Glucagon-like peptide 1-(7-36) amide acts at lateral and medial hypothalamic sites to suppress feeding in rats

Glucagon-like peptide 1-(7-36) amide (GLP-1) potently inhibits rat feeding behavior after central administration. Because third ventricular injection of GLP-1 appeared to be less effective than lateral ventricular injection, we have reexamined this issue. In addition, we attempted to identify brain regions other than the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus that are sensitive toward GLP-1-induced feeding suppression. Finally, we examined the local role of endogenous GLP-1 by specific GLP-1 receptor blockade. After lateral ventricular injection, GLP-1 significantly inhibited food intake of 24-h-fasted rats in a dose-dependent fashion with a minimal effective dose of 1 μg. After third ventricular injection, GLP-1 (1 μg) was similarly effective in suppressing food intake, which extends previous findings. Intracerebral microinjections of GLP-1 significantly suppressed food intake in the lateral (LH), dorsomedial (DMH), and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), but not in the medial nucleus of the amygdala. The minimal effective dose of GLP-1 was 0.3 μg at LH sites and 1 μg at DMH or VMH sites. LH microinjections of exendin-(9-39) amide, a GLP-1 receptor antagonist, at 1 or 2.5 μg did not alter feeding behavior in 24-h-fasted rats. In satiated animals, however, a single LH injection of 1 μg exendin-(9-39) amide significantly augmented food intake, but only during the 20 min (0.6 vs. 0.1 g). With three repeated injections of 2.5 μg exendin-(9-39) amide every 20 min, 1-h food intake was significantly increased by 300%. These data strongly support and extend the concept of GLP-1 as a physiological regulator of food intake in the hypothalamus.