Immunoreactive corticotropin-releasing hormone levels in the hypothalamus of female Wistar fatty rats.
We have studied immunoreactive corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) levels in the hypothalamus of female Wistar fatty rats, a strain with the fa gene transferred from the Zucker rat to the Wistar Kyoto rat, in an attempt to understand the role of CRH in the development of obesity. A study was conducted with 5-week- and 12-week-old female Wistar fatty rats and lean littermates. There was no significant difference in hypothalamic CRH levels between lean and obese rats at the age of 5 weeks (1887 +/- 99.6 vs. 1767 +/- 124 pg/tissue; mean +/- S.E.M.). Hypothalamic CRH immunoreactivities, however, were significantly lower in 12-week-old obese rats (2361 +/- 132 pg/tissue) than those in lean littermates (2992 +/- 118 pg/tissue; P less than 0.05). The difference of CRH contents between the lean and obese group becomes apparent as they grow up and develop obesity.
Fukushima
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Nakai
Y
Y
Tsukada
T
T
Naito
Y
Y
Nakaishi
S
S
Tominaga
T
T
Murakami
N
N
Kawamura
H
H
Fukata
J
J
Ikeda
H
H
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone