Low affinity hypothalamic [3H]mazindol binding: a probe for hypothalamic body weight regulation?

It has been previously suggested that low affinity [3H]mazindol binding in the hypothalamus correlates with body weight and obesity. Low affinity [3H]mazindol binding in hypothalamic crude synaptosome preparations was carried out in normoglycemic obese mice (C57 B1/6J ob/ob) as well as in their lean littermates (C57 B1/6J +/?). NIH Swiss mice were used as additional controls. Furthermore the effect on this binding site of repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS), a treatment known to change body weight gain, was studied in rats. Neither Bmax nor Kd were altered in obese mice compared with their lean littermates or NIH Swiss mice. The obese mice had a significantly greater body weight and weight gain than either control group. Once-daily ECS over 10 days (which significantly reduced weight gain in rats) did not change binding parameters for [3H]mazindol in hypothalami. The present data do not appear to support the hypothesis that this low affinity binding site has a physiological function in the control of body weight and obesity, at least in the examined paradigm.