Orexin A enhances food intake in bullfrog larvae

Orexin is a potent orexigenic peptide implicated in appetite regulation in rodents. However, except for teleost fish, the involvement of orexin in the regulation of feeding in non-mammalian vertebrates has not been well studied. Anuran amphibian larvae feed and grow during the pre- and prometamorphic stages. Therefore, orexigenic factors seem to play important roles in growing larvae. Indeed, our recent studies have demonstrated that neuropeptide Y and ghrelin exert orexigenic actions in bullfrog larvae during the prometamorphic stages. In this study, we examined the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of synthetic orexin A on food intake in bullfrog larvae at the prometamorphic stages. Food intake was significantly increased by ICV administration of orexin A (at 6 pmol/g BW) during a 15-min observation period. The orexigenic action of orexin A at 6 pmol/g BW was blocked by treatment with an orexin receptor antagonist, SB334867, at 60 pmol/g BW. These results indicate that orexin A acts as an orexigenic factor in bullfrog larvae.