title: Effects of galanin-like peptide (GALP) on locomotion, reproduction, and body weight in female and male mice.
abstract: Galanin-like peptide (GALP) has been implicated in the neuroendocrine regulation of both feeding and reproduction. In male rodents and primates, intracerebroventricular (icv) infusions of GALP stimulate luteinizing hormone (LH) release, induce Fos expression in brain areas implicated in feeding and reproduction, and affect food intake and body weight in rodents. In gonad-intact and castrated male rats, icv administration of GALP also stimulates male sexual behavior. While the effects of GALP on male physiology and behavior are well documented, no studies have addressed such a role of GALP in females. We tested the effects of icv GALP infusions on LH release, locomotor activity, motor control, and body weight regulation in adult ovariectomized female mice hormonally primed with estradiol benzoate and progesterone. In addition, sexually-experienced male and female mice were treated with GALP and tested for sexual behavior. In females, GALP reduced open-field locomotor activity, the ability to maintain grip on an accelerating rotarod, and 24-h body weight in a dose-dependent manner. GALP also increased LH secretion in female mice, an effect that was blocked by pre-treatment with Antide, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) type-1 receptor antagonist. GALP infusions slightly decreased the occurrence of lordosis behavior in female mice and significantly increased the latencies with which females displayed receptivity. Unlike previous reports in male rats, GALP inhibited male sexual behavior in mice. Our data indicate that in female mice, GALP stimulates LH release via GnRH, and decreases body weight, motor control, and locomotor activity via GnRH-independent pathways. Furthermore, our sexual behavior and locomotor findings suggest species-specific differences in the mechanism and/or location of GALP action in the brains of rats and mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, 1229 Jordan Hall, 1300 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. ask5j@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kauffman
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buenzle
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Fraley
authors.forename: Emilie F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Rissman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D044089:Galanin-Like Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques
chemical_list: D044089:Galanin-Like Peptide; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone