α-黑色细胞刺激素(α-MSH)是一个13肽,它的氨基酸顺序与促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)中的一段完全相同,近两三年来,一些实验结果表明,α-MSH有很强的退热作用。α-MSH存在于中枢神经系统内与体温调节有关的部位,包括下丘脑的前部和膈区。人们发现,在发热时膈区的α-MSH含量升高,同时弓状核中α-MSH的含量却下降,提示α-MSH由弓状核中的胞体通过轴浆运输到达膈区的神经纤维。外周或中枢注射较大剂量的α-MSH可降低正常家兔的体温,如使用较小的剂 α-MSH is a 13-mer peptide whose amino acid sequence is exactly the same as that of ACTH. In recent two or three years, some experimental results show that α-MSH is very strong Antipyretic effect. α-MSH exists in the central nervous system and thermoregulatory sites, including the anterior hypothalamus and diaphragm area. It was found that the α-MSH content in the diaphragm area increased during fever, while the content of α-MSH in the arcuate nucleus decreased, suggesting that α-MSH transported axonal nerve fibers from the arcuate nucleus to the diaphragm . Peripheral or central injection of larger doses of [alpha] -MSH can reduce body temperature in normal rabbits as with smaller doses