title: Immunohistochemical changes in orexigenic and anorexigenic neuropeptides in the rat hypothalamus after capsaicin administration.
abstract: Capsaicin has effects on the adiposity by increasing energy and lipid metabolism, and decreases appetite and fat intake. In the present study, we investigated changes in food intake and body weight after capsaicin treatment. We also observed changes in orexigenic and anorexigenic neuropeptides-agouti-related peptide (AgRP), alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and orexin-immunoreactivities in the rat hypothalamus after capsaicin administration. Only one day after capsaicin treatment, the mean food intake was significantly decreased. There was no significant difference in the mean body weight between vehicle- and capsaicin-treated groups. In addition, after capsaicin treatment, numbers of AgRP- and orexin-immunoreactive ((+)) cells were significantly decreased in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and lateral hypothalamic area, respectively. In contrast, the number of alpha-MSH(+) and ACTH(+) cells in the ARC of the capsaicin-treated rats was higher than in the vehicle-treated rats. These results indicate that capsaicin reduces food intake, not body weight, transiently, and decreases AgRP and orexin immunoreactivities, whereas it increases alpha-MSH and ACTH immunoreactivities in rat hypothalamic nuclei.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, and Institute of Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 200-702, South Korea.
authors.forename: Choong Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: In Koo
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Ki-Yeon
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ok Kyu
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Bingchun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Hyung-Cheul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Moo-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Won
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D054369:Agouti-Related Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C515197:AGRP protein, rat; D054369:Agouti-Related Protein; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000521:alpha-MSH; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002211:Capsaicin