Abstract
The melanocortin system is an important regulator of body weight and the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. The pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-null mouse, deficient in all POMC-derived peptides, including alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), has an obese phenotype. We studied the HPT axis of POMC-null mice, which has not been previously investigated. Because α-MSH has a stimulatory effect on the HPT axis, we hypothesised that these mice would have a down-regulated thyroid axis, consistent with a recent study of POMC-null humans. The activity of the HPT axis was studied by collecting blood, pituitaries and hypothalami from ad libitum fed, adult POMC-null, heterozygous and wild-type mice. POMC-null mice had significantly elevated plasma total T 4 (TT 4) and free T 3 (fT 3) with reduced plasma thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), pituitary TSH content and hypothalamic thyrotrophin stimulating hormone (TRH) content compared to wild-type mice. No significant differences between heterozygous and wild-type mice were observed. POMC-null mice have an abnormal HPT axis, which may contribute to their hyperphagia and obesity. These abnormalities are in contrast to those observed in POMC-null humans. These findings support a role for the melanocortin system in the regulation of the HPT axis.
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