Abstract: The present inventors have found that relaxin-3 has a feeding-stimulating activity, a body weight increasing activity, and fat weight increasing activity by intracerebroventricularly administering relaxin-3 to rats and observing the amount of feeding, body weight and fat weight, and so on after the administration. According to the present invention, a polypeptide having useful effects in stimulating feeding, increasing body weight, and fattening; a therapeutic agent containing said polypeptide; a method of screening for a compound, a substance, or a salt thereof which activates or suppresses a receptor of said polypeptide; a kit for said screening; and an agent which comprises a substance which inhibits expression of said polypeptide, such as a feeding-surpressing agent, a therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity, and a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetes.

Abstract: Relaxin-3 is found to have feeding-stimulating activity, body weight increasing activity, and fat weight increasing activity when intracerebroventricularly administered to rats through observation of amount of feeding, body weight and fat weight after administration of relaxin-3. This invention includes: a polypeptide having useful effects in stimulating feeding, increasing body weight, and fattening; a therapeutic agent containing the polypeptide; a method of screening for a compound, a substance, or a salt thereof which activates or suppresses a receptor of the polypeptide; a kit for screening; and an agent with a substance which inhibits expression of the polypeptide, such as a feeding-suppressing agent, a therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity, and a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetes.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for identifying a GPR83 agonist capable of stimulating a regulatory T cell function and methods for identifying a GPR83 antagonist capable of suppressing a regulatory T cell function.

Abstract: The present inventors have found that relaxin-3 has a feeding-stimulating activity, a body weight increasing activity, and fat weight increasing activity by intracerebroventricularly administering relaxin-3 to rats and observing the amount of feeding, body weight and fat weight, and so on after the administration. According to the present invention, a polypeptide having useful effects in stimulating feeding, increasing body weight, and fattening; a therapeutic agent containing said polypeptide; a method of screening for a compound, a substance, or a salt thereof which activates or suppresses a receptor of said polypeptide; a kit for said screening; and an agent which comprises a substance which inhibits expression of said polypeptide, such as a feeding-surpressing agent, a therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity, and a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetes.

Abstract: Novel carboxylic acid derivatives of general formula (I), salts of the same, esters thereof, or hydrates of them, which are useful as insulin resistance improvers; and drugs containing the derivatives as the active ingredient. In said formula, R1 is hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, or the like; L is a single bond, a double bond, alkylene, or the like; M is a single bond, alkylene, or the like; T is a single bond, alkylene, or the like; W is carboxyl, —CON(RW1)RW2, or the like; represents a single or double bond; X is oxygen, alkenylene, or the like; Y is an aromatic hydrocarbon group which may contain a heteroatom, or the like; and Z is an aromatic hydrocarbon group which may contain a heteroatom.