The effects of MIF-I, beta-endorphin and alpha-MSH on d-amphetamine induced paradoxical behavioral thermoregulation: possible involvement of the dopaminergic system

The Role of Essential Fatty Acids in Anorexia Nervosa and Obesity

The two basic questions in food intake study are what we eat, and how much do we eat. Most research is directed toward the control of how much is eaten. This is likely the result of the increased number of individuals with eating disorders in the Western world. Feeding behavior is highly complex, and is controlled by many psychological, physiological, biochemical, and immunological factors. The aim of this review is to clarify the involvement of fatty acids in eating disorders such as anorexia and binge eating disorder. The review will describe the modified fatty acid profile observed in individuals with anorexia or binge eating disorder, and discuss on what factors fatty acids can exert beneficial effects. In addition, the differences and similarities between anorexia and binge eating disorder will be discussed. We suggest that beneficial effects of essential fatty acids on both anorexia and binge eating disorder can be explained by the stabilizing effect of those fatty acids on the neuronal membrane fluidity index.

Effects of peptides on animal and human behavior: a review of studies published in the first twenty years of the journal Peptides

This review catalogs effects of peptides on various aspects of animal and human behavior as published in the journal Peptides in its first twenty years. Topics covered include: activity levels, addiction behavior, ingestive behaviors, learning and memory-based behaviors, nociceptive behaviors, social and sexual behavior, and stereotyped and other behaviors. There are separate tables for these behaviors and a short introduction for each section.

The facilitative effects of alpha-MSH and melanin on learning, thermoregulation, and pain in neonatal MSG-treated rats

Administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the neonatal period renders the rat to be alpha-MSH deficient later in life. In this study rats received MSG in their neonatal period and were examined at the age of 60 days. alpha-MSH caused hypothermia, potentiated induced hypothermia, blocked paradoxical behavioral thermoregulation, improved performance in the Morris water tank, but had no effect on pain threshold. Melanin only caused an increase in pain threshold. It is suggested that the differential effect of alpha-MSH and melanin is governed by the dopaminergic system.

Endogenous opiates: 1985

This paper is the eighth installment of our annual review of research involving the endogenous opiate peptides. It is restricted to the non-analgesic and behavioral studies of the opiate peptides published in 1985. The specific topics this year include stress, tolerance and dependence, eating, drinking and alcohol consumption, gastrointestinal and renal activity, mental illness, learning and memory, cardiovascular responses, respiration and thermoregulation, seizures and neurological disorders, activity, and some other selected topics.

Central nervous system effects of peptides, 1980-1985: a cross-listing of peptides and their central actions from the first six years of the journal Peptides

A tabular synopsis is presented for articles concerned with the effects of peptides on the central nervous system that appeared in the journal Peptides from 1980-1985. A table arranged alphabetically by peptide and one arranged by effects, both listing routes of injection, species, direction of change, and qualifying notes, provides easy cross-referencing of peptides and their effects. Over 80 peptides and over 135 effects are listed. The list of peptides includes, but is not limited to: ACTH, angiotensin, bombesin, bradykinin, calcitonin, casomorphin, CCK, ceruletide, CGRP, CRF, dermorphin, DSIP, dynorphin, endorphins, enkephalins, GRF, gastrin, LHRH, litorin, metkephamid, MIF-l, motilin, MSH, NPY, NT, oxytocin, ranatensin, sauvagine, substances P and K, somatostatin, TRH, VIP, vasopressin, and vasotocin. The list of effects includes, but is not limited to: aggression, alcohol, analgesia, attention, avoidance, behavior, cardiovascular regulation, catalepsy, conditioned behavior, convulsions, dopamine binding and metabolism, discrimination, drinking, EEG, exploration, feeding, fever, gastric secretion, GI motility, grooming, learning, locomotor behavior, mating, memory, neuronal activity, open field, operant behavior, rearing, respiration, satiety, scratching, seizure, sleep, stereotypy, temperature, thermoregulation and tolerance.