concanavalin-a and Anorexia

Anorexia that develops in chronic hepatitis is associated with cytokine expression in the brain. Treatment of mice with concanavalin A (12.5 mg/kg, i.v.) elevated the plasma alanine aminotransferase activity at 8.5 h after treatment. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta mRNA expression was induced at 6 and 24 h after concanavalin A treatment in both the liver and brain. Treatment of mice with concanavalin A reduced the body weight at 24 h after treatment and this decreased body weight was accompanied by a decreased food intake. Glycyrrhizin (200 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited the concanavalin A-induced elevation of plasma alanine aminotransferase activity, however, it did not inhibit the concanavalin A-induced decreased body weight. The present results indicate that treatment of mice with concanavalin A caused the development of anorexia and that this anorexia might develop independently of the induction of hepatitis.

Topics: Alanine Transaminase; Animals; Anorexia; Body Weight; Brain; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Concanavalin A; Disease Models, Animal; Eating; Female; Glycyrrhizic Acid; Hepatitis, Animal; Interleukin-1; Liver; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; RNA, Messenger; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha