A research team from the Garvan Medical Research Institute has discovered a group of cells in the brain that increase appetite in obesity. The results of the research have been published magazine Cell Metabolism.
According to the authors, obesity is viewed by our bodies as excess energy stored in body fat. This condition is associated with the development of many diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and others.
Scientists have found that when there is excess energy in the body in the form of excess fat, these cells trigger a series of changes in the brain that make it more susceptible to even low levels of NPY (a molecule that stimulates appetite). Moreover, they produce even more NPY.
The scientists came to these conclusions after conducting a series of experiments with mice. The rodents were obese, and the scientists studied their brains. It turned out that 15% of the neurons that produce the NPY molecule continue to produce even in the case of obesity. On the contrary, they should have lowered its level.
The scientists argue that the discovery could lay the groundwork for the development of drugs to combat obesity by blocking the more sensitive NPY receptors.