The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) participates in the control of appetite at the level of the central nervous system, through the leptin-melanocortin pathway. An association between different polymor Show more
The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) participates in the control of appetite at the level of the central nervous system, through the leptin-melanocortin pathway. An association between different polymorphisms of the MC4R gene and obesity has been reported. However, there are few studies of the rs483145 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of this gene. To investigate its prevalence and association with adiposity markers in Chilean adults. The prevalence of SNP rs483145, of the MC4R gene, was determined in 259 participants of the GENADIO study (genes, environment, diabetes and obesity) by means of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The association between the risk allele of MC4R (A) and adiposity markers (body weight, body mass index, fat mass percentage, hip circumference, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) was performed by linear regression analysis and adjusted for confusion variables (socio-demographic and physic activity) using three statistical models. It was determined that the prevalence of the risk allele (A) of the SNP rs483145 of the MC4R gene is 24.5% in the Chilean adult population included in this study, without finding an association with any of the adiposity markers studied, both in adjusted and unadjusted models. The presence of the risk allele of SNP rs483145 of the MC4R gene is not associated with adiposity markers in the Chilean adult population studied. New studies with a bigger sample size will be necessary to confirm these results. Show less
The feeding behavior in fish is a complex activity that relies on the ability of the brain to integrate multiple signals to produce appropriate responses in terms of food intake, energy expenditure, a Show more
The feeding behavior in fish is a complex activity that relies on the ability of the brain to integrate multiple signals to produce appropriate responses in terms of food intake, energy expenditure, and metabolic activity. Upon stress cues including viral infection or mediators such as the proinflammatory cytokines, prostaglandins, and cortisol, both Pomc and Npy/Agrp neurons from the hypothalamus are stimulated, thus triggering a response that controls both energy storage and expenditure. However, how appetite modulators or neuro-immune cues link pathogenesis and energy homeostasis in fish remains poorly understood. Here, we provide the first evidence of a molecular linkage between inflammation and food intake in Show less