title: The leptin-like effects of 3-d peripheral administration of a melanocortin agonist are more marked in genetically obese Zucker (fa/fa) than in lean rats.
abstract: The effects of a 3-d peripheral administration of an alpha-MSH agonist, MTII, on body weight and the expression of uncoupling proteins (UCPs) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 were determined in lean and genetically obese fa/fa rats by comparing MTII-treated animals with two different control groups, one being ad libitum fed, the other pair-fed to the amount of food consumed by MTII-treated rats. MTII treatment of lean and obese rats lowered food intake and body weight, the effects being more marked in obese than in lean rats. In both groups, MTII administration suppressed the increased plasma FFA levels brought about by food restriction. In lean rats, MTII prevented the decrease in brown adipose tissue UCP1, UCP2, and UCP3 expression and muscle UCP3 occurring during food restriction. In obese animals, MTII markedly increased brown adipose tissue (7-fold) and muscle (2.5-fold) UCP3 expression. The decrease in liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 elicited by food restriction in lean and obese rats was prevented by MTII administration. In summary, the effects of MTII resemble those of leptin and are more marked in obese than in lean animals, in keeping with their reported reduced endogenous melanocortin tone. Melanocortin agonists may be useful in the treatment of obesity associated with impaired leptin signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, University of Geneva, Faculty of Medicine, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cettour-Rose
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rohner-Jeanrenaud
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000502:physiology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000819:agonists*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C079282:melanotan-II; D000521:alpha-MSH; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase