Evidence that nitric oxide stimulates feeding in the marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata

Nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors reduce food intake in rodents and chickens, suggesting that NO may stimulate feeding. We used two competitive, non-selective inhibitors of NO synthase (NOS), (NG-monomethyl-L-arginine ester [L-NMMA] and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester [L-NAME]), to evaluate the role of NO mechanisms in the control of food intake in a marsupial model previously used in studies of appetite regulation. Adult male Sminthopsis crassicaudata (n = 11-16, 15 +/- 0.3 g, mean +/- S.E.M.) received L-NMMA (50, 100, 200 and 1000 mg/kg), L-NAME (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg), L-arginine (L-arg) the precursor of NO (1000 and 2000 mg/kg), L-NAME (200 mg/kg) in combination with L-arg (2000 mg/kg), or saline (0.9%). All drugs were administered intraperitoneally after 24 h of food deprivation, after which food was immediately made available ad libitum. Food intake was measured 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 24 h after treatments. In addition, we studied the effect of acute L-NAME administration on hypothalamic, cortical, hepatic and cardiac NOS activity by quantifying citrulline production. L-NMMA (1000 mg/kg) and L-NAME (100 and 200 mg/kg) suppressed food intake by 25%, 21%, and 30%, respectively, over 24 h after treatments (P < 0.05). L-arg (1000 and 2000 mg/kg) by itself had no significant effect on food intake when compared with saline (P > 0.05). When administered in combination with L-NAME (200 mg/kg), L-arg (2000 mg/kg) reversed L-NAME induced suppression of appetite (P> 0.05). Furthermore, L-NAME (200 mg/kg) significantly decreased hypothalamic (P < 0.01), cortical (P < 0.01) and hepatic (P < 0.03) NOS activity. L-NAME had no effect on cardiac NOS activity (P> 0.05). These data show that peripheral administration of L-NAME has a significant central effect, particularly in brain areas involved in appetite regulation, and suggest in marsupials, as in other mammals and birds, that NO plays a role in the regulation of food intake.

Rapid assay for nitric oxide synthase using thin-layer chromatography

A simple, sensitive, and rapid method to determine the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in crude cell extracts has been developed. The method takes advantage of differential migration of arginine and citrulline on silica gel thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with the specified buffer system. We have shown that products obtained by treating [14C]arginine with crude mouse hippocampal homogenate can be separated by methanol precipitation followed by TLC. The separated products of the enzyme reaction can be quantitated by radiometric scanning of the TLC plate or by counting in a scintillation counter. Inhibition of conversion of l-arginine to l-citrulline by NG-monomethyl-l-arginine acetate, a specific inhibitor of NOS, confirmed the NOS assay described in this investigation. This method is versatile and allows rapid simultaneous assay of several samples in a short period of time. Therefore, this assay is very useful for both qualitative and quantitative estimation of NOS activity.

Leptin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) modulate nitric oxide synthase: further evidence for a role of nitric oxide in feeding

Recent studies have suggested a role for nitric oxide in the regulation of food intake. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of the most potent orexigenic agents. Chronic administration of leptin decreases food intake. This study examined the effects of NPY and leptin on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the hypothalamus. Previously it has been demonstrated that obese (ob/ob) mice have elevated NOS levels in the hypothalamus. In this study we demonstrated that the administration of leptin (6 microg/day) subcutaneously (SC) for 3 days decreased body weight (P < 0.001) and food intake P < 0.001) in obese (ob/ob) mice as expected. In addition, leptin decreased NOS in the hypothalamus nu 37% (P < 0.01) and in brown adipose tissue by 69% (P < 0.01) but not in white adipose tissue. NPY was administered intracerebroventricularly to CD-1 mice at doses of 0.25 and 0.50 microg. Mice were sacrificed 15 min after injection and NOS was measured in their hypothalami. NPY at the lower dose increased NOS in the hypothalamus by 147%. These results, taken together, with previously published studies support the concept that nitric oxide may play a role as a mediator of the effects of NPY and leptin on food intake. The alterations of NOS in brown adipose tissue following leptin administration could result in changes in blood flow or metabolism in the brown fat.