title: Melanocortins and opioids modulate early postnatal growth in rats.
abstract: This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of melanocortins and opioids on rat early postnatal body and organ growth. Among melanocortins tested desacetyl-alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) at dosages of 0.3 and 3 micrograms/g/day was effective in stimulating neonatal growth with a weight gain of 7 and 5.6%, respectively, after 2 weeks of treatment. Likewise, a weight rise of 4.2 and 3% was obtained with 3 micrograms/g/day of both alpha-MSH and Nle4-D-Phe7 alpha-MSH. As far as opioids were concerned, while N-acetyl-beta-endorphin (beta-End) was ineffective, the activity of beta-End was dependent on dosage. Indeed, newborns treated with 0.03 microgram/g/day showed a slight, but significant, increase in weight, whereas a marked decrease in growth followed treatment with 0.3 and, mainly, 3 micrograms/g/day, with a final weight loss of 3.4 and 5.5%, respectively. All melanocortins exerted a positive action on muscular and brain trophism and, in addition, desacetyl-alpha-MSH also induced a rise of fat deposits. On the contrary, while the 0.03 microgram/g/day beta-End dose caused an increase in muscular and brain weight, the higher dosages of the opioid were detrimental, not only for muscle and brain, but also for both liver and spleen weight. A slight, although significant (P < 0.05), enhancement of serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) level was found after the injection of 0.3 microgram/g desacetyl-alpha-MSH, whereas both the 0.3 and 3 micrograms/g doses of desacetyl-alpha-MSH and the 3 micrograms/g dose of alpha-MSH determined the rise of plasma androstenedione (P < 0.05). All tested melanocortins and opioids failed to modify the concentrations of corticosterone. Our results suggest that melanocortins and opioids can modulate early postnatal growth in rats either by direct or indirect mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 46, I-09124 Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mauri
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Melis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deiana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loviselli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Argiolas
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000521:alpha-MSH; D001615:beta-Endorphin