Acute and circadian feedforward regulation of agouti-related peptide hunger neurons

When food is freely available, eating occurs without energy deficit. While agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons are likely involved, their activation is thought to require negative energy balance. To investigate this, we implemented long-term, continuous in vivo fiber-photometry recordings in mice. We discovered new forms of AgRP neuron regulation, including fast pre-ingestive decreases in activity and unexpectedly rapid activation by fasting. Furthermore, AgRP neuron activity has a circadian rhythm that peaks concurrent with the daily feeding onset. Importantly, this rhythm persists when nutrition is provided via constant-rate gastric infusions. Hence, it is not secondary to a circadian feeding rhythm. The AgRP neuron rhythm is driven by the circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), as SCN ablation abolishes the circadian rhythm in AgRP neuron activity and feeding. The SCN activates AgRP neurons via excitatory afferents from thyrotrophin-releasing hormone-expressing neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMHTrh neurons) to drive daily feeding rhythms.