Gene Blocks Appetite Suppression

When scientists discovered in 1994 that the hormone leptin suppresses appetite, they saw it as a promising way to control obesity and diabetes. Now scientists have shed light on one potential mechanism of leptin regulation. They found that mice that lacked a gene called Epac1 had higher sensitivity to leptin. When placed on a high-fat diet, the mice weighed less, were leaner and had lower blood-plasma levels than their counterparts with the gene. A specially developed compound that blocked Epac1 activity in the mice with the gene also significantly reduced leptin levels, another indication that Epac1 contributes to leptin’s action. This work demonstrates the feasibility of pharmacologically modulating leptin through Epac1 activity.
Source: NIGMS Biomedical Beat - Category: Research Source Type: news