Publications by authors named "Hong Dugu"

Low-grade mitochondrial stress can promote health and longevity, a phenomenon termed mitohormesis. Here, we demonstrate the opposing metabolic effects of low-level and high-level mitochondrial ribosomal (mitoribosomal) stress in hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. POMC neuron-specific severe mitoribosomal stress due to Crif1 homodeficiency causes obesity in mice.

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Hypothalamic neurons including proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-producing neurons regulate body weights. The non-motile primary cilium is a critical sensory organelle on the cell surface. An association between ciliary defects and obesity has been suggested, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.

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Objective: Adequate nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) content in hypothalamic neurons is critical for the maintenance of normal energy balance and circadian rhythm. In this study, the beneficial metabolic effects of chronic NAD supplementation on diet-induced obesity and obesity-related disruption of diurnal rhythms were examined.

Methods: C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks and received an intraperitoneal injection of either saline or NAD (1 mg/kg/day) for the last 4 weeks.

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Background: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 is an important regulator of hypothalamic neuronal function. Thus, an adequate hypothalamic NAD content is critical for maintaining normal energy homeostasis.

Methods: We investigated whether NAD supplementation increases hypothalamic NAD levels and affects energy metabolism in mice.

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