Researchers have identified a group of nerve cells in the brain that influence eating behaviour and weight gain.
Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research Director Jens Brüning said the nerve cells, in the hypothalamus, were controlled by the hormone leptin, which suppressed appetite.
Dr Bruning said the discovery by the German-based team could help develop targeted therapies for obesity.
He said once activated, the so-called PNOC/NPY nerve cells, which were identified in the brains of mice, increased food intake and led to obesity.
“Interestingly, these nerve cells are also present in the human brain.”
Dr Bruning said by using novel genetic and molecular biological tools, the researchers were able to analyse the neurons at the single cell level and divide them into different clusters.
“Within this large group of nerve cells, only one cluster is responsible for the observed eating behaviour.
“We hope that drugs that act on this specialized group of nerve cells will offer promising alternative therapies.”
He said previous studies had shown that PNOC neurons in the hypothalamus were particularly active when mice were fed a high-fat diet.
“In further analyses, the researchers found that around 10 percent of these nerve cells have a receptor for the hormone leptin.”
Dr Bruning said leptin was produced in adipose tissue and suppressed appetite in the brain.
“If the leptin receptor in this cluster of PNOC nerve cells was removed, the mice ate more and became overweight.”
Read the full study: Hypothalamic PNOC/NPY neurons constitute mediators of leptin-controlled energy homeostasis.
