CRH-deficient mice have a normal anorectic response to chronic stress

Many studies have implicated corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) as a med iator of stress-induced decreases in food intake. However, urocortin, sauva gine, and urotensin, other members of the family of CRH-like molecules, hav e also been shown to be potent inhibitors of food intake. This raises the p ossibility that a CRH-related molecule might also be responsible for stress -induced anorexia. We therefore examined the effects of three chronic stres sors, repetitive daily restraint, turpentine abscess, and surgical stress, upon food intake in wildtype and CRH-deficient mice created by targeted ina ctivation of the CRH gene. We have found that both genotypes have similar b asal food intake which initially decreases to the same degree following ini tiation of each stress paradigm. Food intake also recovers following the sa me time course and to the same degree in both genotypes. Therefore, CRH is not necessary for decreases in food-intake induced by the chronic stressors examined in this study. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved .