Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone is induced by cold exposure and participates in the control of energy expenditure in rats.

Abstract

Short-term cold exposure of homeothermic animals leads to higher thermogenesis and food consumption accompanied by weight loss. An analysis of cDNA-macroarray was employed to identify candidate mRNA species that encode proteins involved in thermogenic adaptation to cold. A cDNA-macroarray analysis, confirmed by RT-PCR, immunoblot, and RIA, revealed that the hypothalamic expression of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is enhanced by exposure of rats to cold environment. The blockade of hypothalamic MCH expression by antisense MCH oligonucleotide in cold-exposed rats promoted no changes in feeding behavior and body temperature. However, MCH blockade led to a significant drop in body weight, which was accompanied by decreased liver glycogen, increased relative body fat, increased absolute and relative interscapular brown adipose tissue mass, increased uncoupling protein 1 expression in brown adipose tissue, and increased consumption of lean body mass. Thus, increased hypothalamic MCH expression in rats exposed to cold may participate in the process that allows for efficient use of energy for heat production during thermogenic adaptation to cold.

• Authors: Márcio Pereira-da-Silva, Márcio A Torsoni, Hugo V Nourani, Viviane D Augusto, Claudio T Souza, Alessandra L Gasparetti, José B Carvalheira, Gislaine Ventrucci, Maria Cristina C G Marcondes, Ariovaldo P Cruz-Neto, Mário J A Saad, Antonio C Boschero, Everardo M Carneiro, Lício A Velloso
• Journal: Endocrinology (Endocrinology) Vol. 144 Issue 11 Pg. 4831-40 (Nov 2003) ISSN: 0013-7227 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12960043 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Carrier Proteins
• Hypothalamic Hormones
• Ion Channels
• Melanins
• Membrane Proteins
• Mitochondrial Proteins
• Pituitary Hormones
• Ucp1 protein, rat
• Uncoupling Protein 1
• melanin-concentrating hormone
• Glycogen

Topics

• Adaptation, Physiological
• Adipose Tissue, Brown (metabolism)
• Animals
• Body Composition
• Body Temperature Regulation
• Body Weight (physiology)
• Carrier Proteins (metabolism)
• Cold Temperature
• Eating (physiology)
• Energy Metabolism (physiology)
• Gene Expression Profiling
• Glycogen (metabolism)
• Hypothalamic Hormones (metabolism, physiology)
• Hypothalamus (metabolism)
• Ion Channels
• Liver (metabolism)
• Male
• Melanins (metabolism, physiology)
• Membrane Proteins (metabolism)
• Mitochondrial Proteins
• Muscle, Skeletal (metabolism)
• Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
• Oxygen Consumption (physiology)
• Pituitary Hormones (metabolism, physiology)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Uncoupling Protein 1