BACKGROUND: Kisspeptin is a neuropeptide that plays an integral role in the 
regulation of energy intake and reproduction by acting centrally on the 
hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. Our current study explores for the first 
time the effects of a pharmacological treatment of intraperitoneal kisspeptin-10 
on murine feeding behavior, respirometry parameters, energy balance, and 
metabolic hormones.
METHODS: Two groups (n = 16) of age- and sex-matched C57BL/6 wild-type adult 
mice were individually housed in metabolic cages and intraperitoneally injected 
with either kisspeptin-10 (2 nmol in 200 µl of saline) (10 µM) or vehicle before 
the beginning of a dark-phase cycle. Microstructure of feeding and drinking 
behavior, respirometry gases, respiratory quotient (RQ), total energy 
expenditure (TEE), metabolic hormones, oral glucose tolerance, and lipid 
profiles were measured.
RESULTS: Intraperitoneal treatment with kisspeptin-10 caused a significant 
reduction in food intake, meal frequency, meal size, and eating rate. 
Kisspeptin-10 significantly decreased TEE during both the dark and light phase 
cycles, while also increasing the RQ during the dark-phase cycle. In addition, 
mice injected with kisspeptin-10 had significantly higher plasma levels of 
insulin (343.8 pg/ml vs. 106.4 pg/ml; p = 0.005), leptin (855.5 pg/ml vs. 
173.1 pg/ml; p = 0.02), resistin (9411.1 pg/ml vs. 4116.5 pg/ml; p = 0.001), and 
HDL (147.6 mg/dl vs 97.1 mg/dl; p = 0.04).
CONCLUSION: A pharmacological dose of kisspeptin-10 significantly altered 
metabolism by suppressing food intake, meal size, eating rate, and TEE while 
increasing the RQ. These changes were linked to increased levels of insulin, 
leptin, resistin, and HDL. The current results suggest that a peripheral 
kisspeptin treatment could alter metabolism and energy homeostasis by 
suppressing appetite, food intake, and fat accumulation.