Experimental studies on changes of neuroendocrine functions during starvation and refeeding

Starvation resulting from famine and malnutrition remains an international concern. Malnutrition also influences the course and outcome of many diseases and when underestimated develops into a cycle of continuing dehabilitation. Thus, studies which contribute to the prevention, amelioration, or rehabilitation of the detrimental effect of starvation are warranted. Although investigations on endocrine changes related to starvation can be traced back to the early 1920s, there has been little work on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis until recently. The traditional line of thought tended to oversimplify the relationship between endocrine gland hypofunction and starvation by concluding that this hypofunction resulted from the inability of hormone production due to cellular damage and/or lack of raw materials and energy. Modern neuroendocrinology has established that neuroendocrine integration plays a major role in the body's homeostasis. The neuroendocrine system is the initial response to stress so that it is reasonable to assume that this system also plays a key role in the pathophysiological changes during starvation. This article presents a brief review of our research on: changes of anterior pituitary hormone secretions during starvation and refeeding; changes of hypothalamic neurotransmitters during starvation; and effects of modulation of central neurotransmitters on anterior pituitary hormone secretion of starved animals.