Table 4.
Summary of main hypothalamic findings in HD rodent models
| Pathology | HD rodent models | References | |
| Atrophy | ↑ | R6/2 | [110, 131, 201] |
| Neuronal count | ↓ | R6/2, N171-82Q | [50, 202] |
| Upregulation of HPA axis | ↑ | R6/2 | [106] |
| Circadian rhythm dysfunction | ↑ | R6/2 (CAG250, CAG 140), BACHD, Q175 | [203–207] |
| Androgen receptor | ↓ | protein (R6/1) | [139] |
| Brn2 | ↓ | R6/2 | [112] |
| CART | ↓ | peptide, immunoreactivity, mRNA (R6/2, HD190QG) | [110, 208] |
| ↑ | mRNA (BACHD) | [116] | |
| Clock genes (mPer2, mBmal1, Cry1, Dbp) | ↓ | R6/2 | [13, 209, 210] |
| CRH | ↓ | peptide (R6/2) | [106, 110, 112] |
| = | mRNA (BACHD) | [116] | |
| GnRH | ↓ | immunoreactivity (BACHD, R6/2) | [119, 189] |
| ↓ | mRNA (R6/1) | [181] | |
| HAP1 levels | ↓ | N171-82Q | [202] |
| MCH | ↓ | peptide, immunoreactivity, mRNA (R6/2, AAV-hypo) | [52, 110] |
| = | mRNA (BACHD) | [116] | |
| NPY | ↓ | mRNA (R6/2, HD190QG, BACHD) | [116, 208] |
| Orexin | ↓ | protein, immunoreactivity, mRNA (R6/2, YAC128, AAV-hypo) | [50, 52, 100, 111, 114, 211] |
| ↑ | immunoreactivity (BACHD) | [116] | |
| Orexin 2 receptor | ↓ | mRNA (BACHD) | [116] |
| Oxytocin | ↓ | immunoreactivity, mRNA (R6/2, HD190QG, AAV-hypo) | [112, 114, 208] |
| = | immunoreactivity, mRNA (BACHD) | [116] | |
| Preprosomatostatin | ↓ | mRNA (R6/2, HD190QG) | [208] |
| POMC | ↓ | peptide, immunoreactivity (R6/2) | [110] |
| Prodynorphin | ↓ | mRNA (AAV-hypo) | [52] |
| Tachykinin receptor 3 | ↓ | mRNA (BACHD) | [116] |
| TSH releasing hormone | ↓ | mRNA (R6/2, HD190QG) | [208] |
| Tyrosine hydroxylase | ↓ | mRNA (AAV-hypo) | [52] |
| Vasopressin | ↓ | mRNA, immunoreactivity (R6/2, HD190QG, AAV-hypo) | [111, 112, 114, 208] |
| = | immunoreactivity, mRNA (BACHD) | [116] | |
| VIP | ↓ | Immunoreactivity, mRNA (R6/2) | [113] |
| VIP receptor | ↓ | mRNA (R6/2) | [113] |
HPA, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal; CART, cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript; CRH, corticotrophin releasing hormone; GnRH, gonadotropin-releasing hormone; HAP1, huntingtin-associated protein 1; MCH, melanin-concentrating hormone; NPY, neuropeptide Y; POMC, proopiomelanocortin; TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, VIP, vasoactive intestinal peptide.