PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Stephen C. Benoit
AU  - Ellen L. Air
AU  - Lique M. Coolen
AU  - Richelle Strauss
AU  - Alana Jackman
AU  - Deborah J. Clegg
AU  - Randy J. Seeley
AU  - Stephen C. Woods
TI  - The Catabolic Action of Insulin in the Brain Is Mediated by Melanocortins
AID  - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.22-20-09048.2002
DP  - 2002 Oct 15
TA  - The Journal of Neuroscience
PG  - 9048--9052
VI  - 22
IP  - 20
4099  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/22/20/9048.short
4100  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/22/20/9048.full
SO  - J. Neurosci.2002 Oct 15; 22
AB  - Like leptin, the pancreatic hormone insulin is an important adiposity signal to the brain. We report that the hypothalamic melanocortin system is an important target of the actions of insulin to regulate food intake and body weight. Hypothalamic neurons expressing insulin receptors were found to coexpress the melanocortin precursor molecule pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and administration of insulin into the third cerebral ventricle of fasted rats increased expression of POMC mRNA. Finally, a subthreshold dose of the melanocortin antagonist SHU-9119 prevented the reduction in food intake caused by third-ventricular insulin administration. These data suggest that the hypothalamic melanocortin system mediates the anorexic effects of central insulin, as well as of leptin.