McBride R B, Beckwith B E, Swenson R R, Sawyer T K, Hadley M E, Matsunaga T O, Hruby V J
Psychology Department, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 58202.
Peptides. 1994;15(4):757-9. doi: 10.1016/0196-9781(94)90105-8.
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a hepadecapeptide hormone that is synthesized in the CNS and is responsible for melanosome aggregation in the teleost fish. Recent evidence suggests that this peptide hormone has a unique distribution in the mammalian brain, which leads to the speculation that it may serve as a neuromodulator. The present study was undertaken to explore the comparative effects of MCH to those of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating Hormone (MSH) (a neuropeptide that is known to influence learning) on the rate of extinction of a passive avoidance response in rats. Both MCH and MSH were administered SC at 10 micrograms per animal. Treatment with MCH appeared to hasten, whereas treatment with MSH appeared to delay, extinction of the passive avoidance response.
促黑素细胞激素（MCH）是一种由中枢神经系统合成的十七肽激素，负责硬骨鱼体内黑素体的聚集。最近的证据表明，这种肽类激素在哺乳动物大脑中具有独特的分布，这引发了人们对其可能作为神经调质的推测。本研究旨在探讨MCH与α-黑素细胞刺激素（MSH，一种已知会影响学习的神经肽）对大鼠被动回避反应消退率的比较作用。MCH和MSH均以每只动物10微克的剂量皮下注射。MCH处理似乎会加速被动回避反应的消退，而MSH处理则似乎会延迟其消退。
