Satiety factor closely associated with the actions of leptin and neuropeptide Y; this anorectic peptide inhibits both normal and starvation-induced feeding and completely blocks the feeding response induced by neuropeptide Y and regulated by leptin in the hypothalamus. It promotes neuronal development and survival in vitro. Hypothalamus. Found in neurons of the ventrolateral part of the arcuate nucleus, in the external zone of the median eminence, and also found in terminals in the periventricular part of the paraventricular nucleus. By leptin. Belongs to the CART family.