Melanin-concentrating hormone functions in the nervous system: food intake and stress

Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2003 Aug;7(4):495-511. doi: 10.1517/14728222.7.4.495.

Abstract

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic neuropeptide, which centrally regulates food intake and stress. MCH induces food intake in rodents and, more generally, acts as an anabolic signal in energy regulation. In addition, MCH seems to be activatory on the stress axis. Two receptors for MCH in humans have very recently been characterised, namely, MCH-R1 and MCH-R2. MCH-R1 has received considerable attention, as potent and selective antagonists acting at that receptor display anxiolytic, antidepressant and/or anorectic properties. Feeding and affective disorders are both debilitating conditions that have become serious worldwide health threats. There are as yet no efficient and/or safe cures that could contain the near-pandemia phenomen of both diseases. Thus, the discovery of MCH-R1 antagonists may lead to the development of valuable drugs to treat obesity, anxiety and depressive syndromes. In addition, it opens wide avenues to probe additional functions of the peptide, both in the brain and in the peripheral nervous system.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Appetite / drug effects
  • Appetite / physiology
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Circadian Rhythm
  • Dogs
  • Eating / drug effects
  • Eating / physiology*
  • Energy Intake / drug effects
  • Energy Intake / physiology
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / drug therapy
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / epidemiology
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / physiopathology
  • Ferrets
  • Humans
  • Hypothalamic Hormones / physiology*
  • Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / drug effects
  • Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / physiopathology
  • Melanins / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pineal Gland / drug effects
  • Pineal Gland / physiopathology
  • Pituitary Hormones / physiology*
  • Pituitary-Adrenal System / drug effects
  • Pituitary-Adrenal System / physiopathology
  • Primates
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Pituitary Hormone / drug effects
  • Receptors, Pituitary Hormone / physiology
  • Stress, Physiological / drug therapy
  • Stress, Physiological / epidemiology
  • Stress, Physiological / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Hypothalamic Hormones
  • Melanins
  • Pituitary Hormones
  • Receptors, Pituitary Hormone
  • melanin-concentrating hormone receptor
  • melanin-concentrating hormone