title: Chronic administration of NMU into the paraventricular nucleus stimulates the HPA axis but does not influence food intake or body weight.
abstract: Hypothalamic neuromedin U (NMU) appears to have a role in the regulation of appetite and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Acute administration of NMU into the paraventricular nuclei (iPVN) increases plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone and corticosterone, and inhibits food intake in fasted rats. No studies have as yet investigated the chronic effects of centrally administered NMU. We investigated the effect of twice-daily iPVN injections of 0.3 nmol NMU for 7 days on food intake, body weight, the HPA axis, and behavior in freely fed rats. Chronic iPVN NMU was not associated with a decrease in food intake or body weight. Chronic iPVN NMU produced a typical behavioral response on day 1 and day 4 of the study, and resulted in the elevation of plasma corticosterone present 18 h after the final injection. These results suggest NMU may have a role in the regulation of the HPA axis and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Division of Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Hammersmith Campus, London W12 ONN, UK.
authors.forename: Emily L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Kevin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Jeannie F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Niamh M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Caroline J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Small
authors.forename: Mohammad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ghatei
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bloom
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution; D001835:Body Weight; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004435:Eating; D008297:Male; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000473:pathology; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000473:pathology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; C056900:neuromedin U; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone