Table 4.

Examples of melanocortin ligands affecting males and females differently.

Ligand	Effect	Species	Strain	Ref
α-MSH	Improved learning tasks in males, but not females.	Rats	Holtzman albino	[175, 176]
MTII	Reduced juvenile play behaviors in males, but not females after neonatal administration	Voles	Prairie Voles	[177]
Ac-Nle-Asp-Trp-DPhe-Nle-Trp-Lys-NH2	Effected κ-opioid analgesia in females, but not in males	Mice	Crl:CD-1	[178]
C[Gly-Cpg-DNal(2′)-Arg-Trp-Glu]-Val-Val-Gly-NH2	Effected κ-opioid analgesia in females, but not in males	Mice	Crl:CD-1	[178]
C[(CH2)3CO-Gly-His-DPhe-Arg-DTrp-Cys(S-)]-Asp-Arg-Phe-Gly-NH2	Reversed morphine hyperalgesia in female mice, but had no effect in males	Mice	C57BL/6J; CD-1	[179, 180]
AGRP	Reduced energy expenditure (measured by vO2) in female rats more than in male rats.	Rats	Long-Evans	[181]
Ac-Trp-DPhe(p-I)-Arg-Trp-NH2	Different doses necessary to affect energy homeostasis in males and females	Mice	Mixed C57BL/6J and 129/Sv background	[182]
SHU9119	Increased blood pressure in males, but not in females	Rats	Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SRH)	[183]