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. 2016 Aug 11;5(10):844–857. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2016.08.003

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Central blockade of α-MSH signaling inhibits puberty onset and prevents the permissive effects of leptin. (A) The effects of repeated intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of the MC3/4R antagonist SHU9119 or vehicle on pubertal progression in immature female rats (n = 10/group) are shown. Female rats were icv injected with 1 nmol SHU9119 every 12-h between PND-29 to PND-35. Evolution of vaginal opening (VO), as external signal of puberty, together with body weight and leptin levels, as well as uterus (UW) and ovarian (OW) weights and LH concentrations, in terminal (PND-35) samples are shown. (B) The effects of icv administration of repeated doses of leptin, alone or in combination with the MC3/4R antagonist SHU9119 in a rat model of moderate under-nutrition (UN) are displayed (n = 10–14/group). In detail, BW, UW, and VO data from pubertal UN rats treated with vehicle, leptin, or leptin + SHU9119 are shown. Data from age-matched female rats fed ad libitum (normal nutrition: NN) and injected with vehicle are shown for reference purposes (n = 9). For (A) * P < 0.05 vs. corresponding time-points in vehicle-injected animals (Student t-test); for (B) groups with different superscript letters are statistically different (P < 0.05; ANOVA followed by Student–Newman–Keuls multiple range test).