Authors : Jun-ichi Shiraishi, Kouchi Yanagita and Takashi Bungo
Abstract: Recently, researchers found that β-endorphin regulates the activity of the central melanocortin system and its activation provides an inhibitory feedback mechanism in the brain of neonatal chicks. It is known that fragments of β-endorphin have biological activities. Thus, the present study was done to elucidate whether N- or C-terminal of β-endorphin fragment affects the insulin-induced anorexia in chicks. Researchers found that intracerebroventricular injection of insulin with N-terminal fragment, β-endorphin-(1-27), accelerated the insulin-induced hypophagia in neonatal chicks during the 60 min period postinjection. Conversely, the anorexic effect of insulin was attenuated by C-terminal fragment, β-endorphin-(30-31). These data suggest that both fragments involve in the regulation of feeding behavior and they may modulate the activity of the central melanocortin system in the brain of neonatal chicks.
Jun-ichi Shiraishi, Kouchi Yanagita and Takashi Bungo, 2010. Central Injections of β-Endorphin Fragment Modulate theAnorexia by Insulin in Neonatal Chicks. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 5: 64-67.