[Role of VIP-neurons in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus in the control of blood glucose].

The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a master circadian oscillator in mammals, contains VIP-neurons. In our study on the mechanism of the central regulation of glucose metabolism in rats, we obtained following results: 1) intracranial injection of either 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) or VIP elicited hyperglycemia by enhancing neural activities of the sympathetic nerves and by the suppression of the insulin secretion and enhances of secretions of adrenaline and glucagon; 2) bilateral lesions of the SCN eliminated the hyperglycemia and sympathetic excitation induced by intracranial injection of 2DG, and intracranial administration of VIP restored the 2DG-hyperglycemia; 3) infusion of VIP-antisense oligo in the SCN reduced the VIP content in the SCN and abolished the 2DG-hyperglycemia, and intracranial injection of VIP restored the 2DG-hyperglycemia in rats infused the VIP-antisense oligo; 4) intrapancreatic injection of pseudorabies virus (PRV, Bartha), which is retrogradedly transported, caused the transfer of PRV to VIP-neurons in the SCN, and denervations of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves innervating the pancreas eliminated the retrograde transport of PRV to VIP-neurons in the SCN. These findings suggest that VIP-neurons in the SCN regulate the blood glucose level through the enhancement of the sympathetic activity.