Differential feeding responses to central alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone in genetically low and high body weight selected lines of chickens

This study was conducted to compare the effects of central α-MSH, a potent anorexigenic signal, in lines of chickens that have undergone long-term divergent selection for low (LWS) or high (HWS) body weight. Chicks from both lines were centrally injected with 0, 24, 120 or 600 pmol α-MSH and feed and water intake were concurrently measured thereafter for a total of 180 min. The LWS line responded to all doses of α-MSH with a similar potent decrease in feed intake at all observation times. The HWS line only responded to 600 pmol α-MSH with decreased feed intake. α-MSH did not influence water intake in either line. To determine if differential hypothalamic signaling was associated with the anorexigenic effect, c-Fos immunoreactivity was measured in appetite-related hypothalamic nuclei after 600 pmol central α-MSH injections. c-Fos immunoreactivity was increased in the dorsomedial hypothalamus, paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and ventromedial hypothalamus in both lines after α-MSH; however, the magnitude of increase was greater in LWS than in HWS chicks at the PVN (136% vs. 47% increase over controls, respectively). Based on behavior observations, the number of feeding and exploratory pecks is decreased with greater magnitude after α-MSH in the LWS line. Additionally, α-MSH was associated with increased deep rest in both lines, and may be a secondary effect to reduced ingestion. These data support that the LWS line has a lower threshold for the anorexigenic effect of central α-MSH while in the HWS line this threshold is higher, and that this difference may be associated with differential hypothalamic signaling. Genetic variation exists in the threshold of anorexigenic response for central α-MSH in LWS and HWS lines of chickens with possible implications to other species including humans.