ACTIVITY-INDUCED ANOREXIA IN RATS DOES NOT AFFECT HYPOTHALAMIC NEUROPEPTIDE GENE-EXPRESSION CHRONICALLY

Hypothalamic neuropeptides are thought to contribute to the pathophysi ology of eating disorders. In an animal model with chronic abnormaliti es of energy expenditure, appetitive behavior, and body weight, withou t acute food restriction, we found alterations in peripheral levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone, but no alterations in the expression of neuropeptides genes that are known to regulate inge stive behavior and food intake acutely. Our data suggest that activati on of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function in activity anorexia may not be due to increased transcription of corticotropin-releasing horm one gene, but might be related to posttranscriptional events or to oth er neuropeptides, such as arginine vasopressin. Furthermore, we sugges t that abnormalities in neuropeptides observed in eating disorders may be caused by acute food restriction, rather than by chronic hyper-act ivity, anorexia, and low weight.