The hypothalamus is a vital part of the central nervous system: it harbors control systems implicated in regulation of a wide range of homeostatic processes, including energy balance and reproduction. Structurally, the hypothalamus is a complex neuroendocrine tissue composed of a multitude of unique neuronal cell types that express a number of neuromodulators, including hormones, classical neur...

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with multiple hypothalamic dysfunctions, including reduced secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Because GnRH release is tightly controlled by sympathetic neuronal input, a possible alteration of local noradrenergic neurotransmission in experimental CRF was evaluated. Basal, stimulated, and autoinhibited norepinephrine (NE) release was ass...

The hypothalamus is the central regulator of systemic energy homeostasis, and its dysfunction can result in extreme body weight alterations. Insights into the complex cellular physiology of this region are critical to the understanding of obesity pathogenesis; however, human hypothalamic cells are largely inaccessible for direct study. Here, we developed a protocol for efficient generation of h...

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) coordinates the synthesis, folding, and sorting of proteins for retention in the cell or for entry into the secretory pathway. Certain conditions (e.g., calcium dyshomeostasis, lipotoxicity, abnormally elevated protein synthesis) may result in protein misfolding and aberrant accumulation in the ER. This process, known as ER stress, activates the adaptive unfolded ...

Several lines of evidence suggest that the hypothalamus is involved in trigeminal pain processing. However, the organization of descending hypothalamic projections to the spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis (Sp5C) remains poorly understood. Microinjections of the retrograde tracer, fluorogold (FG), into the Sp5C, in rats, reveal that five hypothalamic nuclei project to the Sp5C: the paraventricu...

the role of the ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus (vmn) in food behavior was studied in adult male rats, allocated in 3 groups: control, sham and lesioned. electrolytic lesions were induced stereotaxically (1.2 ma, 15 sec). results revealed a significant decrease (p

OBJECTIVE Inflammation and dysfunction of the hypothalamus are common features of experimental obesity. However, it is unknown whether obesity and massive loss of body mass can modify the immunologic status or the functional activity of the human brain. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of body mass reduction on brain functionality. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In hu...

Daily subcutaneous injections of lente insulin reduced the hypertension and bradycardia which developed consistently in streptozotocin diabetic rats. Insulin-treated rats also became less hyperglycemic, drank less water, and gained weight faster than untreated diabetic controls. Behavioral and tachycardiac effects elicited by electrical stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus while the rat...

the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (hpa) axis is a critical adaptive system that maximizes survival potential in the face of physical or psychological challenge. the principal end products of the hpa axis, glucocorticoid hormones, act on multiple organ systems, including the brain, to maintain homeostatic balance. the brain is a target of stress, and the hippocampus is the first brain reg...

OBJECTIVE To describe the epidemiological and clinical-electroencephalographic characteristics, and associated morbidity of patients with hypothalamic hamartoma, as well as the treatment followed and outcomes PATIENTS AND METHODS We have retrospectively reviewed the medical histories of 10 patients diagnosed with hypothalamic hamartoma by magnetic resonance imaging over the last 20 years. R...