Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating obesity, sexual dysfunction (including erectile dysfunction), diabetes, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, Syndrome X, adrenal dysfunction, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, hyperlipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, or substance abuse, the method comprising the step of administering to a patent having or at risk of having one of the above-mentioned diseases a therapeutically effective amount of a compound that attenuates the binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors, but does not attenuate the binding of &agr;-melanocyte stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors.
Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating obesity, sexual dysfunction (including erectile dysfunction), diabetes, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, Syndrome X, adrenal dysfunction, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, hyperlipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, or substance abuse, the method comprising the step of administering to a patent having or at risk of having one of the above-mentioned diseases a therapeutically effective amount of a compound that attenuates the binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors, but does not attenuate the binding of &agr;-melanocyte stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors.