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Increased Hypothalamic Neuropeptide Y Messenger RNA Levels in Two Rat Models of Diabetes
Author(s) -
Jones P.M.,
Pierson A.M.,
Williams G.,
Ghatei M.A.,
Bloom S.R.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-5491.1992.tb01719.x
Subject(s) - neuropeptide y receptor , neuropeptide , medicine , endocrinology , streptozotocin , hypothalamus , messenger rna , diabetes mellitus , biology , receptor , gene , biochemistry
Elevated levels of immunoreactive hypothalamic neuropeptide Y have recently been reported both in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats and in the spontaneously diabetic BB rat. We have measured the levels of neuropeptide Y encoding messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in both of these rat models to determine whether an increase in neuropeptide Y gene expression is a contributory factor to the increases in hypothalamic neuropeptide Y immunoreactive peptide content. In the hypothalami of both the spontaneously diabetic BB/E and the streptozotocin‐diabetic animals, neuropeptide Y mRNA showed significant elevations (to 204 ± 13% (± SE) and 387 ± 48% of control values, respectively, p < 0.01 for both). Our results demonstrate that two models of insulin‐deficient diabetes in the rat are associated with increased hypothalamic neuropeptide Y mRNA. Taken with the known effects of neuropeptide Y on food intake these results suggest that increased neuropeptide Y synthesis in the hypothalamus may be related to the hyperphagia seen in the diabetic condition.