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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · rat · 2026

6 results

A cross-species atlas of the dorsal vagal complex reveals neural mediators of the effects of cagrilintide on energy balance.

Ludwig MQ, Coester B, Gordian D, Hassan S, Tomlinson AJ, Toure MH, Christensen OP, Lommi G, Moltke-Prehn A, Brown JM, Belmont-Rausch DM, Bau S and 19 more

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Bodur C, Gowda A, Wu I, Kernodle S, Dong V, Ayensu-Mensah M, Sabatini PV, Shin JH, Kirigiti M, Egerod KL, Le Foll C, Lundh S, Gerstenberg MK, Lutz TA, Kievit P, Secher A, Raun K, Myers MG Jr, Pers TH

Nature metabolism8 Jun 2026Cited by 7 (Europe PMC)

PMID42260119 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC13303089 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/s42255-026-01539-3 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-42260119
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Summary

Amylin receptor agonists such as cagrilintide represent emerging obesity therapies. To understand mediators of cagrilintide action, we generated a transcriptomics atlas of over 530,000 cells comprising 80 neuronal cell populations across rat, mouse and macaque caudal brainstem, with spatial profiling to map distribution in the rat dorsal vagal complex (DVC). Here we show that cagrilintide regulates two conserved Calcr-expressing DVC neuronal populations. While acute cagrilintide treatment alters gene expression in area postrema Calcr/Ramp3 neurons, chemogenetic activation in rats fails to affect long-term food intake and body weight. In contrast, long-term cagrilintide treatment in rats upregulates prolactin-releasing hormone (Prlh) expression in nucleus of the solitary tract Calcr/Prlh cells that are conserved across rodents, macaques and humans. Knocking down DVC Prlh abrogates the effects of cagrilintide but not semaglutide in rats. Our study provides a cross-species spatially resolved atlas of DVC cell populations and defines Calcr/Prlh neurons as mediators of amylin receptor agonist action.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study6

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    Acute cagrilintide treatment altered gene expression in area postrema Calcr/Ramp3 neurons.

    In plain wordsIn animals, short-term cagrilintide treatment changed gene activity in a group of brainstem cells.

    Peptide
    Cagrilintide
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedGene expression in area postrema Calcr/Ramp3 neurons after acute treatment
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · acuteAs given in this study.

    Source sentences

    Summary
    While acute cagrilintide treatment alters gene expression in area postrema Calcr/Ramp3 neurons
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    To understand mediators of cagrilintide action, we generated a transcriptomics atlas of over 530,000 cells comprising 80 neuronal cell populations across rat, mouse and macaque caudal brainstem, with spatial profiling to map distribution in the rat dorsal vagal complex (DVC).
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In rats, long-term cagrilintide treatment upregulated prolactin-releasing hormone (Prlh) expression in nucleus of the solitary tract Calcr/Prlh cells.

    In plain wordsIn rats, long-term cagrilintide treatment raised the activity of the Prlh gene in certain brainstem cells.

    Peptide
    Cagrilintide
    Outcome
    IncreasePrlh expression in nucleus of the solitary tract Calcr/Prlh cells
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · long-termAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In contrast, long-term cagrilintide treatment in rats upregulates prolactin-releasing hormone (Prlh) expression in nucleus of the solitary tract Calcr/Prlh cells that are conserved across rodents, macaques and humans.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    To understand mediators of cagrilintide action, we generated a transcriptomics atlas of over 530,000 cells comprising 80 neuronal cell populations across rat, mouse and macaque caudal brainstem, with spatial profiling to map distribution in the rat dorsal vagal complex (DVC).
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In rats, knocking down Prlh in the dorsal vagal complex did not abrogate the effects of semaglutide, although it abrogated the effects of cagrilintide.

    In plain wordsIn rats, switching off Prlh in a brainstem area did not remove the effects of semaglutide, but it did remove those of cagrilintide.

    Peptide
    Semaglutide
    Outcome
    No significant changeSemaglutide effects after DVC Prlh knockdown
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Prlh knockdown in the dorsal vagal complex
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Metabolic and weight
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Knocking down DVC Prlh abrogates the effects of cagrilintide but not semaglutide in rats.

Studies that did not test the peptide alone3

In this study, Cagrilintide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Cagrilintide.

  1. 04AnimalNot a test of Cagrilintide aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In rats, chemogenetic activation of area postrema Calcr/Ramp3 neurons did not affect long-term food intake.

    In plain wordsIn rats, switching on this group of brainstem cells did not change long-term food intake.

    Peptide
    Cagrilintide
    Outcome
    No significant changeLong-term food intake after chemogenetic activation of area postrema neurons
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Chemogenetic activation of area postrema Calcr/Ramp3 neurons
    Outcome group
    Appetite and food intake · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    chemogenetic activation in rats fails to affect long-term food intake and body weight.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    To understand mediators of cagrilintide action, we generated a transcriptomics atlas of over 530,000 cells comprising 80 neuronal cell populations across rat, mouse and macaque caudal brainstem, with spatial profiling to map distribution in the rat dorsal vagal complex (DVC).

    In this study, Cagrilintide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Cagrilintide.

  2. 05AnimalNot a test of Cagrilintide aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In rats, chemogenetic activation of area postrema Calcr/Ramp3 neurons did not affect long-term body weight.

    In plain wordsIn rats, switching on this group of brainstem cells did not change long-term body weight.

    Peptide
    Cagrilintide
    Outcome
    No significant changeLong-term body weight after chemogenetic activation of area postrema neurons
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Chemogenetic activation of area postrema Calcr/Ramp3 neurons
    Outcome group
    Body weight · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    chemogenetic activation in rats fails to affect long-term food intake and body weight.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    To understand mediators of cagrilintide action, we generated a transcriptomics atlas of over 530,000 cells comprising 80 neuronal cell populations across rat, mouse and macaque caudal brainstem, with spatial profiling to map distribution in the rat dorsal vagal complex (DVC).

    In this study, Cagrilintide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Cagrilintide.

  3. 06AnimalNot a test of Cagrilintide aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In rats, knocking down Prlh in the dorsal vagal complex abrogated the effects of cagrilintide but not those of semaglutide.

    In plain wordsIn rats, removing Prlh in the brainstem cancelled the effects of cagrilintide but not the effects of semaglutide.

    Peptide
    Cagrilintide
    Outcome
    DecreaseCagrilintide effects after DVC Prlh knockdown
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Dorsal vagal complex Prlh knockdown
    Comparator
    Semaglutide
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Knocking down DVC Prlh abrogates the effects of cagrilintide but not semaglutide in rats.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    To understand mediators of cagrilintide action, we generated a transcriptomics atlas of over 530,000 cells comprising 80 neuronal cell populations across rat, mouse and macaque caudal brainstem, with spatial profiling to map distribution in the rat dorsal vagal complex (DVC).

    In this study, Cagrilintide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Cagrilintide.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Versions 3 to 38Current

    28 Oct 2026, 02:04 UTC

    The same notice was added 36 times, first on 9 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC. The status did not change between them.

    Study results updated

  2. Version 2

    9 Oct 2026, 03:06 UTC

    Study data updated · source update from Europe PMC

  3. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 03:04 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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