Em. Kim et al., EFFECTS OF PALATABILITY-INDUCED HYPERPHAGIA AND FOOD RESTRICTION ON MESSENGER-RNA LEVELS OF NEUROPEPTIDE-Y IN THE ARCUATE NUCLEUS, Brain research, 806(1), 1998, pp. 117-121
This study examined the effect of feeding either a bland cornstarch-ba
sed diet (BCD) or a highly palatable, high fat diet containing sucrose
(HPD) on hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) gene expression for neuro
peptide-Y (NPY). Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either BCD ad libit
um, HPD ad libitum, HPD pair-fed to the caloric intake of the BCD, or
the HPD at 60% of ad libitum HPD intake for 7 days. Animals receiving
the HPD ad libitum consumed more calories and gained more weight than
animals receiving the BCD (P < 0.001). The HPD did not affect ARC NPY
mRNA levels, whether the subjects were allowed to overeat or pair-fed
to the BCD (P > 0.05). However, feeding the HPD at 60% of ad libitum i
ntake of the HPD, increased NPY mRNA levels in the ARC relative to the
other treatments (P < 0.01). The present data are consistent with the
view that NPY in ARC responds to energy deficits rather than to hyper
phagia stimuli related to palatability. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.
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