A Role for Agouti-Related Protein in Appetite Regulation in a Species with Continuous Nutrient Delivery

2004 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 210-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine G. Wagner ◽  
Chris D. McMahon ◽  
Daniel L. Marks ◽  
Joseph A. Daniel ◽  
Barbara Steele ◽  
...  
Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3587
Author(s):  
Isabel van Ackern ◽  
Angela Kuhla ◽  
Björn Kuhla

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a pivotal role in the complex control and regulation of food intake. Pharmacological ECS activation could improve health in energy-deficient stages by increasing food intake, at least in intermittent feeders. However, knowledge of the mechanism regulating appetite in species with continued nutrient delivery is incomplete. The objectives of this pilot study were to investigate the effect of the intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of the endocannabinoids (ECs) anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) on food intake, plasma EC concentrations and hypothalamic orexigenic signaling, and to study how the circulatory EC tone changes in response to short-term food deprivation in dairy cows, a species with continuous nutrient delivery. The administration of EC resulted in higher food intake during the first hour after treatment. Plasma AEA concentrations were significantly increased 2.5 h after AEA injection, whereas plasma 2-AG concentrations remained unchanged 2.5 h after 2-AG injection. The hypothalamic immunoreactivity of cannabinoid receptor 1, agouti-related protein, and orexin-A was not affected by either treatment; however, neuropeptide Y and agouti-related protein mRNA abundances were downregulated in the arcuate nucleus of AEA-treated animals. Short-term food deprivation increased plasma 2-AG, while plasma AEA remained unchanged. In conclusion, i.p.-administered 2-AG and AEA increase food intake in the short term, but only AEA accumulates in the circulation. However, plasma 2-AG concentrations are more responsive to food deprivation than AEA.


Diabetologia ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L�pez ◽  
L. M. Seoane ◽  
S. Tovar ◽  
M. C. Garc�a ◽  
R. Nogueiras ◽  
...  

Peptides ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine G Joseph ◽  
Rayna M Bauzo ◽  
Zhimin Xiang ◽  
Amanda M Shaw ◽  
William J Millard ◽  
...  

Biochemistry ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 41 (24) ◽  
pp. 7565-7572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilgrim J. Jackson ◽  
Joseph C. McNulty ◽  
Ying-Kui Yang ◽  
Darren A. Thompson ◽  
Biaoxin Chai ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 5027-5035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su Qian ◽  
Howard Chen ◽  
Drew Weingarth ◽  
Myrna E. Trumbauer ◽  
Dawn E. Novi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Agouti-related protein (AgRP), a neuropeptide abundantly expressed in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, potently stimulates feeding and body weight gain in rodents. AgRP is believed to exert its effects through the blockade of signaling by α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone at central nervous system (CNS) melanocortin-3 receptor (Mc3r) and Mc4r. We generated AgRP-deficient (Agrp−/− ) mice to examine the physiological role of AgRP. Agrp−/− mice are viable and exhibit normal locomotor activity, growth rates, body composition, and food intake. Additionally, Agrp−/− mice display normal responses to starvation, diet-induced obesity, and the administration of exogenous leptin or neuropeptide Y (NPY). In situ hybridization failed to detect altered CNS expression levels for proopiomelanocortin, Mc3r, Mc4r, or NPY mRNAs in Agrp−/− mice. As AgRP and the orexigenic peptide NPY are coexpressed in neurons of the arcuate nucleus, we generated AgRP and NPY double-knockout (Agrp−/− ;Npy−/− ) mice to determine whether NPY or AgRP plays a compensatory role in Agrp−/− or NPY-deficient (Npy−/− ) mice, respectively. Similarly to mice deficient in either AgRP or NPY, Agrp−/− ;Npy−/− mice suffer no obvious feeding or body weight deficits and maintain a normal response to starvation. Our results demonstrate that neither AgRP nor NPY is a critically required orexigenic factor, suggesting that other pathways capable of regulating energy homeostasis can compensate for the loss of both AgRP and NPY.


2004 ◽  
Vol 180 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
LE Pritchard ◽  
D Armstrong ◽  
N Davies ◽  
RL Oliver ◽  
CA Schmitz ◽  
...  

Interactions between pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides, agouti-related protein (AGRP) and the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R) are central to energy homeostasis. In this study we have undertaken comprehensive pharmacological analysis of these interactions using a CHOK1 cell line stably transfected with human MC4-R. Our main objectives were (1) to compare the relative affinities and potencies of POMC-derived peptides endogenously secreted within the hypothalamus, (2) to investigate the potency of AGRP(83-132) antagonism with respect to each POMC-derived peptide and (3) to determine whether AGRP(83-132) and POMC-derived peptides act allosterically or orthosterically. We have found that beta melanocyte-stimulating hormone (betaMSH), desacetyl alpha MSH (da-alphaMSH) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone all have very similar affinities and potencies at the MC4-R compared with the presumed natural ligand, alphaMSH. Moreover, even MSH precursors, such as beta lipotrophic hormone, showed significant binding and functional activity. Therefore, many POMC-derived peptides could have important roles in appetite regulation and it seems unlikely that alphaMSH is the sole physiological ligand. We have shown that AGRP(83-132) acts as a competitive antagonist. There was no significant difference in the potency of inhibition by AGRP(83-132) or agouti(87-132) at the MC4-R, regardless of which POMC peptide was used as an agonist. Furthermore, we have found that AGRP(83-132) has no effect on the dissociation kinetics of radiolabelled Nle4,D-Phe7 MSH from the MC4-R, indicating an absence of allosteric effects. This provides strong pharmacological evidence that AGRP(83-132) acts orthosterically at the MC4-R to inhibit Gs-coupled accumulation of intracellular cAMP.


Endocrine ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 436-441
Author(s):  
Robert R. Kraemer ◽  
V. Daniel Castracane ◽  
Michelle Francois ◽  
Abbass Ghanbari-Niaki ◽  
Bovorn Sirikul ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document