The central melanocortin system plays a key role in the regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis. We investigated whether genetic or pharmacologic blockade of central melanocortin signaling attenuates cardiac cachexia in mice and rats with heart failure. Permanent ligation of the left coronary artery (myocardial infarction (MI)) or sham operation was performed in wild-type (WT) or melan...

Agouti-related protein (AGRP) is an endogenous antagonist of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) that functions in the hypothalamic control of feeding behavior. Our previous studies have suggested that in addition to exoloops 2 and 3, several transmembrane domains of MC4R may be important for AGRP binding. However, the detailed molecular basis of MC4R domains in AGRP binding is presently unclear...

The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) is a well-established mediator of body weight homeostasis. However, the neurotransmitter(s) that mediate MC4R function remain largely unknown; as a result, little is known about the second-order neurons of the MC4R neural pathway. Single-minded 1 (Sim1)-expressing brain regions, which include the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVH), represent key bra...