title: Neuropeptide Y gene expression around meal time in the Brazilian flounder Paralichthys orbignyanus.
abstract: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is considered the major stimulant for food intake in mammals and fish. Previous  results indicate that NPY is involved in the feeding behaviour of the Brazilian flounder, Paralichthys orbignyanus. In this study, we evaluated hypothalamic NPY expression before (-2 h), during (0 h) and after feeding (+2 h) in two independent experiments: (1) during a normal feeding schedule and (2) in fish fasted for 2 weeks. During normal feeding, changes in the levels of NPY mRNA were periprandial, with expression levels being significantly elevated at meal time (P less than 0.05) and significantly reduced 2 h later (P less than 0.05). Comparing the fasting and unfasted groups, NPY mRNA levels were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) at -2 h and +2 h in the fasting group, but there was no difference at 0 h. In addition, the higher NPY mRNA levels that were observed in the fasting group were maintained throughout the sampling period. In summary, our results show that NPY expression was associated with meal time (0 h) in food intake regulation.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, CP 354, 96010-900, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. fariascampos@gmail.com
authors.forename: Vinicius F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Ricardo B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Robaldo
authors.forename: JoÃo C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Deschamps
authors.forename: Fabiana K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Seixas
authors.forename: Alan John A
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.forename: Luis Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Marins
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.forename: Tiago
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Collares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005215:Fasting / Q000502:physiology; D005432:Flounder / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D012333:RNA, Messenger