In a new study from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, researchers found a receptor that helps conserve energy when food is scarce may be the key to a safer approach to treating diet-induced obesity.
They found that blocking a specific receptor of the molecule neuropeptide Y (NPY), which helps our body regulate its heat production, could increase fat metabolism and prevent weight gain.
Obesity and overweight are major public health issues, which in Australia are estimated to affect two-thirds of all adults.
The condition can lead to severe medical complications, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and while lifestyle changes are essential to weight loss, medication is a crucial adjunct treatment option for some.
In the study, the team used experimental models and fat tissue biopsies from obese individuals.
They discovered that Y1 receptors were produced at higher levels in the fat tissue of obese individuals.
Moreover, blocking this receptor in fat tissues transformed the ‘energy-storing’ fat into ‘energy-burning’ fat, which switched on heat production and reduced weight gain.
The researchers found that mice that had this receptor blocked and fed a high-fat diet gained about 40% less body weight over seven weeks than mice on a high-fat diet alone.
This significant reduction of body weight gain was caused by an increase in body heat generation and reduction in fat mass.
They also found that targeting the Y1 receptor pathway may similarly increase fat metabolism and reduce weight gain in humans.
The team says NPY is a metabolism regulator that plays a critical role during states of low energy supply, where it helps store fat as a survival mechanism.
Today, however, these advantageous effects can exacerbate existing diet-induced weight gain, leading to obesity and metabolic disease.
This study is crucial evidence that blocking Y1 receptors in peripheral tissues without affecting the central nervous system is effective at preventing obesity by increasing energy expenditure. It reveals a new therapeutic approach that is potentially safer than current medications that target appetite.
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The study is published in Nature Communications. One author of the study is Dr. Yan-Chuan Shi.
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