Exploring the expression of the melanin-concentrating hormone messenger RNA in the rat lateral hypothalamus after goldthioglucose injection.
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is expressed in a large neuronal population of the rat lateral hypothalamus. This area is known to be implicated in the regulation of thirst and hunger and to contain glucose-sensitive cells. In the present study, we investigated the effects of goldthioglucose (GTG), a toxic form of glucose, on the expression of the MCH gene in the rat lateral hypothalamus by immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization and competitive RT-PCR. We observed that the MCH immunoreactivity and the level of MCH mRNA were not changed after intraperitoneal GTG injection (0.35 mg/g body weight). These results together with previous data suggest that the glucose-sensitive cells of the lateral hypothalamus are different from the MCH neurons and remain to be identified.
Grillon
S
S
C.N.R.S. U.R.A. 561 Laboratoire d'Histologie, Embryologie, Cytogénétique, Faculté de Médecins, Besançon, France.
Hervé
C
C
Griffond
B
B
Fellmann
D
D
D000818:Animals; D006051:Aurothioglucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D006815:Hunger; D007026:Hypothalamic Area, Lateral / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008547:Melanophores; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013894:Thirst; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*
D017931:DNA Primers; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D008543:Melanins; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D006051:Aurothioglucose; C019463:melanin-concentrating hormone