Peptide YY and appetite control.

Peptide YY (PYY) is an important gut hormone synthesized and secreted by the gastrointestinal tract. Peripheral administration of PYY(3-36), one of the circulating forms of PYY, is known to inhibit food intake. This anorexigenic effect is masked by stress inhibition of appetite, and it is therefore important for animals to be thoroughly acclimatised for PYY(3-36) to be effective. Evidence suggests that PYY(3-36) acts via the hypothalamic Y(2) receptor. Levels of the anorexigenic hormone PYY(3-36) are low in overweight volunteers and could provide an important therapeutic avenue in the quest to combat the obesity epidemic.