5-HT obesity medication efficacy via POMC activation is maintained during aging

Luke K. Burke, Barbora Doslikova, Giuseppe D'Agostino, Alastair S. Garfield, Gala Farooq, Denis Burdakov, Malcolm J. Low, Marcelo Rubinstein, Mark L. Evans, Brian Billups, Lora K. Heisler*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The phenomenon commonly described as the middle-age spread is the result of elevated adiposity accumulation throughout adulthood until late middle-age. It is a clinical imperative to gain a greater understanding of the underpinnings of age-dependent obesity and, in turn, how these mechanisms may impact the efficacy of obesity treatments. In particular, both obesity and aging are associated with rewiring of a principal brain pathway modulating energy homeostasis, promoting reduced activity of satiety pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons within the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC). Using a selective ARC-deficientPOMCmouse line, herewereport that former obesity medications augmenting endogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) activity D-fenfluramine and sibutramine require ARC POMC neurons to elicit therapeutic appetite-suppressive effects. We next investigated whether age-related diminished ARC POMC activity therefore impacts the potency of 5-HT obesity pharmacotherapies, lorcaserin, D-fenfluramine, and sibutramine and report that all compounds reduced food intake to a comparable extent in both chowfed young lean (3-5 months old) and middle-aged obese (12-14 months old) male and female mice. We provide a mechanism through which 5-HT anorectic potency is maintained with age, via preserved 5-HT-POMC appetitive anatomical machinery. Specifically, the abundance and signaling of the primary 5-HT receptor influencing appetite via POMC activation, the 5-HT2CR, is not perturbed with age. These data reveal that although 5-HT obesity medications require ARC POMC neurons to achieve appetitive effects, the anorectic efficacy is maintained with aging, findings of clinical significance to the global aging obese population.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3732-3738
Number of pages7
JournalEndocrinology
Volume155
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2014
Externally publishedYes

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