Neuropeptide Y stimulates autophagy in hypothalamic neurons

CA Aveleira, M Botelho… - Proceedings of the …, 2015 - National Acad Sciences
CA Aveleira, M Botelho, S Carmo-Silva, JF Pascoal, M Ferreira-Marques, C Nóbrega
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015National Acad Sciences
Aging is characterized by autophagy impairment that contributes to age-related disease
aggravation. Moreover, it was described that the hypothalamus is a critical brain area for
whole-body aging development and has impact on lifespan. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of
the major neuropeptides present in the hypothalamus, and it has been shown that, in aged
animals, the hypothalamic NPY levels decrease. Because caloric restriction (CR) delays
aging, at least in part, by stimulating autophagy, and also increases hypothalamic NPY …
Aging is characterized by autophagy impairment that contributes to age-related disease aggravation. Moreover, it was described that the hypothalamus is a critical brain area for whole-body aging development and has impact on lifespan. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of the major neuropeptides present in the hypothalamus, and it has been shown that, in aged animals, the hypothalamic NPY levels decrease. Because caloric restriction (CR) delays aging, at least in part, by stimulating autophagy, and also increases hypothalamic NPY levels, we hypothesized that NPY could have a relevant role on autophagy modulation in the hypothalamus. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of NPY on autophagy in the hypothalamus. Using both hypothalamic neuronal in vitro models and mice overexpressing NPY in the hypothalamus, we observed that NPY stimulates autophagy in the hypothalamus. Mechanistically, in rodent hypothalamic neurons, NPY increases autophagy through the activation of NPY Y1 and Y5 receptors, and this effect is tightly associated with the concerted activation of PI3K, MEK/ERK, and PKA signaling pathways. Modulation of hypothalamic NPY levels may be considered a potential strategy to produce protective effects against hypothalamic impairments associated with age and to delay aging.
National Acad Sciences