Dietary fat and corticosterone levels are contributing factors to meal anticipation.

Daily restricted access to food leads to the development of food anticipatory activity and metabolism, which depends upon an as yet unidentified food-entrainable oscillator(s). A premeal anticipatory peak in circulating hormones, including corticosterone is also elicited by daily restricted feeding. High-fat feeding is associated with elevated levels of corticosterone with disrupted circadian rhythms and a failure to develop robust meal anticipation. It is not clear whether the disrupted corticosterone rhythm, resulting from high-fat feeding contributes to attenuated meal anticipation in high-fat fed rats. Our aim was to better characterize meal anticipation in rats fed a low- or high-fat diet, and to better understand the role of corticosterone in this process. To this end, we utilized behavioral observations, hypothalamic c-Fos expression, and indirect calorimetry to assess meal entrainment. We also used the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU486, to dissect out the role of corticosterone in meal anticipation in rats given daily access to a meal with different fat content. Restricted access to a low-fat diet led to robust meal anticipation, as well as entrainment of hypothalamic c-Fos expression, metabolism, and circulating corticosterone. These measures were significantly attenuated in response to a high-fat diet, and animals on this diet exhibited a postanticipatory rise in corticosterone. Interestingly, antagonism of glucocorticoid activity using RU486 attenuated meal anticipation in low-fat fed rats, but promoted meal anticipation in high-fat-fed rats. These findings suggest an important role for corticosterone in the regulation of meal anticipation in a manner dependent upon dietary fat content.

11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) inhibitors still improve metabolic phenotype in male 11ß-HSD1 knockout mice suggesting off-target mechanisms.

The enzyme 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) is a target for novel type 2 diabetes and obesity therapies based on the premise that lowering of tissue glucocorticoids will have positive effects on body weight, glycemic control, and insulin sensitivity. An 11ß-HSD1 inhibitor (compound C) inhibited liver 11ß-HSD1 by >90% but led to only small improvements in metabolic parameters in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed male C57BL/6J mice. A 4-fold higher concentration produced similar enzyme inhibition but, in addition, reduced body weight (17%), food intake (28%), and glucose (22%). We hypothesized that at the higher doses compound C might be accessing the brain. However, when we developed male brain-specific 11ß-HSD1 knockout mice and fed them the HFD, they had body weight and fat pad mass and glucose and insulin responses similar to those of HFD-fed Nestin-Cre controls. We then found that administration of compound C to male global 11ß-HSD1 knockout mice elicited improvements in metabolic parameters, suggesting "off-target" mechanisms. Based on the patent literature, we synthesized another 11ß-HSD1 inhibitor (MK-0916) from a different chemical series and showed that it too had similar off-target body weight and food intake effects at high doses. In summary, a significant component of the beneficial metabolic effects of these 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors occurs via 11ß-HSD1-independent pathways, and only limited efficacy is achievable from selective 11ß-HSD1 inhibition. These data challenge the concept that inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 is likely to produce a "step-change" treatment for diabetes and/or obesity.

Determination of paracetamol in mouse, rat and dog plasma samples by laser diode thermal desorption--APCI-MS/MS.

BACKGROUND: Laser diode thermal desorption (LDTD) is a relatively new sample introduction interface for MS. Analysis times are short as the technique does not require time-consuming separation steps, such as conventional HPLC, thus saving on the use of organic solvents, modifiers and cost, relating to their subsequent disposal. This paper compares the merits of LDTD-APCI-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS for the analysis of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in plasma from different species. RESULTS: LDTD-APCI-MS/MS compared favorably with our existing high-throughput generic LC-MS/MS method giving improved data quality. LDTD-APCI-MS/MS assay performance in terms of accuracy and precision in mouse, rat and dog plasma were within our local acceptance criteria (±30%). Run times were reduced approximately tenfold, while saving approximately 200 ml of solvent per 96-well plate. CONCLUSION: A rapid, sensitive and robust assay is reported. The method was successfully used for the analysis of spiked mouse, rat and dog plasma samples and the determination of oral pharmacokinetics. Reductions in electrical power and reagent consumption position LDTD as an environmentally 'green' bioanalytical method.

Simultaneous quantitation of metformin and sitagliptin from mouse and human dried blood spots using laser diode thermal desorption tandem mass spectrometry.

A simple, rapid and robust high-throughput assay for the simultaneous analysis of metformin and sitagliptin from mouse and human dried blood spot samples using laser diode thermal desorption interfaced with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LDTD-APCI-MS/MS) was developed for use in a pharmaceutical discovery environment as an alternative to traditional plasma analysis. Analytes were extracted from dried blood spots using a simple punch disc and solvent extract procedure. Details of the method development and optimization of the instrumental parameters are presented. The method was successfully applied to spiked mouse and human dried blood spot samples. Analyte stability was determined in dried blood spots on FTA cards and as extracts of dried blood spots. The method was subsequently used to determine the oral pharmacokinetics of metformin and sitagliptin after dosing to male mice. Metformin and Sitagliptin results are compared to data generated by more traditional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods. Intra-assay and inter-assay accuracy and precision across the analytes and species deviated by less than 30% at all calibration levels and less than 20% at all quality control levels.