Chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of MCH causes obesity in mice. Melanin-concentrating hormone.

Abstract

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic amino acid neuropeptide localized in the lateral hypothalamus. Although MCH is thought to be an important regulator of feeding behavior, the involvement of this peptide in body weight control has been unclear. To examine the role of MCH in the development of obesity, we assessed the effect of chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of MCH in C57BL/6J mice that were fed with regular or moderately high-fat (MHF) diets. Intracerebroventricular infusion of MCH (10 microg/day for 14 days) caused a slight but significant increase in body weight in mice maintained on the regular diet. In the MHF diet-fed mice, MCH more clearly increased the body weight accompanied by a sustained hyperphagia and significant increase in fat and liver weights. Plasma glucose, insulin, and leptin levels were also increased in the MCH-treated mice fed the MHF diet. These results suggest that chronic stimulation of the brain MCH system causes obesity in mice and imply that MCH may have a major role in energy homeostasis.

• Authors: Akira Gomori, Akane Ishihara, Masahiko Ito, Satoshi Mashiko, Hiroko Matsushita, Mariko Yumoto, Makoto Ito, Takeshi Tanaka, Shigeru Tokita, Minoru Moriya, Hisashi Iwaasa, Akio Kanatani
• Journal: American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab) Vol. 284 Issue 3 Pg. E583-8 (Mar 2003) ISSN: 0193-1849 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12453827 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Blood Glucose
• Dietary Fats
• Hypothalamic Hormones
• Insulin
• Leptin
• Melanins
• Pituitary Hormones
• melanin-concentrating hormone

Topics

• Adipose Tissue (pathology)
• Animals
• Blood Glucose (analysis)
• Body Weight (drug effects)
• Dietary Fats (administration & dosage)
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Hyperphagia (chemically induced)
• Hypothalamic Hormones (adverse effects)
• Injections, Intraventricular
• Insulin (analysis)
• Leptin (analysis)
• Liver (pathology)
• Male
• Melanins (adverse effects)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Obesity (etiology, pathology)
• Organ Size (drug effects)
• Pituitary Hormones (adverse effects)