Endocrine Abstracts

Agouti-related protein (AgRP) is a 132 amino acid protein, expressed in the brain where it antagonises the anorexic effect of alpha-MSH through melanocortin 3 and 4 receptors. In situ hybridisation and RT-PCR have shown that AgRP mRNA is also expressed in the steroidogenic zone of the adrenal cortex where levels are up-regulated following 24 hrs of fasting. However, its physiological significance in the adrenal gland is still unknown.To investigate the s...