• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.497-505
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• 2012

To determine the effects of Banggihwanggi-tang(BGHGT) on obesity, the obesity-related factors[gastrin, calcitonin gene related peptide(CGRP), serotonin, ghrelin, obestatin, glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1), insulin, orexin, leptin] were investigated in the stomach, pancreas, brain of mice by immunohistochemical(IHC) methods for 4 weeks. The change of body weight was more reduced in BGHGT administered group than that of control group. The IHC density of the gastrin and CGRP positive cells on pylorus was higher in BGHGT administered group than that of control group. The number of ghrelin immunoreactive cells on stomach was lower in BGHGT administered group than that of control group. The IHC of GLP-1 positive cells did not observe in the stomach of BGHGT administered groups. The IHC density of GLP-1 in the pancreas was lower in BGHGT administered group than that of control group. The IHC density of insulin positive cells in the pancreas was lower in BGHGT administered group than that of control group. The IHC density of orexin positive neurons in the diencephalon was slightly higher in BGHGT administered group than that of control group. The IHC density of NPY and leptin positive neurons was slightly higher in BGHGT administered group than that of control group. The IHC density of serotonin positive neurons was higher in BGHGT administered group than that of control group. Therefore, we conclude that BGHGT activates appetite inhibitor through appetite related enteroendocrine cells and neuropeptides in stomach, pancreas and brain, and this activation may also be responsible for the inhibition of feeding behavior.