Behavioural, neural and cardiovascular adaptations in mice lacking the NPY Y1 receptor

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is primarily synthesised and released by neurones, it is co-localised with noradrenaline and is involved in the regulation of cardiovascular function. In a mouse model lacking NPY Y1 receptor (KO), the ability of NPY to potentiate noradrenaline-induced vasoconstriction is abolished during stress but normal in baseline conditions, locomotor activity and metabolic rate are lowered, blood insulin levels and glucose storage activity are increased. The present study was aimed at further characterising NPY Y1 mutants, with special emphasis on: behavioural responses to novelty seeking and open-field with objects tests, heart rate responsiveness during acute social defeat, α2-adrenoceptor (α2-ARs) function in brain areas involved in cardiovascular regulation, and cardiac structure. As compared to wild-type controls (n=9), NPY Y1 KOs (n=9) showed: reduced somatomotor activation during non-social challenges, lower heart rate in baseline conditions, larger heart rate responsiveness during social defeat, increased number of α2-ARs in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (nX) and the locus coeruleus (LC), moderately larger volume fraction of myocardial fibrosis. The remarkable increment of α2-adrenoceptor density in the nX and LC allows to view KO mice behavioural and anatomo-physiological peripheral characteristics as 'adaptations' to central adrenergic rearrangement due to NPY Y1 receptor deletion.