Capsaicin treatment differentially affects feeding suppression by bombesin-like peptides.

Peripheral administration of bombesin (BN) and the related mammalian peptides, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and neuromedin B (NMB), suppress food intake in rats. To examine whether all BN-like peptides utilize the same neural pathways to reduce feeding, rats were treated on postnatal day 2 with the injection vehicle or capsaicin, a neurotoxin that damages a subset of visceral afferent fibers. When rats reached adulthood, we compared the ability of a dose range of systemically administered BN, GRP18-27 and NMB to reduce intake of a 0.

Intracerebroventricular C75 decreases meal frequency and reduces AgRP gene expression in rats.

3-Carboxy-4-alkyl-2-methylenebutyrolactone (C75), an inhibitor of fatty acid synthase and stimulator of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1, reduces food intake and body weight in rodents when given systemically or centrally. Intracellular molecular mechanisms involving changes in cellular energy status are proposed to initiate the feeding and body weight reductions. However, effectors that lie downstream of these initial steps are not yet fully identified.

Peptide YY(3-36) inhibits gastric emptying and produces acute reductions in food intake in rhesus monkeys.

Peptide YY3-36 [PYY(3-36)], a gastrointestinal peptide that is released into the circulation in response to ingesting a meal, has recently been suggested to play a role in controlling food intake. PYY(3-36) has been reported to inhibit food intake following peripheral administration in rodents and in human subjects. To more fully characterize the potential feeding actions of PYY(3-36), we examined the ability of a dose range of PYY(3-36) (0.

The effects of piracetam on cognitive performance in a mouse model of Down's syndrome.

Piracetam is a nootropic agent that has been shown to improve cognitive performance in a number of animal model systems. Piracetam is reported to be used widely as a means of improving cognitive function in children with Down's syndrome (DS). In order to provide a preclinical assessment of the potential efficacy of piracetam, we examined the effects of a dose range of piracetam in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS.