Satietins, alpha 1-glycoproteins in human plasma with potent, long-lasting and selective anorectic activity

A step towards developing the expertise to control hunger and satiety: regulatory role of satiomem--a membrane proteoglycan

Regulation of hunger and satiety is a complex process thought to be controlled by a complex interplay of neurotransmitters in the hypothalamic region of the brain. Reduced food intake or anorexia has also been observed under various disease or disorder conditions including AIDS and cancer. On the other hand, increased appetite because of some impairment of central mechanisms regulating the food intake could also cause/obesity. A large number of substances including neuropeptides, hormones, drugs, and synthetic peptides have been implicated in the regulation of appetite and food intake behavior in normal as well as disease or disorder conditions. Most of these substances are not directly involved in the regulation of normal hunger and satiety but exert their effect indirectly via other media. Some of them are involved under certain pathologic conditions and during the course they become involved directly or indirectly in the triggering of hunger and satiety regulatory mechanism. Recently, we have been able to isolate and purify an endogenous proteoglycan from membranes of animal and plant sources. This membrane anchored proteoglycan termed as 'Satiomem' reduces food intake without any rebound effects and has no apparent toxicity. It also fulfils all the criteria of a true satiety or anorexigenic substance. The release of satiomem from the cell surface could be mediated by a specific phospholipase-C. Satiomem seems to be involved in transducing activating signals and may also act as a source of second messenger for the regulatory mechanism of appetite. This article summarizes the regulatory aspects of hunger and satiety mechanisms controlled by endogenous substances with the emphasis on our present knowledge about satiomem.

Experimental anorexigenic effect of a membrane proteoglycan isolated from plants

The cessation of eating under normal physiological conditions is a voluntary act induced by a conscious sensation known as satiety. In pathological situations there is loss of appetite or anorexia. We have been able to isolate and characterize a proteoglycan from membranes of mono- and dicotyledonous plant sprouts which reduced the food intake significantly when injected into murine model systems without any rebound. Due to its membrane origin, it has been termed 'satiomem'. The plant proteoglycan (50 kDa) consisted of 70-85% carbohydrates and 15-30% proteins.

HPLC-purified bovine satietin suppresses food intake and weight without causing conditioned taste aversion

Satietin (SAT) is a putative satiety agent found in a variety of species including man and the rat. In the present study, satietin was extracted from bovine plasma (b-SAT) and further high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-purified. Rats were given chronic third ventricle cannulas and patency was verified. In experiment 1, rats were divided into three groups and ICV infused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (a-CSF) or b-SAT: group 1, a-CSF (n = 11); group 2, 20 micrograms/rat, b-SAT (n = 11); and group 3, 40 micrograms/rat, b-SAT (n = 9). Infusions were repeated thrice three days apart. Compared to a-CSF, the high b-SAT dose suppressed food intake for 24-h after each successive infusion. The low dose significantly decreased food intake only after the first infusion. Water intake was suppressed only after the first injection of the high dose. Body weight was decreased after the first and second infusions of both doses and following the third infusion of the high dose. In experiment 2, rats were trained to drink fluid for 1 h/day while food was ad lib. On day 1, both groups received no infusions and were given tap water. On day 2, the groups were ICV infused with a-CSF, but group 1 (n = 12) was given banana-flavored fluid (BFF) and group 2 (n = 12) almond-flavored fluid (AFF). On day 3, group 1 was again a-CSF-infused but given AFF, whereas group 2 received 40 micrograms/rat b-SAT and was given BFF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of components derived from HPLC purification of human satietin on ingestion, body weight, and taste aversion in the rat

The putative satiety agent human satietin (h-SAT) once thought to be homogenous has been separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) into components designated peak A (P-A, 53%/w) and Peak B (P-B, 47%/w); P-B contains a putative satiety agent. In Experiment 1, male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six (n = 9-11) groups (Grps) and ICV infused: Grp 1, artificial cerebrospinal fluid (a-CSF), 10 microliters/rat; Grp 2, albumin (ALB), 53 micrograms/rat; Grp 3, semipurified (sp) h-SAT (parent compound), 100 micrograms/rat; Grp 4, P-A, 53 micrograms/rat; Grp 5, P-B, 47 micrograms/rat; and Grp 6, P-A+B, 53+47 micrograms/rat, respectively. Compared to Grp 1, food intake, the first day postinfusion, was suppressed in Grp 3 (p < 0.01) and equally attenuated (p < 0.06) in Grps 5 and 6. Body weight remained suppressed (p < 0.05) in Grps 3, 5, and 6 for 3 days and in Grps 3 and 6 (p < 0.05) for an additional 3 days; Grps 2 and 4 did not differ from Grp 1. These data show P-B suppresses food intake comparably to P-A+B and causes a prolonged weight loss. In Experiment 2, sph-SAT and a recombination of P-A and P-B was tested for aversiveness using the two-bottle test. Both sph-SAT and P-A+B significantly suppressed food intake, but only sph-SAT was found to be aversive. These data show that most likely during HPLC processing of sph-SAT an aversive component was lost.

A novel plant membrane proteoglycan which causes anorexia in animals

Hunger and satiety are complex interplay of several factors in human and animal species. Reduced food intake has also been observed under various pathological conditions. Earlier, we have been able to isolate an endogenous glycoprotein from erythrocyte membranes, which causes anorexia in rats. In the present study, a similar anorexigenic proteoglycan from Mung bean sprout membranes has been isolated and purified. The proteoglycan (50 kDa) consisted of 70-85% carbohydrate with galactose, glucose galactosamine and mannose as the main sugars. Protein part on analysis showed higher glutamic acid and serine content. This proteoglycan reduces food intake when injected in rats deprived of food for 96 hr as well as normally fed rats, mice and rabbits without any rebound. The TCA-soluble proteoglycan from different plant sources have also been compared for their anorexigenic activity. The similarities observed among plant and animal cell membrane proteoglycans with satietins isolated from human blood plasma could be due to membrane origin of satietins.

An anorectic agent from adipose tissue of overfed rats: effects on feeding behavior

Parabiosis and blood-transfer studies with rodents suggest the existence of humoral factors capable of affecting energy balance. The nature and origin of these factors is undetermined. Aqueous extracts of adipose tissue from overfed rats significantly reduce food intake when administered intraperitoneally (IP) or intracerebroventricularly (ICV). We term the agent(s) responsible for this effect adipose satiety factor (ASF). A single IP dose of ASF, equivalent to 44 mg crude protein, suppresses cumulative food intake for over 12 h. ASF, prepared using a combination of adipose tissue from obese Zucker rats and overfed rats, is more potent per unit of protein than ASF prepared exclusively using adipose tissue from overfed rats. A single ICV dose of this hybrid preparation, equivalent to 14.6 micrograms of crude protein, suppresses cumulative food intake by 40% for up to 48 h. By ultrafiltration, the molecular weight associated with maximal ASF activity is between 30 and 100 kilodaltons (kDa). The behavioral specificity of ASF-induced anorexia is demonstrated using meal pattern, taste aversion, and differential starvation paradigms.

HPLC-purified human satietin does not produce conditioned taste aversion in rats

Human satietin is thought to be an endogenous glycoprotein that can suppress food intake and body weight. However, it was also found to be aversive when rats infused intracerebroventricularly (ICV) with human satietin were subjected to a two-bottle taste aversion test. More recently, the human satietin previously thought homogenous was separated by HPLC into two Peaks, denoted as A and B. In the present study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fitted with chronic third ventricle cannulas and presented with fluid for 1 h/day, while food was given ad lib. After training, the rats were ICV infused with either artificial cerebrospinal fluid, Peak A or Peak B of human satietin. Peak B significantly reduced short-term and 24-h food intake, whereas their fluid intake was nonsignificantly attenuated. Peak A had no affect on either food or fluid intake on the day it was administered. When the rats were given the two-bottle taste aversion test neither compound was found to be aversive. These data suggest that Peak B may contain satietin(s) which could be a candidate for an endogenous satiety agent.

The effects of semi- and HPLC-purified human satietin and alpha-1-glycoprotein on ingestion and body weight

Satietin is thought to be an endogenous glycoprotein that can suppress food intake (FI) and body weight (b.wt.). In Experiment 1, rats were ICV infused with either a-CSF or with 50 micrograms/rat of human satietin. FI was suppressed (p less than 0.05) for 2 days after infusion, whereas b.wt. was attenuated (p less than 0.05) for 14 days. In Experiment 2, the previously thought homogenous human satietin was further purified by HPLC and this yielded two peaks (A and B). Rats were ICV infused with either a-CSF or 50 micrograms/rat of Peak A, Peak B or the semipurified parent human satietin (sph-SAT) from which the peaks were derived. All three treatments suppressed (p less than 0.05) FI on day 1 after infusion and on day 2 in the groups that received Peak A and sph-SAT. Body weight was attenuated (p less than 0.01) in all the experimental groups on day 1 and for 2 and 10 days, respectively, in the Peak A and sph-SAT-treated groups. Immunostaining revealed Peak A contained both albumin and alpha-1-glycoprotein (A1G), whereas Peak B contained neither. In the last experiment rats were ICV infused with either a-CSF or 50 micrograms/rat of A1G or A1G that was put through the sph-SAT extraction procedure. FI was suppressed (p less than 0.01) and b.wt. attenuated in both experimental groups only on the first day postinfusion. These data suggest that some, but possibly not all, of the previously found biological activity attributed to sph-SAT might be due to contaminants of the preparation.

Isolation of an anorexigenic protein from membranes

Satiety means an internal state that leads to termination of eating. We have isolated an anorexigenic glycoprotein (M.W. 50,000 dalton) from human and rat erythrocyte membrane and from rat liver plasma membrane. The substance isolated from all these membrane sources has almost same onset and offset anorectic effect in rats deprived of food for 96 h as well as in normally fed rats without any rebound. Similar properties of membrane anorectic substance and plasma satietin indicated that it has membrane origin. The results also suggest that the loss of appetite in chronic diseases involving damage or turn-over of cell membranes could be due to release of a glycopeptide from cellular membranes into the circulation.

Ingestion, body weight and activity of rats receiving repeated intracerebroventricular infusions of rat satietin

Satietin is a putative satiety agent that is found in a variety of species including man and the rat. In the first experiment male Sprague-Dawley rats were fitted with chronic third ventricle cannulas and placed in activity wheels. After recovery, animals were intracerebroventricularly (ICV) infused with either sterile rat satietin (r-SAT) (100 micrograms/rat) dissolved in 10 microliters saline (n = 6) or sterile saline (n = 8). Infusions were repeated the next two days. Infusions of r-SAT had no effect on the rats' water intake or activity but did suppress (p less than 0.05) their food consumption when compared to the controls, but only after the first and second infusions. Thus tolerance to r-SAT quickly developed using this schedule of administration. Notably, body weight of the r-SAT infused rats remained attenuated (p less than 0.01) for four days following the first infusion. In the second experiment the rats were ICV infused every fourth day with either r-SAT (100 micrograms/rat) (n = 10) or saline (n = 8) for a total of three infusions. Food, but not water, intake was significantly suppressed after the first and second infusions and lowered nonsignificantly after the third. Body weight was significantly reduced after the first r-SAT infusion and remained statistically reduced for seven days after the third infusion; at a time when the rats' food intake was normal. These data suggest that in addition to a r-SAT suppression of feeding, other r-SAT induced changes (possibly metabolic) may help reduce the rats' body weight. The above dose of r-SAT had no affect on the animals' rectal temperature. The data of the above two experiments reveal that r-SAT infused ICV into rats can suppress the animals' food intake and lead to a prolonged attenuation of body weight.