title: Aqueous extract of ma huang suppresses neuropeptide Y expression in food-deprived rat hypothalamus.
abstract: Ma huang, the dried plant stem of ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C.A., contains an ephedrine-type alkaloid and has been used for weight loss. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a 36-amino acid peptide, is concentrated in the hypothalamus and stimulates feeding desire. In this study, the effect of ma huang on the expressions of NPY in the hypothalamus of rats was investigated using immunohistochemistry. Food-deprivation enhanced the NPY expression in the hypothalamus. ma huang suppressed the food-deprivation-induced enhancement of NPY expression. Present results suggest that ma huang curbs the food desire by suppressing the NPY expression under food-deprivation conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Meridian and Acupoint, College of Oriental Medicine Semyung University, Jechon, Korea.
authors.forename: Ee-Hwa
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mal-Soon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hyun-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Taeck-Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mi-Hyeon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Min-Chul
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Sam-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029790:Ephedra sinica; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal