown to have effects on body weight, lipid levels and glucose homeostasis 1,3 , suggesting that it may also have therapeutic potential for metabolic disease 1,4 . It is unclear, however, whether endogenous OXT participates in metabolic homeostasis. Here we show that OXT is a critical regulator of adipose tissue lipolysis in both mice and humans. In addition, OXT serves to facilitate the ability of β-adrenergic agonists to fully promote lipolysis. Most surprisingly, the relevant source of OXT in these metabolic actions is a previously unidentified subpopulation of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive sympathetic neurons. Our data reveal that OXT from the peripheral nervous system is an endogenous regulator of adipose and systemic metabolism.
Keyphrases
- adipose tissue
- body weight
- insulin resistance
- high fat diet
- amino acid
- spinal cord
- transcription factor
- autism spectrum disorder
- intellectual disability
- type diabetes
- single cell
- electronic health record
- gene expression
- genome wide
- machine learning
- blood pressure
- human milk
- blood glucose
- preterm birth
- glycemic control