脊椎动物下丘脑中的神经肽Y(Neuropeptide Y, NPY)、GALANIN和GMAP蛋白前体(GALANIN and GMAP prepropeptide, GAL)、Agouti相关蛋白(Agouti relatedneuropeptide, AGRP)和阿片促黑色素原(Proopiomelanocortin, POMC)与摄食密切相关,但在斑马鱼中对这些神经肽与摄食之间关系的研究较少。本文通过原位杂交技术和实时定量PCR方法,观察饥饿1 d、饥饿2 d和饥饿2 d喂食2 d后斑马鱼下丘脑中npy、galanin、agrp和pomca的表达情况。结果显示,饥饿处理之后,agrp和galanin在斑马鱼下丘脑中的表达量显著上升(P〈0.05)。与对照组相比,饥饿2 d后斑马鱼下丘脑中pomca表达量显著下降(P〈0.05)。饥饿2 d喂食2 d后斑马鱼下丘脑中pomca、agrp和galanin的表达量与对照组相比没有显著性差异。所有实验中npy在斑马鱼下丘脑中的表达没有显著性差异。这表明饥饿处理促使斑马鱼下丘脑中agrp和galanin表达上调,pomca表达下调;及时摄食可以恢复agrp、galanin和pomca在下丘脑中的表达水平。
Vertebrate feedingbehavior isregulatedbyneuropeptide Y (NPY),GALANIN andGMAP prepropeptide (GAL), agouti related neuropeptide (AGRP) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in the hypothalamus. However, there are few studies on the relationship between these neuropeptides and feeding in zebrafish larvae. In thepresent study, real-timequantitative PCR andin situhybridization were applied to examine the expression levels ofnpy,galanin,agrp andpomcain the hypothalamus of zebrafish larvae after starvation and re-feeding. The results showed the expression ofagrpandgalaninincreased significantly after starvation compared to the control group, whilst theexpression of pomcadecreased significantly compared to control.If the animals werere-fed fortwodays after starvation,the expression ofpomca, agrpandgalaninshowedno significant differencefrom the control.Expression ofnpydid not alterinei-ther condition. These results indicate that starvation increasesexpression levels ofagrpandgalanin, and reducesthe pomcaexpression. In addition, these starvation-induced changes can be reversed by re-feeding.