Brain protein shows promise in checking obesity
August 10th, 2011 - 5:21 pm ICT by IANSToronto, Aug 10 (IANS) Research by an Indian-origin scientist has shown that brain protein may actually hold the key to keeping appetite and blood sugar under control and keep unwanted pounds away.
Suraj Unniappan, associate professor in biology at Canada’s York University, is probing the metabolic effects of a protein called nesfatin-1 present in the brain.
He found that rats given nesfatin-1 ate less, used more stored fat and became more active. Besides, it stimulated insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cells of both rats and mice, reports the journal Endocrinology.
“(The rats) actually ate more frequently but in lesser amounts… they were more active and we found that their fatty acid oxidisation was increased,” says Unniappan, who studied in the University of Kerala.
“In other words, the energy reserve being preferably used during nesfatin-1 treatment was fat. This suggests more fat loss, which could eventually result in body weight loss,” he says according to a university statement.
Discovered by Japanese researchers in 2006, nesfatin-1 was earlier found to regulate appetite and the production of body fat when injected into the brain of mice and rats.
Unniappan did his PhD in Cell Biology and Physiology from the University of Alberta and post-doctoral training in diabetes and obesity from the University of British Columbia.
- Novel gene therapy shows promise against Alzheimer's - Mar 05, 2011
- Blocking brain chemical burns fat even if you gorge - Mar 07, 2012
- Mum's stress in pregnancy 'puts female offspring at obesity risk' - Apr 13, 2011
- New findings may lead to a novel treatment for obesity - Jan 12, 2011
- Scientists reveal new clues to origin of diabetes - Oct 13, 2010
- Scientists discover a new way insulin-producing cells die - Feb 27, 2011
- Why some people are apple-shaped and others pear-shaped - Mar 10, 2011
- Turning 'bad' fat into 'good' could help cure obesity - May 04, 2011
- Protein key to African rodents long, robust life - May 11, 2012
- Socialising with friends can help you slim - Sep 07, 2011
- Dieting tempts you into eating junk food - Dec 01, 2010
- Exercise can undo effects of maternal obesity - Feb 10, 2012
- Why a piece of pizza is so tempting after a stressful day - Dec 01, 2010
- Why a class of diabetes drugs boosts weight gain - May 02, 2011
- Are you pear or apple shaped? Blame your proteins - Mar 10, 2011
Tags: associate professor, blood sugar, body fat, brain protein, cell biology, energy reserve, indian origin, insulin secretion, japanese researchers, journal endocrinology, kerala, metabolic effects, mice and rats, nesfatin 1, obesity, pancreatic beta cells, post doctoral training, university of alberta, university of british columbia, unwanted pounds