Dynamics of food intake and blood level of hormones regulating appetite in pregnant and lactating mice

• Published in: Rossiiskii fiziologicheskii zhurnal imeni I.M. Sechenova Vol. 93; no. 10; p. 1196
• Main Authors: Makarova, E N, Shevchenko, A Iu, Iakovleva, T V, Bazhan, N M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 01-10-2007
• Subjects: Animals; Appetite - physiology; Blood Glucose - analysis; Corticosterone - blood; Eating - physiology; Female; Insulin - blood; Lactation - blood; Leptin - blood; Mice; Pregnancy - blood
• ISSN: 0869-8139

Leptin, insulin, corticosterone regulate food intake. Hyperphagia and hormonal rearrangement are typical for pregnancy and lactation. The aim of the study is to correlate food intake with blood levels of these hormones in pregnant and lactating mice. Food intake, body weight, blood glucose, insulin, leptin and corticosterone levels were measured in virgin C57B1/6J micc and on the day 7, 13,17 of pregnancy, and day 1, 7, 14, 30 postpartum. Insulin sensitivity was measured at the day 7, 17 of pregnancy. Food intake and body weight increased towards the second postpartum week and then decreased. Insulin sensitivity decreased towards the end of the pregnancy. Mothers differed from virgin females in hormones and glucose levels only during pregnancy. Leptin level was decreased at the day 7 of gestation, insulin level - during whole gestation. Glucose fell, and leptin and corticosterone increased from the day 7 to 17. Probably, these hormones affect food intake only in pregnant females and do not influence appetite during lactation.