title: Enhanced food intake by progesterone-treated female rats is related to changes in neuropeptide genes expression in hypothalamus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Progesterone-treated females eat more food, but the mechanism underlying this effect is not well understood. The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of progesterone on neuropeptide genes expression in rat hypothalamus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiments were carried out on female and male Wistar rats. Animals were treated with progesterone (100 mg per rat) for 28 days. NPY and CART mRNA levels in hypothalamus were quantified by real-time PCR. The serum progesterone concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Progesterone administration to females caused an increase in food intake, body mass, and white adipose tissue mass. Elevated circulating progesterone concentration up-regulated NPY and down-regulated CART genes expression in hypothalamus of females. In males, elevated blood progesterone concentration had no effect on food intake, body and fat mass and on the neuropeptide genes expression in hypothalamus. Moreover, administration of progesterone in females resulted in decrease of PR mRNA level in hypothalamus. No effect of progesterone administration on PR mRNA level in hypothalamus of males was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The changes in neuropeptide genes expression in hypothalamus may lead to stimulation of appetite and might explain the observed increase in food intake, body and adipose tissue mass in progesterone-treated females.
authors.affiliation: bori@gumed.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stelmańska
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sucajtys-Szulc
mesh_terms: D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein; D011374:Progesterone