Weight Loss - Why
some Diet Supplements help Suppress Appetite
July 19th, 2006
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Appetite
Controlled by serotonin |
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Scientists have
new understandings why some weight loss drugs work by enhancing the
serotonin levels in the brain. The diet drugs that have these mood
boosting effects on serotonin include sibutramine (marketed as Meridia),
and fenfluramine. Fenfluramine has been recalled because of the
combination with dexfenfluramine, marketed as fen-phen because of the
possibility of fatal heart valve abnormalities.
How does serotonin
suppress appetite? The group of researchers, led by Michael Cowley of
Oregon Health and Science University conducted research on mice to
further investigate how serotonin works with the hypothalamus. They
traced the receptors for serotonin and they saw that particular neurons
were expressed in this circuitry which directly changed the mice food
intake and body weight. They further found a protein called AgRP that
stimulated appetite and another protein called áMSH that curbs
appetite. These AgRP protein was reduced when the serotonin and drugs
that affected serotonin was present while at the same time the áMSH
protein was increased reducing the appetite.
The researchers
tested mice to see what effects of the various drugs that enhance or
interfere with serotonin would have on their eating behavior. The drugs
helped to disrupt the function of receptors by a substance called
melancortin. Melanocoritin has been known to act for receptors of the
proteins AgRP and áMSH which control a person’s appetite.
Another receptor
called melanocortin receptor-4 was identified by the researchers as a
critical target of the serotonin pathway, which seems to be the central
location for appetite regulation.
The study was
first reported in the July 20th issue in Neuron. Other
researchers that have contributed to this study was Joel Elmquist of
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and formerly
of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, and
Lora K. Heisler of the University of Cambridge and formerly of Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.
Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Dieting
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