Obesity. Enzyme blocker prompts mice to shed weight

Science. 2000 Jun 30;288(5475):2299-300. doi: 10.1126/science.288.5475.2299a.

Abstract

A multidisciplinary team may have discovered an important new weapon in the battle of the bulge. On page 2379 of this issue, the team reports that a molecule that is needed for fat synthesis in the body may play a key role in appetite signaling in the brain. Moreover, the investigators produced a synthetic inhibitor of this molecule that spurred a dramatic drop in appetite and weight in mice.

Publication types

  • Comment
  • News

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Appetite / drug effects
  • Appetite Depressants / pharmacology*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Fasting
  • Fatty Acid Synthases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Humans
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Malonyl Coenzyme A / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Neuropeptide Y / genetics
  • Neuropeptide Y / metabolism
  • Obesity / drug therapy*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Weight Loss / drug effects*

Substances

  • Appetite Depressants
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Neuropeptide Y
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Malonyl Coenzyme A
  • Fatty Acid Synthases