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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

A RAPID Method for Blood Processing to Increase the Yield of Plasma Peptide Levels in Human Blood
Published on: April 28, 2016
Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone and ghrelin: central interaction in feeding control
Pawel K Olszewski1, Eric M Bomberg, Martha K Grace
1Minnesota Obesity Center, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.
Abstract:
Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and ghrelin play significant yet opposite roles in the regulation of feeding: alpha-MSH inhibits, whereas ghrelin stimulates consumption. The two peptidergic systems may interact in the process of food intake control. A single report published thus far has shown that a synthetic agonist of the melanocortin receptors, MTII, injected in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) decreases feeding generated by ghrelin. We found that very low doses of alpha-MSH and MTII administered ICV significantly reduced ghrelin-dependent hyperphagia. However, an endogenous molecule, alpha-MSH, infused in the PVN did not exert an inhibitory effect on ghrelin-induced consumption, whereas the effective dose of PVN MTII exceeded that necessary to decrease short-term deprivation-induced feeding. We conclude that it is likely that in feeding regulation alpha-MSH and ghrelin "interact" at the central nervous system level, but the involvement of the PVN in this interaction appears questionable.
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