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 .alpha.-melanocyte
stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors. The present invention also
provides a method of identifying a compound that is useful for the
treatment or prevention of 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 steps of: 1) determining if a compound affects the binding
of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors; 2) determining if a
compound affects the binding of .alpha.-melanocyte stimulating hormone to
melanocortin receptors; and 3) selecting a compound that attenuates the
binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors, but does not
affect the binding of .alpha.-melanocyte stimulating hormone to
melanocortin receptors.
