Effects of food deprivation and refeeding on neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA levels in goldfish

In mammals, NPY is a key factor in the regulation of feeding behavior. In the present study, the effects of refeeding for 1–3 h in 72–75-h food deprived (FD) goldfish on the levels of NPY mRNA in telencephalon-preoptic (TEL-POA), hypothalamus (HYP) and optic tectum-thalamus (OT-THAL) were examined, using Northern blot analysis. Goldfish FD for 72 h exhibited a significant increase in NPY mRNA levels in all brain regions. At 1 h after 72-h FD (73-h FD), NPY mRNA was significantly increased in TEL-POA and OT-THAL, but remained the same as 72-h FD fish in HYP. At 3 h after 72-h FD (75 h), all brain regions exhibited a significant increase in NPY mRNA levels. However, subsequent refeeding for 1–3 h rapidly and completely reversed the effects of FD in all brain regions, reaching fed levels within 1–3 h of refeeding. Serum GH levels were highest in 72-h FD fish, but decreased significantly over 1–3 h after 72-h FD; whereas, refeeding reversed the increase in serum GH levels only at 3 h after refeeding. Taken together, these results further support that NPY is a physiological brain transducer involved in the regulation of daily appetite and feeding in goldfish.