Department of Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
Karl J Kaiyala
Department of Oral Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
Jarrad M Scarlett
UW Medicine Diabetes Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, United States; Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, United States
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
To maintain energy homeostasis during cold exposure, the increased energy demands of thermogenesis must be counterbalanced by increased energy intake. To investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this cold-induced hyperphagia, we asked whether agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons are activated when animals are placed in a cold environment and, if so, whether this response is required for the associated hyperphagia. We report that AgRP neuron activation occurs rapidly upon acute cold exposure, as do increases of both energy expenditure and energy intake, suggesting the mere perception of cold is sufficient to engage each of these responses. We further report that silencing of AgRP neurons selectively blocks the effect of cold exposure to increase food intake but has no effect on energy expenditure. Together, these findings establish a physiologically important role for AgRP neurons in the hyperphagic response to cold exposure.
