NGF suppression of weight gain in adult female rats correlates with decreased hypothalamic cholecystokinin levels.
Effects of chronic intraventricular administration of nerve growth factor (NGF, 1 microgram qod for 21 days) on weight gain, hypothalamic neuropeptide levels and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity were determined in adult female Wistar rats. Rats chronically treated with cytochrome c (cc) gained 163 g over the 21 day treatment schedule, whereas NGF-treated rats only gained 110 g. Thus, NGF-treated rats gained 53 g less; this change in weight gain is equivalent to approximately a 20% decrease of total weight gain compared to the cc-treated control rats. Chronic NGF treatment significantly decreased hypothalamic cholecystokinin (CCK) levels by 24% (P = 0.0070), but did not alter either hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) or bombesin (BOMB) levels (98% and 105% of cc-treated control levels, respectively). In addition, chronic NGF treatment did not significantly alter hypothalamic ChAT activity (95% of cc-treated control rats). The results of the present study suggest that NGF-induced decreases in weight gain are not the result of alterations of hypothalamic cholinergic function. However, it is possible that NGF-induced alterations of hypothalamic CCK synthesis and release may be involved in the NGF-induced decrease in weight gain.
Lapchak
P A
PA
Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089-0191.
Araujo
D M
DM
D000818:Animals; D001839:Bombesin / Q000378:metabolism; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D002766:Cholecystokinin; D001839:Bombesin