PANCREATIC-POLYPEPTIDE INFUSIONS REDUCE FOOD-INTAKE IN PRADER-WILLI SYNDROME

Prader-Willi syndrome is characterized by dramatic hyperphagia and mor bid obesity, and is associated with a deficiency in basal and meal-sti mulated serum pancreatic polypeptide (PP) levels. Intravenous infusion s of pancreatic polypeptide (90 min, 50 pmol/kg/h) restored normal ser um PP levels, and a regimen of morning and afternoon PP infusions was found to significantly reduce food intake in Prader-Willi subjects. Fo od intake was evaluated in a 60-min free-feeding test that shows high reliability and validity. Basal food intake during saline infusions wa s striking (almost-equal-to 60 chicken sandwich quarters), and this in take was reduced overall by almost-equal-to 12% during PP infusions. T his reduction was apparent only for female subjects, and may have refl ected enhanced satiation rather than an overall suppression of food in take. No differences were apparent across subjects, in either basal fo od intake or the PP-related decrease in food intake, in the presence o r absence of the widely recognized chromosomal marker for this syndrom e [deletion of 15(q11-q13)]. More specific gene defects as recently re ported in these subjects, however, suggest that the Prader-Willi syndr ome may represent an important model for the study of food intake regu lation.