Title: | Pheromone-induced anorexia in male Syrian hamsters |
Author(s): | Morgan C; Urbanski HF; Fan W; Akil H; Cone RD; |
Address: | "Vollum Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, USA. cam2025@med.cornell.edu" |
Journal Title: | Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab |
DOI: | 10.1152/ajpendo.00010.2003 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 0193-1849 (Print) 0193-1849 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Transition from long days (LDs) to short days (SDs) triggers seasonal obesity in Syrian hamsters. We report here that SD-exposed males housed near females exhibit obesity resistance, episodic weight loss, and reduced adiposity. Negative energy balance is achieved by reduced eating, elevated motor activity, and increased caloric efficiency without metabolic compensation. Circulating leptin, insulin, testosterone, corticosterone, and cortisol are normal or reduced in obesity-resistant hamsters. When males are housed in chambers that block physical, visual, and auditory, but not pheromonal, signals from females, resistance to seasonal obesity persists. Moreover, inhalation of extracts from pheromone-releasing flank glands of females suppresses eating and weight gain in SD-exposed males. This novel phenomenon, pheromone-induced anorexia, shows that female pheromones play a critical role in the seasonal energy balance of male hamsters. These findings provide a model to study neural and endocrine mechanisms that underlie eating disorders" |
Keywords: | Animals Cricetinae Eating/*physiology Energy Intake Energy Metabolism/*physiology Female Male Mesocricetus/*physiology Motor Activity Photoperiod Seasons Sex Attractants/*physiology *Weight Gain; |
Notes: | "MedlineMorgan, Caurnel Urbanski, Henryk F Fan, Wei Akil, Huda Cone, Roger D eng AG-19914/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ DA-02265/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/ DK-51730/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/ DK-61766/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/ RR-14451/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ T32 DK-07680/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 2003/07/31 Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Nov; 285(5):E1028-38. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00010.2003. Epub 2003 Jul 29" |