[Food intake regulation in pregnant and lactating mice].
OBJECTIVE
Hormone leptin inhibits appetite. It decreases hypothalamic expression of orexigenic neuropeptides, agouti-related peptide (AgRP), and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Pregnancy and lactation are characterized by hyperphagia. Food intake regulation during pregnancy and lactation is poorly understood. The aim of the work was to estimate hypothalamic expression of NPY and AgRP in pregnant and suckling mice and correlate it with food intake and blood leptin level.


METHODS
Daily food intake, and levels of leptin in blood and mRNA of AgRP and NPY in hypothalamus on day 7, 13, 18 of pregnancy, 10, 21 of lactation in C57B1/6J female mice and in age-matched virgin females.


RESULTS
In the course of pregnancy, food intake increased, leptin level decreased on day 7 and increased on day 18, NPY expression was increasing until day 13 and then remained unchanged, AgRP expression increased on day 18 of pregnancy. In suckling females, food intake continued to grow, but levels ofleptin and NPY and AgRP expression decresed and became equal with that in virgin females.


CONCLUSIONS
In pregnant mice, hyperphagia results from NPY followed by AgRP expression activation, in suckling mice--from other mechanisms which are not connected with changes in expression of these neuropeptides.
Makarova
E N
EN
Kochubeĭ
E D
ED
Bazhan
N M
NM