title: Correlation between plasma beta-cell tropin concentrations and body weight in obese rhesus monkeys.
abstract: The fasting plasma concentration of the pituitary peptide beta-cell tropin [beta-CT, adrenocorticotropic hormone-(22-39)] was measured in 17 rhesus monkeys from a colony known to develop spontaneous obesity. The weight of the animals was 9.4-23.9 kg (12-46% body fat). Plasma beta-CT concentrations were 0.03-0.84 nmol/l and were strongly correlated with body weight (P = 0.014, r = 0.584). Plasma beta-CT was also correlated with plasma insulin concentration as a power function (P = 0.011, r = 0.600) and with percent body fat up to 40% (P = 0.003, r = 0.0804). Plasma insulin is also correlated with body weight (P = 0.015, r = 0.578) but does not decline when body fat is in excess of 40%, supporting the hypothesis that beta-CT may be involved in a feed-back control mechanism, perhaps mediated by insulin. Because beta-CT has been shown in rodent studies to be a potent insulin secretagogue and lipogenic agent, it is possible that beta-CT is causally involved in the development of obesity and that there may be central determinants of obesity mediated through pituitary secretion of beta-CT.
authors.affiliation: Clore Laboratory for the Biological Sciences, University of Buckingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beloff-Chain
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Bodkin
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D005215:Fasting; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C026834:beta-cell tropin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone