AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 266, Issue 1 164-R168, Copyright © 1994 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Effect of competitive antagonism of NO synthetase on weight and food intake in obese and diabetic mice

J. E. Morley and J. F. Flood
Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis 63106.

Recent studies have suggested a role for nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of food intake. The present studies were undertaken to examine the effects of the administration of a nitric oxide synthetase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), on food intake and weight loss. Two genetically obese mice, the ob/ob and db/db strains, and their lean heterozygote littermate controls, ob/c and db/c, served as subjects. In the first experiment, we demonstrated that L-NAME (100 micrograms/kg) given twice over a feeding period of 7 h/day produced a small but significant weight loss in ob/ob mice but not in their lean-genotype controls (P < 0.05). In the second experiment, a higher dose of L-NAME (100 mg/kg), given twice daily, produced a marked effect on body weight, with the ob/ob mice losing approximately 10% of their body weight in 9 days. The ob/c mice showed a lesser decrease in body weight. Food intake was decreased on all 9 days in the ob/ob mice (P < 0.01). A small decrease in body weight and food intake was seen in db/db and db/c mice receiving L-NAME. These studies provide further evidence for a role of nitric oxide in the modulation of food intake and weight gain.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Li, M. A. Vizzard, D. M. Jaworski, and R. A. Galbraith The weight loss elicited by cobalt protoporphyrin is related to decreased activity of nitric oxide synthase in the hypothalamus J Appl Physiol, June 1, 2006; 100(6): 1983 - 1991. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. I. Ivanov, R. S. Pero, A. C. Scheck, and A. A. Romanovsky Prostaglandin E2-synthesizing enzymes in fever: differential transcriptional regulation Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, November 1, 2002; 283(5): R1104 - R1117. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. E. Hermann, C. A. Tovar, and R. C. Rogers LPS-induced suppression of gastric motility relieved by TNFR:Fc construct in dorsal vagal complex Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, September 1, 2002; 283(3): G634 - G639. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. E. Morley Decreased Food Intake With Aging J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., October 1, 2001; 56(90002): 81 - 88. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Choi, S. H. Pai, S. K. Kim, M. Ito, C. S. Park, and Y. N. Cha Increases in Nitric Oxide Concentrations Correlate Strongly with Body Fat in Obese Humans Clin. Chem., June 1, 2001; 47(6): 1106 - 1109. [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. E. Hermann, G. S. Emch, C. A. Tovar, and R. C. Rogers c-Fos generation in the dorsal vagal complex after systemic endotoxin is not dependent on the vagus nerve Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, January 1, 2001; 280(1): R289 - R299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Rivest, S. Lacroix, L. Vallières, S. Nadeau, J. Zhang, and N. Laflamme How the Blood Talks to the Brain Parenchyma and the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Hypothalamus During Systemic Inflammatory and Infectious Stimuli Experimental Biology and Medicine, January 1, 2000; 223(1): 22 - 38. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. Li, E. Sehic, Y. Wang, A. L. Ungar, and C. M. Blatteis Relation between complement and the febrile response of guinea pigs to systemic endotoxin Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 1999; 277(6): R1635 - R1645. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Vozzo, G. A. Wittert, M. Horowitz, J. E. Morley, and I. M. Chapman Effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors on short-term appetite and food intake in humans Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, June 1, 1999; 276(6): R1562 - R1568. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Meng, L. Ao, D. R. Meldrum, B. S. Cain, B. D. Shames, C. H. Selzman, A. Banerjee, and A. H. Harken TNF-alpha and myocardial depression in endotoxemic rats: temporal discordance of an obligatory relationship Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, August 1, 1998; 275(2): R502 - R508. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Meng, L. Ao, J. M. Brown, D. R. Meldrum, B. C. Sheridan, B. S. Cain, A. Banerjee, and A. H. Harken LPS induces late cardiac functional protection against ischemia independent of cardiac and circulating TNF-alpha Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, October 1, 1997; 273(4): H1894 - H1902. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]