Age-related change of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptide immunoreactivity in the rat nucleus accumbens

Cocaine- and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) peptide has an overall anorexigenic effect, it is expressed in brain areas involved in the control of appetite, drug reward and homeostatic regulation. Recently, we have shown that CART immunoreactivity was significantly reduced in the rostral part of the nucleus accumbens and in the rostro-medial nucleus of the solitary tract in adult CCK-1 receptor deficient obese diabetic Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats compared to Long Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) lean controls, whereas distribution of CART-immunoreactive elements in the brain was identical…