FTO knockdown in rat ventromedial hypothalamus does not affect energy balance.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) clustered in the first intron of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene has been associated with obesity. FTO expression is ubiquitous, with particularly high levels in the hypothalamic area of the brain. To investigate the region-specific role of FTO, AAV technology was applied to knockdown FTO in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). No effect of FTO knockdown was observed on bodyweight or parameters of energy balance. Animals were exposed twice to an overnight fast, followed by a high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet for 1 week. FTO knockdown did not result in a different response to the diets. A region-specific role for FTO in the VMH in the regulation of energy balance could not be found.