24 Peripheral co-administration of amylin and leptin produces enhanced suppression of 25 food intake and body weight, but the central nuclei mediating these effects remain 26 unclear. As each of these peptides controls feeding via actions at the ventral 27 tegmental area (VTA), we tested the hypothesis that the VTA is a site of action for 28 the cooperative effects of leptin and amylin on energ...

There is a significant correlation between the occurrence of pancreatic islet amyloid and beta-cell failure in advanced type II diabetes mellitus. Islet amyloid is composed primarily of the fibrillar form of the pancreatic hormone, amylin. Using thioflavin-T fluorescence binding and radioprecipitation assays, we investigated whether or not a series of small tricyclic compounds, tetracycline or ...

Amylin infusion reduces food intake and slows body weight gain in rodents. In obese male rats, amylin (but not pair feeding) caused a preferential reduction of fat mass with protein preservation despite equal body weight loss in amylin-treated (fed ad libitum) and pair-fed rats. In the present study, the effect of prior or concurrent food restriction on the ability of amylin to cause weight los...

Amylin receptor agonism is emerging as part of an integrated neurohormonal therapeutic approach for managing diabetes mellitus (DM) and body weight. Pramlintide acetate, an analogue of the pancreatic hormone amylin, has been studied in the United States as an antihyperglycemic agent in patients with type 1 or type 2 DM treated with mealtime insulin(1). Further clinical testing of pramlintide in...

Toxic human amylin oligomers and aggregates are implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (TTDM). Although recent studies have shown that pancreatic cells can recycle amylin monomers and toxic oligomers, the exact uptake mechanism and trafficking routes of these molecular forms and their significance for amylin toxicity are yet to be determined. Using pancreatic rat insulinoma ...

The aggregation of human amylin has been strongly implicated in the progression of Type II diabetes. This 37-residue peptide forms a variety of secondary structures, including random coils, α-helices, and β-hairpins. The balance between these structures depends on the chemical environment, making amylin an ideal candidate to examine inherent biases in force fields. Rat amylin differs from human...

The area postrema (AP) is a circumventricular organ with important roles in central autonomic regulation. This medullary structure has been shown to express the leptin receptor and has been suggested to have a role in modulating peripheral signals, indicating energy status. Using RT-PCR, we have confirmed the presence of mRNA for the leptin receptor, ObRb, in AP, and whole cell current-clamp re...

The loss of β-cell function and β-cell death are key features of diabetes. A range of mechanisms are thought to contribute to β-cell loss, including islet amyloid formation by the neuropancreatic hormone amylin (islet amyloid polypeptide, IAPP). Islet amyloid deposition also contributes to the failure of islet transplants. There are no therapeutic strategies for the treatment or prevention of i...

The pancreatic peptide amylin is best known for its role as a satiation hormone in the control of food intake and as the major component of islet amyloid deposits in the pancreatic islets of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Epidemiological studies have established a clear association between metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders in general, and between T2DM and Alzheimer's dis...

Amylin is a peptide hormone cosecreted with insulin from the pancreatic β-cells that can act as an osteoblast mitogen and as an inhibitor of bone resorption. The effects on bone of its systemic administration are uncertain. The present study addresses this question in adult male mice that were given daily subcutaneous injections of amylin (10.5 μg) or vehicle ( n = 20 in each group) for 4 wk. H...