Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0020505 (hyperphagia)
 6,116 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

QRFP, an RFamide peptide, was recently identified as an endogenous ligand of an orphan G protein-coupled receptor, GPR103. Recent investigation revealed that acute intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of QRFP26/P518/26RFa, a constitutive part of QRFP43 (43-amino acid-residue form of QRFP), increases appetite in mice, but its role in long-term energy homeostasis remains unknown. In the present study, we examined the effects of chronic administration of QRFP43 on feeding behavior, body weight regulation, and energy expenditure in mice. Intracerebroventricular infusion of QRFP43 for 13 d resulted in a significant increase in body weight and fat mass with hyperphagia. Weight gain and hyperphagia were more evident when mice were fed a moderately high-fat diet. Pair feeding of QRFP43-infused mice did not increase body weight but significantly increased fat mass and plasma concentrations of insulin, leptin, and cholesterol when compared with controls. Moreover, significant decreases in rectal temperature and expression of brown adipose tissue uncoupling protein-1 mRNA were observed in QRFP43-infused ad libitum- and pair-fed mice. The present results suggest that QRFP plays an important role in energy homeostasis by regulating appetite and energy expenditure.
 ...
PMID:RFamide peptide QRFP43 causes obesity with hyperphagia and reduced thermogenesis in mice. 1654 70

The recently identified neuropeptide QRFP(26) is predominantly expressed in the hypothalamus and was suggested to play a role in the regulation of food intake following the observation of an acute orexigenic effect after central administration in mice. QRFP(26) exerts its effect via GPR103 and a newly identified receptor in mouse. The aim of our study was (a) to investigate the distribution of QRFP(26) and a newly discovered QRFP receptor mRNA in rat and (b) to further characterize the effects of central administration of QRFP(26) on energy balance in rats. QRFP(26) mRNA was detected in the retrochiasmatic nucleus, periventricular nucleus, arcuate nucleus and restricted areas of the lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus. We found an additional receptor with high homology for GPR103 in rat. This receptor increases inositol triphosphate production in transfected cells in presence of QRFP(26) and its mRNA was particularly enriched in ventral and posterior thalamic groups, anterior hypothalamus and medulla. When QRFP(26) (10 microg and 50 microg) was administered centrally before the start of the light phase both doses increased food intake for 2 h after injection without reaching statistical significance. QRFP(26) caused no changes in locomotor activity or energy expenditure. In summary, central QRFP(26) injection causes slight and transient hyperphagia in rats without changing any other energy balance parameters after 24 h. We conclude that QRFP(26) has limited impact on the central regulation of energy balance in rats and that its essential function remains to be clarified.
 ...
PMID:Effect of central administration of QRFP(26) peptide on energy balance and characterization of a second QRFP receptor in rat. 1699 40