Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Elevated plasma levels of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) are correlated with insulin resistance in obese men

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 1260–1264 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The role of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) in obesity has been well-documented. However, circulating α-MSH concentrations in obese men and their relationship with clinical indicators of obesity and glucose metabolism have not as yet been evaluated.

METHODS: We measured the plasma concentrations of α-MSH in 15 obese and 15 non-obese male subjects. The relationship of the plasma concentrations of α-MSH with body mass index (BMI), body fat mass (measured by bioelectric impedance), body fat distribution (measured by computed tomography), insulin levels, insulin resistance (assessed by the glucose infusion rate (GIR) during an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp study) and with the serum concentrations of leptin and TNF-α were also evaluated.

RESULTS: In obese men, the plasma α-MSH concentrations were significantly increased compared with those in non-obese men (P<0.02). The plasma levels of α-MSH were positively correlated with BMI (r=0.560, P<0.05), fasting insulin levels (r=0.528, P<0.05) and with visceral fat area (r=0.716, P<0.01), but negatively correlated with GIR (r=−0.625, P<0.02) in obese male subjects. There were significant correlations between plasma concentrations of α-MSH and visceral fat area (r=0.631, P<0.02), and GIR (r=−0.549, P<0.05) in non-obese male subjects. Circulating concentrations of α-MSH were not significantly correlated with the serum concentrations of leptin and TNF-α in both obese and non-obese men.

CONCLUSION: Circulating concentrations of α-MSH are significantly increased and correlated with insulin resistance in obese men.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kalra SP, Dube MG, Pu S, Xu B, Horvath TL, Kalra PS . Interacting appetite-regulating pathways in the hypothalamic regulation of body weight Endocr Rev 1999 20: 68–100.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Marsh DJ, Hollopeter G, Huszar D, Laufer R, Yagaloff KA, Fisher SL, Burn P, Palmiter RD . Responce of melanocortin-4 receptor-deficient mice to anorectic and orexigenic peptides Nature Genet 1999 21: 119–122.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gu W, Tu Z, Kleyn PW, Kissebah A, Duprat L, Lee J, Chin W, Maruti S, Deng N, Fisher SL, Franco LS, Burn P, Yagaloff KA, Nathan J, Heymsfield S, Albu J, Pi-Sunyer FX, Allison DB . Identification and functional analysis of novel human melanocortin-4 receptor variants Diabetes 1999 48: 635–639.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Shimizu H, Tanaka Y, Sato N, Mori M . α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) inhibits insulin secretion in HIT-T 15 cells Peptides 1995 16: 605–608.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lebovitz HE, Genuth S, Pooler K . Relationships between the structure and biological activities of corticotropin and related peptides: hyperglycemic action of N-acetylated corticotropin related peptides Endocrinology 1966 79: 635–642.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Rajora N, Boccoli G, Burns D, Sharma S, Catania AP, Lipton JM . α-MSH modulates local and circulating tumor necrosis factor-α in experimental brain inflammation J Neurosci 1997 17: 2181–2186.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Yaswen L, Diehl N, Brennan MB, Hochgeschweder U . Obesity in the mouse model of pro-opiomelanocortin deficiency Nature Med 1999 5: 1066–1070.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Airaghi L, Capra R, Pravettoni G, Maggiolo F, Suter F, Lipton JM, Catania A . Elevated concentrations of plasma α-melanocyte stimulating hormone are associated with reduced disease progression in HIV-infected patients J Lab Clin Med 1999 133: 309–315.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Catania A, Airaghi L, Garofalo L, Cutuli M, Lipton JM . The neuropeptide α-MSH in AIDS and other conditions in humans Ann NY Acad Sci 1998 840: 848–856.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. World Health Organization . Diabetes mellitus Report of a WHO Study Group, Technical Report Series no. 727 WHO: Geneva 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Tokunaga K, Matsuzawa Y, Ishikawa K, Tarui S . A novel technique for the determination of body fat by computed tomography Int J Obes 1983 7: 437–445.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. DeFronzo RA, Tobin JD, Andres R . Glucose clamp technique: a method for quantifying insulin secretion and resistance Am J Physiol 1979 237: E214–223.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hotamisligil GS, Arner P, Caro JF, Atkinson RL, Spiegelman BM . Increased adipose tissue expression of tumor necrosis factor-α in human obesity and insulin resistance J Clin Invest 1995 95: 2409–2415.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Shimomura I, Funahashi T, Takahashi M, Maeda K, Kotani K, Nakamura T, Yamashita S, Miura M, Fukuda Y, Takemura K, Tokunaga K, Matsuzawa Y . Enhanced expression of PAI-1 in visceral fat: possible contributor to vascular disease in obesity Nature Med 1996 2: 800–803.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ruderman N, Chisholm D, Pi-Sunyer X, Schneider S . The metabolically obese, normal-weight individual revised Diabetes 1998 47: 699–713.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Matsuzawa Y . Pathophysiology and molecular mechanism of visceral fat syndrome: the Japanese experience Diabetes Metab Rev 1997 13: 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Boston BA, Cone RD . Characterization of melanocortin receptor subtype expression in murine adipose tissues and in the 3T3-L1 cell line Endocrinology 1996 137: 2043–2050.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Porte D Jr, Seeley RJ, Woods SC, Baskin DG, Figlewicz DP, Schwartz MW . Obesity, diabetes and the central nervous system Diabetologia 1998 41: 863–881.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Catania A, Lipton JM . α-Melanocyte stimulating hormonen in the modulation of host reactions Endocr Rev 1993 14: 564–576.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Rajora N, Ceriani G, Catania A, Star RA, Murphy MT, Lipton JM . α-MSH production, receptors and influence on neopterin in a human monocyte/macrophage cell line J Leukocyte Biol 1996 59: 248–253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Star RA, Rajora N, Huang J, Stock RC, Catania A, Lipton JM . Evidence of autocrine modulation of macrophage nitricoxide synthase by α-MSH Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1995 92: 8016–8020.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Katsuki A, Sumida Y, Murashima S, Murata K, Takarada Y, Ito K, Tsuchihashi K, Goto H, Nakatani K, Yano Y . Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are increased in obese patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998 83: 859–862.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Esteban C Gabazza for his helpful discussion.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Third Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Mie, Japan

    A Katsuki, Y Sumida, M Furuta, R Araki-Sasaki, K Tsuchihashi, Y Hori, Y Yano & Y Adachi

  2. Department of Radiology, Mie University School of Medicine, Mie, Japan

    S Murashima

Authors
  1. A Katsuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Y Sumida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S Murashima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M Furuta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. R Araki-Sasaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K Tsuchihashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Y Hori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Y Yano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Y Adachi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A Katsuki.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Katsuki, A., Sumida, Y., Murashima, S. et al. Elevated plasma levels of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) are correlated with insulin resistance in obese men. Int J Obes 24, 1260–1264 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801400

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801400

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links