HUMORAL CONTROL OF APPETITE: A URINARY ANOREXIGENIC PEPTIDE. CHROMATOGRAPHIC PATTERNS OF URINARY PEPTIDES IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA

• Published in: Acta endocrinologica (Copenhagen) Vol. 89; no. 1; pp. 196 - 208
• Main Authors: Trygstad, O, Foss, I, Edminson, P D, Johansen, J H, Reichelt, K L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Denmark 01.09.1978
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Anorexia Nervosa - diagnosis; Anorexia Nervosa - urine; Appetite - drug effects; Body Weight - drug effects; Child; Chromatography, Gel; Female; Humans; Hypothalamus - physiopathology; Male; Mice; Peptides - pharmacology; Peptides - urine
• ISSN: 0804-4643; 0001-5598; 1479-683X
• DOI: 10.1530/acta.0.0890196

A "family" of peptides which produced metabolic or behavioural effects following injections into mice or rabbits had been isolated from the urine from patients with the hypothalamic syndrome congenital, generalized lipodystrophy. Anorexia nervosa is associated with hypothalamic disturbances. Precipitates from urine specimens from 25 patients diagnosed as anorexia nervosa were chromatographed on Sephadex G-25 gel columns, and could be divided into 4 different patterns: One was similar to that for normal controls (4), one similar to that observed for patients with schizophrenia (6), 5 patients with a hysteriform type of neurosis had a third form of pattern, and 10 girls considered to have a primary "hypothalamic" type of anorexia nervosa also had typical chromatograms. Fractions influencing appetite in mice were found in the latter group, only. Two peptides influencing appetite were purified through several steps of chromatography. The sequence of the anorexigenic peptide was verified by the synthesis of the tripeptide, pyroGlu-His-GlyOH. A total dose of 12 nmole of this peptide injected daily over 20 days induced food refusal in mice with reduction of food consumption from 5.7 to about 3 g per day, and the mean body weight decreased from 35 to a minimum of 24.1 g. Food consumption did not normalize until 6 months later, at the same time body weights increased to the same level as in the controls. An appetite stimulating peptide increased the daily consumption of food to more than 10 g, and the mean body weight increased to 57.2 g. We provide evidence for the existence of a hypothalamic form of anorexia nervosa, and that the appetite may be regulated by humoral factors. Screening of peptides present in the urine from patients with anorexia nervosa may give diagnostic and therapeutic information.