Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is the archetypal polypeptide precursor of hormones and
neuropeptides. In this review, we examine the variability in the individual peptides produced …

Pre‐and neonatal overfeeding programmes a permanent obesity disposition and
accompanying diabetic and cardiovascular disorders, by unknown mechanisms. We …

Background—Intergenic variations on chromosome 4q25, close to the PITX2 transcription
factor gene, are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). We therefore tested whether adult …

Cardiac preconditioning represents the most potent and consistently reproducible method of
rescuing heart tissue from undergoing irreversible ischaemic damage. Major milestones …

Opioid peptides and exogenous opioids such as morphine are known to exert important
cardiovascular effects. However, until recently, it was not appreciated that activation of …

Knowledge of melanocortins and their receptors has increased tremendously over the last
few years. The cloning of five melanocortin receptors, and the discovery of two endogenous …

The individual risk for common diseases not only depends on genetic but also on epigenetic
polymorphisms. To assess the role of epigenetic variations in the individual risk for obesity …

Maintenance of energy balance requires regulation of the amount and timing of food intake.
Decades of experiments utilizing pharmacological and later genetic manipulations have …

The actions of opioid agonist and antagonist drugs have not been well characterized in the
heart and cardiovascular system. This stems from the limited role opioid receptors have …

cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) is required for the induction of adipogenic
transcription factors such as CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs). Interestingly, it is …