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A role for melanin-concentrating hormone in the central regulation of feeding behaviour

Nature volume 380, pages 243–247 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

THE hypothalamus plays a central role in the integrated regulation of energy homeostasis and body weight, and a number of hypothalamic neuropeptides, such as neuropeptide Y (ref. 1), galanin2, CRH (ref. 3), and GLP-1 (ref. 4), have been implicated in the mediation of these effects. To discover new hypothalamic peptides involved in the regulation of body weight, we used differential display polymerase chain reaction5 to identify messenger RNAs that are differentially expressed in the hypothalamus of ob/+ compared with ob/ob C57B1/6J mice. We show here that one mRNA that is overexpressed in the hypothalamus of ob/ob mice encodes the neuropeptide melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH). Fasting further increased expression of MCH mRNA in both normal and obese animals. Neurons containing MCH are located in the zona incerta and in the lateral hypothalamus. These areas are involved in regulation of ingestive behaviour, but the role of MCH in mammalian physiology is unknown. To determine whether MCH is involved in the regulation of feeding, we injected MCH into the lateral ventricles of rats and found that their food consumption increased. These findings suggest that MCH participates in the hypothalamic regulation of body weight.

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Author notes

  1. Steen Gammeltoft

    Present address: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen Medical chool, Dk2600, Glostrup, Denmark

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Laboratory, Joslin Diabetes Center, and Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA

    Daqing Qu, Megan Piper & Eleftheria Maratos-Flier

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA

    David S. Ludwig

  3. Department of Neurobiology, Amgen Inc., 1840 DeHavilland Drive, Thousand Oaks, California, 91320, USA

    Mary Ann Pelleymounter & Mary Jane Cullen

  4. Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, 2155, USA

    Wendy Foulds Mathes, Jeanne Przypek & Robin Kanarek

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  1. Daqing Qu
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Qu, D., Ludwig, D., Gammeltoft, S. et al. A role for melanin-concentrating hormone in the central regulation of feeding behaviour. Nature 380, 243–247 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/380243a0

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