title: The modulatory role of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone administered spinally in the regulation of blood glucose level in d-glucose-fed and restraint stress mouse models.
abstract: Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is known as a regulator of the blood glucose homeostasis and food intake. In the present study, the possible roles of α-MSH located in the spinal cord in the regulation of the blood glucose level were investigated in d-glucose-fed and immobilization stress (IMO) mouse models. We found in the present study that intrathecal (i.t.) injection with α-MSH alone did not affect the blood glucose level. However, i.t. administration with α-MSH reduced the blood glucose level in d-glucose-fed model. The plasma insulin level was increased in d-glucose-fed model and was further increased by α-MSH, whereas α-MSH did not affect plasma corticosterone level in d-glucose-fed model. In addition, i.t. administration with glucagon alone enhanced blood glucose level and, i.t. injection with glucagon also increased the blood glucose level in d-glucose-fed model. In contrasted to results observed in d-glucose-fed model, i.t. treatment with α-MSH caused enhancement of the blood glucose level in IMO model. The plasma insulin level was increased in IMO model. The increased plasma insulin level by IMO was reduced by i.t. treatment with α-MSH, whereas i.t. pretreatment with α-MSH did not affect plasma corticosterone level in IMO model. Taken together, although spinally located α-MSH itself does not alter the blood glucose level, our results suggest that the activation of α-MSH system located in the spinal cord play important modulatory roles for the reduction of the blood glucose level in d-glucose fed model whereas α-MSH is responsible for the up-regulation of the blood glucose level in IMO model. The enhancement of insulin release may be responsible for modulatory action of α-MSH in down-regulation of the blood glucose in d-glucose fed model whereas reduction of insulin release may be responsible for modulatory action of α-MSH in up-regulation of the blood glucose in IMO model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, College of Medicine Hallym University, 39 Hallymdaehak-gil, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 200-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yun-Beom
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, College of Medicine Hallym University, 39 Hallymdaehak-gil, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 200-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soo-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, College of Medicine Hallym University, 39 Hallymdaehak-gil, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 200-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Su
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, College of Medicine Hallym University, 39 Hallymdaehak-gil, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 200-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, College of Medicine Hallym University, 39 Hallymdaehak-gil, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 200-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Sub
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, College of Medicine Hallym University, 39 Hallymdaehak-gil, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 200-702, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hwsuh@hallym.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hong-Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Suh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D000521:alpha-MSH; D005947:Glucose; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone; Blood glucose; Corticosterone; Immobilization stress; Insulin; Spinal cord