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Title: Feed intake of gilts following intracerebroventicular injection of the novel hypothalamic RFamide (RFa) neuropeptide, 26RFa

Author
item ROGERS, C - University Of Georgia
item HEIDORN, R - University Of Georgia
item Barb, Claude
item Hausman, Gary
item AZAIN, M - University Of Georgia
item REKAYA, R - University Of Georgia
item LENTS, CLAY - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2010
Publication Date: 6/24/2010
Citation: Rogers, C.J., Heidorn, R.S., Barb, C.R., Hausman, G.J., Azain, M.J., Rekaya, R., Lents, C.A. 2010. Feed intake of gilts following intracerebroventicular injection of the novel hypothalamic RFamide (RFa) neuropeptide, 26RFa [abstract]. American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting. Journal of Animal Science. V:88E(Suppl.2) p.389.

Interpretive Summary: none

Technical Abstract: RFamide (RFa) peptides have been implicated in a broad spectrum of biological processes including energy expenditure and feed intake. 26RFa is a recently discovered hypothalamic neuropeptide that altered the release of pituitary hormones and stimulated feed intake via a NPY-specific mechanism in rats. Voluntary food intake in the pig is regulated by changes in NPY, and we speculate that 26RFa is involved in the process. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that 26RFa stimulates food intake in the domestic pig. Prepuberal gilts (73 ± 17 kg BW) were fitted with intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) cannulas and housed in individual pens. Pigs were allowed ad libitum access to feed for 7 d prior to treatment to establish a base line for voluntary feed intake. On the day of the experiment, feeders were removed from all pens at 0900 h. Beginning at 1100 h, gilts received i.c.v injection of either 10 (n = 8), 50 (n = 7) or 100 µg (n = 7) of 26RFa in 0.9% saline. Control animals received either 100 µg of NPY (n = 5) or 0.9% saline alone (saline; n = 5). Feeders were placed in all pens immediately after the last i.c.v. injection (1200 h) and cumulative intake was determined at 4, 8 and 24 h. Treatment had no effect on feed intake at 4 h. Feed intake of saline treated gilts at 8 h was not different when compared with 26RFa treated animals. However, NPY treated pigs ate more at 8 h (1.64 ± 0.20 kg) than saline treated pigs (1.07 ± 0.20 kg; P < 0.05) or pig receiving either 10 ug (0.90 ± 0.16 kg; P < 0.01) or 50 ug (1.13 ± 0.16 kg; P < 0.06) of 26RFa. Feed intake at 8 h of pigs treated with 100 ug (1.27 ± 0.17 kg) of 26RFa was not different from either NPY or saline treated animals. There were no differences between treatments in feed intake at 24 h. We conclude that 26RFa is not an orexigenic neuropeptide in the pig. Further study is needed to determine the effects of i.c.v. injection of 26RFa on hormone release from the anterior pituitary gland of the gilt. Feed Intake 26RFa Hypothalamus