title: Plasma alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone: sex differences and correlations with obesity.
abstract: Rodent experiments raise the possibility of a regulatory role of peripheral alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in obesity and metabolism, but human data on peripheral alpha-MSH levels remain fragmentary. Because of the possible relationship between alpha-MSH and obesity, we endeavored to test the hypothesis that higher levels of alpha-MSH in obese patients would correlate with leptin levels and with other markers of obesity. Sixty normal-weight to obese healthy men and women participated. Weight, measures of body composition, and diet diaries were obtained; fasting blood was analyzed for alpha-MSH, lipids, glucose, insulin, leptin, and adiponectin. To begin to understand the source of peripherally measured hormones, alpha-MSH was also measured in serum samples from 5 individuals with untreated Addison disease. Levels of alpha-MSH were higher in men vs women (10.1 +/- 4.3 vs 7.6 +/- 3.4 pmol/L, P = .019), and alpha-MSH levels were higher in patients with Addison disease vs controls (17.7 +/- 2.3 vs 8.7 +/- 0.52 pmol/L, P < .001). Measures of adiposity correlated with insulin and leptin in men and women, and with adiponectin in women. alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone levels did not correlate significantly with any parameter of adiposity or diet composition. The elevated alpha-MSH levels in patients with untreated Addison disease suggest possible pituitary secretion of alpha-MSH to the periphery. The lack of correlation between peripheral alpha-MSH and parameters of adiposity suggests that endogenous plasma alpha-MSH levels are not a metric for body composition per se.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, University of Colorado Denver, P.O. Box 6511, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Donahoo
authors.forename: Teri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Dalan R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Alison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Miles B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hochgeschwender
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Eckel
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D000521:alpha-MSH; D013972:Thyrotropin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein