title: Proopiomelanocortin in the arcuate nucleus of the rodent Meriones shawi: effects of dehydration.
abstract: Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is a 36kDa glycoprotein implicated in homeostatic balance. We used in situ hybridization histochemistry coupled with quantitative autoradiography to determine the anatomical distribution of POMC mRNA-expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus (AN) and to examine the effects of prolonged dehydration on POMC gene expression in a semi-desert rodent, Meriones shawi (Shaw's Jird). In the hypothalamus of control animals, POMC mRNA-expressing neurons were exclusively localized in the AN and they showed a differential distribution and density along its rostro-caudal subdivisions. In dehydrated animals, water deprivation caused a decrease in POMC mRNA labeling in the AN. These results suggest that dehydration stress can induce negative regulation of POMC gene expression in this species. A comparative study of weight variation between control and dehydrated animals showed a weight loss followed by stabilization of weight during prolonged dehydration.
authors.affiliation: Equipe Neurosciences Pharmacologie et Environnement, and Centre National d'Études et de Recherches sur le Sahara (CNERS), Université Cadi Ayyad, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Abdelhadi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laalaoui
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fèvre-Montange
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahboucha
authors.forename: Halima
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gamrani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003681:Dehydration / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin