Insulin reduces norepinephrine transporter mRNA in vivo in rat locus coeruleus

Acute and chronic in vitro insulin treatment can inhibit the uptake of norepinephrine (NE) by adult rat brain synaptosomes and slices, fetal neuronal cultures, and PC12 cells. In the present study we tested whether chronic in vivo insulin treatment could alter the biosynthetic capacity of rat locus coeruleus neurons for the NE transporter protein (NET). Chronic third ventricular insulin treatment resulted in a suppression of NET mRNA to about one third of the level of vehicle-treated controls. Our finding suggests that insulin may play a regulatory role in the synthesis of this transporter, thereby modulating activity in CNS noradrenergic pathways.