Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2000 Feb;49(2):177-82.
doi: 10.2337/diabetes.49.2.177.

Hypothalamic localization of the feeding effect of agouti-related peptide and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone

M S Kim  1 , M Rossi, S Abusnana, D Sunter, D G Morgan, C J Small, C M Edwards, M M Heath, S A Stanley, L J Seal, J R Bhatti, D M Smith, M A Ghatei, S R Bloom
Affiliations

Hypothalamic localization of the feeding effect of agouti-related peptide and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone

M S Kim et al. Diabetes. 2000 Feb.

Abstract

The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) in the hypothalamus is thought to be important in physiological regulation of food intake. We investigated which hypothalamic areas known to express MC4R are involved in the regulation of feeding by using alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), an endogenous MC4R agonist, and agouti-related peptide (Agrp), an endogenous MC4R antagonist. Cannulae were inserted into the rat hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN), arcuate (Arc), dorsomedial (DMN), and ventromedial (VMN) nuclei; the medial preoptic (MPO), anterior hypothalamic (AHA), and lateral hypothalamic (LHA) areas; and the extrahypothalamic central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Agrp (83-132) (0.1 nmol) and [Nle4, D-Phe7]alpha(-MSH (NDP-MSH) (0.1 nmol), a stable alpha-MSH analog, were administered to fed and fasted rats, respectively. The PVN, DMN, and MPO were the areas with the greatest response to Agrp and NDP-MSH. At 8 h postinjection, Agrp increased feeding in the PVN by 218 +/- 23% (P < 0.005), in the DMN by 268 +/- 42% (P < 0.005), and in the MPO by 236 +/- 31% (P < 0.01) compared with a saline control group for each nucleus. NDP-MSH decreased food intake in the PVN by 52 +/- 6% (P < 0.005), in the DMN by 44 +/- 6% (P < 0.0001), and in the MPO by 55 +/- 6% (P < 0.0001) at 1 h postinjection. Injection into the AHA and CeA resulted in smaller alterations in food intake. No changes in feeding were seen after the administration of Agrp into the Arc, LHA, or VMN, but NDP-MSH suppressed food intake in the Arc and LHA. This study indicates that the hypothalamic nuclei expressing MC4R vary in their sensitivity to Agrp and alpha-MSH with regard to their effect on feeding.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles