普林斯顿大学Alexander R. Nectow研究小组取得一项新突破。他们发现脑内五羟色胺合成最重要的脑区-中缝背核（dorsal raphe nucleus）抑制性神经元通过不同的方式双向调控能量消耗，进而调节体温。 2019年7月25日出版的《细胞》杂志发表了这项成果。

课题组报道了位于中缝核背外侧部分(DRN)的GABAergic (Vgat -表达)神经元群，即DRN Vgat神经元，在环境热的作用下被激活，并通过热发生和运动的变化双向调节能量消耗。课题组人员发现，DRN Vgat神经元通过投射到脑皮层(RPa)的下行投影来激活褐色脂肪。这些神经元还密集地激活参与能量消耗中央调控的上行目标，包括下丘脑和扩展的杏仁核。对不同投射目标的光生刺激表明，DRN Vgat神经元能够通过RPa的“直接”下行通路和多个“间接”上行通路调控产热。这项工作为DRN Vgat神经元控制能量消耗奠定了关键的调控作用。

据悉，核心体温的稳态控制对生存至关重要。温度是由特定的神经元来感知的，进而引起这两种行为（例如运动）和生理(例如生热，血管舒张)反应。

附：英文原文

Title: Regulation of Energy Expenditure by Brainstem GABA Neurons

Author: Marc Schneeberger, Luca Parolari, Tania Das Banerjee, Nicolas Renier, Jeffrey M. Friedman, Alexander R. Nectow

Issue&Volume: 25 JULY 2019

Abstract: Homeostatic control of core body temperature is essential for survival. Temperature is sensed by specific neurons, in turn eliciting both behavioral (i.e., locomotion) and physiologic (i.e., thermogenesis, vasodilatation) responses. Here, we report that a population of GABAergic (Vgat-expressing) neurons in the dorsolateral portion of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), hereafter DRN Vgat neurons, are activated by ambient heat and bidirectionally regulate energy expenditure through changes in both thermogenesis and locomotion. We find that DRN Vgat neurons innervate brown fat via a descending projection to the raphe pallidus (RPa). These neurons also densely innervate ascending targets implicated in the central regulation of energy expenditure, including the hypothalamus and extended amygdala. Optogenetic stimulation of different projection targets reveals that DRN Vgat neurons are capable of regulating thermogenesis through both a “direct” descending pathway through the RPa and multiple “indirect” ascending pathways. This work establishes a key regulatory role for DRN Vgat neurons in controlling energy expenditure.

DOI: DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.048

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)30619-1