Patent ID: 7919329
Filing Date: 2011-04-05
Classification: A01K,A61P,C07K,C12N,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for screening for an agent that affects food intake, comprising contacting a proopiomelanocortin neuron with an agent to be tested, wherein the proopiomelanocortin neuron is in a histological section of an arcuate nucleus, wherein proopiomelanocortin neurons in the histological section express a heterologous marker that distinguishes the proopiomelanocortin neurons from other cells in the histological section and wherein the agent to be tested is a polypeptide, a cytokine, a small molecule, a peptidomimetic, a chemical compound or an antibody; assaying for a change in the action potential firing rate and the resting membrane potential of the proopiomelanocortin neuron in the histological section as compared to a control, wherein the control is (a) an action potential firing rate and resting membrane potential of a proopiomelanocortin neuron in the histological section of the arcuate nucleus contacted with buffer in the absence of a test agent or (b) an action potential firing rate and the resting membrane potential of the proopiomelanocortin neuron prior to contacting the histological section with the agent; and wherein the agent is identified as being correlated with increased food intake when the agent decreases the resting membrane potential of the proopiomelanocortin neuron and decreases the action potential firing rate of the proopiomelanocortin neuron as compared to the control, and wherein the agent is identified as being correlated with decreased food intake when the agent increases the resting membrane potential of the proopiomelanocortin neuron and increases the action potential firing rate of the proopiomelanocortin neuron as compared to the control.