AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) functions to maintain cellular and body energy balance. Our aim was to investigate the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of AMPK stimulator
AICAR and
AMPK inhibitor Compound C on food intake in lines of chickens that had undergone long-term selection from a common founder population for high (HWS) or low (LWS)
body weight.
AICAR caused a quadratic dose-dependent decrease in food intake in LWS but not HWS chicks. Compound C caused a quadratic dose-dependent increase in food intake in HWS but not in LWS chicks. Key aspects of the AMPK pathway, including upstream
kinases mRNA expression, AMPK subunit α
mRNA expression and phosphorylation, and a downstream target
acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylation were not affected by either
AICAR or Compound C in either line. The exception was a significant inhibitory effect of
AICAR on ACC phosphorylation ratio due to increased total ACC
protein content without changing phosphorylated ACC
protein levels. Thus, the anorexigenic effect of
AICAR in LWS chicks and orexigenic effect of Compound C in HWS chicks resulted from activation or inhibition of other
kinase pathways separate from AMPK. These results suggest genetic variation in feeding response for central
AICAR and Compound C in chickens, which may contribute to the different
body weights between the HWS and LWS lines.