Presynaptic melanocortin-4 receptors on vagal afferent fibers modulate the excitability of rat nucleus tractus solitarius neurons.

Wan S, Browning KN, Coleman FH, Sutton G, Zheng H, Butler A, Berthoud HR, Travagli RA

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience1 May 2008Cited by 82 (Europe PMC)

PMID18463249PMCIDPMC2681297DOI10.1523/jneurosci.5398-07.2008PepBankPUB-18463249

Read at source PubMedAsk about this study

Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: CC BY-NC. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study5

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

01LabEx vivo tissueMechanism
In rat brainstem slices after surgical vagal deafferentation, only 4 of 34 (9%) NTS neurons responded to MTII with an increase in EPSC frequency.
In plain wordsIn rat brain slices after the vagus nerve inputs were cut, few nerve cells (9%) still responded to melanotan II.
Peptide
Melanotan II
Outcome
IncreaseEPSC frequency after vagal deafferentation
Study
ratn = 34
Brainstem slices, whole-cell recordings of NTS neurons
Outcome group
Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Measurements
Responding neurons
9%
after vagal deafferentation
Source sentences
Summary
After surgical vagal deafferentation, only four of 34 (9%) NTS neurons responded to MTII with an increase in EPSC frequency.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Using whole-cell recordings from rat brainstem slices, we examined the effects of melanocortin ligands, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alphaMSH) and melanotan II (MTII), on EPSC in NTS neurons.
Report a problemFND-1846324903
02LabEx vivo tissueMechanism
In rat brainstem slices, lowering extracellular calcium to 1.5 mM uncovered an excitatory effect of MTII on EPSC amplitude in four of six previously unresponsive neurons.
In plain wordsIn rat brain slices, at lower calcium, melanotan II raised signal strength in four of six nerve cells that had not responded before.
Peptide
Melanotan II
Outcome
IncreaseEvoked EPSC amplitude at lower extracellular calcium
Study
ratn = 6
Brainstem slices, whole-cell recordings of NTS neurons
Outcome group
Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Source sentences
Summary
In four of six neurons unresponsive to MTII, decreasing Ca(2+)(e) levels to 1.5 mM uncovered an excitatory effect of MTII on EPSC amplitude.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Using whole-cell recordings from rat brainstem slices, we examined the effects of melanocortin ligands, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alphaMSH) and melanotan II (MTII), on EPSC in NTS neurons.
Report a problemFND-1846324905
03LabEx vivo tissueMechanism
In rat brainstem slices, pretreatment with SHU9119 abolished the effects of MTII on spontaneous EPSC frequency in NTS neurons.
In plain wordsIn rat brain slices, a blocker of melanocortin receptors removed the effect of melanotan II on nerve cell signalling.
Peptide
Melanotan II
Outcome
No significant changeMTII effect on EPSC frequency with SHU9119
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Brainstem slices, whole-cell recordings of NTS neurons
Outcome group
Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Source sentences
Summary
the effects of MTII were abolished by pretreatment with SHU9119.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Using whole-cell recordings from rat brainstem slices, we examined the effects of melanocortin ligands, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alphaMSH) and melanotan II (MTII), on EPSC in NTS neurons.
Report a problemFND-1846324902

Studies that did not test the peptide alone2

In this study, Melanotan II was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Melanotan II.

04LabNot a test of Melanotan II aloneEx vivo tissueMechanism
In rat brainstem slices, alphaMSH and MTII increased evoked EPSC amplitude in six of the 28 NTS neurons, decreased it in 14 and had no effect in eight.
In plain wordsIn rat brain slices, alpha-MSH and melanotan II raised signal strength in some nerve cells, lowered it in more, and had no effect in others.
Peptide
Melanotan II
Outcome
MixedEvoked EPSC amplitude with alphaMSH or MTII
Study
ratn = 28
Brainstem slices, whole-cell recordings of NTS neurons
Outcome group
Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
Source sentences
Summary
When EPSCs were evoked by electrical stimulation of the tractus solitarius in Krebs' solution with 2.4 mm Ca(2+)(e), alphaMSH and MTII increased the amplitude in six of the 28 neurons tested, decreased amplitude in 14 with no effect in the remaining eight neurons.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Using whole-cell recordings from rat brainstem slices, we examined the effects of melanocortin ligands, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alphaMSH) and melanotan II (MTII), on EPSC in NTS neurons.
In this study, Melanotan II was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Melanotan II.
Report a problemFND-1846324904
05LabNot a test of Melanotan II aloneEx vivo tissueMechanism
In rat brainstem slices, thirty-two percent of NTS neurons responded to MTII or alphaMSH with an increase (24%) or a decrease (8%) in spontaneous EPSC frequency, without a change in amplitude.
In plain wordsIn rat brain slices, about a third of NTS nerve cells changed their signalling rate when exposed to melanotan II or alpha-MSH.
Peptide
Melanotan II
Outcome
MixedSpontaneous EPSC frequency with MTII or alphaMSH
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Brainstem slices, whole-cell recordings of NTS neurons
Outcome group
Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
Measurements
Neurons with increased EPSC frequency
24%
MTII or alphaMSH
Neurons with decreased EPSC frequency
8%
MTII or alphaMSH
Source sentences
Summary
Thirty-two percent of NTS neurons responded to perfusion with MTII or alphaMSH with either an increase (24%) or a decrease (8%) in the frequency, but not amplitude, of spontaneous EPSCs
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Using whole-cell recordings from rat brainstem slices, we examined the effects of melanocortin ligands, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alphaMSH) and melanotan II (MTII), on EPSC in NTS neurons.
In this study, Melanotan II was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Melanotan II.
Report a problemFND-1846324901

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
10 Oct 2026, 09:43 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 03:04 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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