title: Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone plays an important role in the regulation of food intake by the central melanocortin system in chicks.
abstract: Proopiomelanocortin (POMC, a precursor of melanocortin peptides) neurons in the hypothalamus play an important role in the central regulation of food intake in mammals. There is evidence that human melanocortin peptides alpha-, beta- and gamma2-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-, β- and γ2-MSH) significantly decreased food intake in chickens. However, the amino acid sequences of β- and γ2-MSH of chickens are different from those of humans whereas the amino acid sequence of α-MSH is conserved between these species. In the present study, we examined the effects of the central administration of α-, chicken β-, and chicken γ2-MSH on food intake in chicks. Central administration of α-MSH significantly suppressed food intake in chicks. In contrast, β- and γ2-MSH did not influence food intake in chicks. Central administration of HS014, a melanocortin 4 receptor antagonist, significantly reversed the anorexigenic action of α-MSH, suggesting that this action is mediated by the melanocortin 4 receptor in chicks as well as in mammals. These results suggest that α-MSH may play an important role in the regulation of food intake by the central melanocortin system in chicks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioresource Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaoki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saneyasu
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamisoyama
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Kengo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D053486:Melanocortins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C116941:HS014 cyclic peptide; D053486:Melanocortins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D000521:alpha-MSH