Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine report they have shown that reducing levels of fatty acids in the hypothalamus causes rats to overeat and become obese.

The results of their study, suggesting that restoring fatty-acid levels in the brain may be a promising way to treat obesity, will be published in the February issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience.

The brain's hypothalamus keeps track of the body's nutritional status by monitoring the blood levels of several different hormones and nutrients. The hypothalamus takes this information into account in regulating our energy intake and metabolism.

Dr. Luciano Rossetti, who led the study, reported last year in the journal Science on another study that showed how the hypothalamus monitors and regulates glucose levels in the body. The present study shows that this brain region also monitors fatty acid levels and responds by controlling appetite.

The study focused on malonyl CoA, a molecule suspected of being one of the critical nutrients influencing hypothalamic regulation of eating behavior. Previous studies had shown that hypothalamic levels of malonyl CoA increase markedly after meals and are suppressed by fasting.

“We showed in this study that disrupting malonyl-CoA levels in this region of the brain impairs the nutrient-sensing mechanism by which the hypothalamus modulates food intake to maintain normal weight,” said Dr. Rossetti. “Figuring out a way to re-adjust malonyl-CoA levels in the human hypothalamus could lead to innovative therapies not only to treat obesity but to help prevent diabetes and other consequences of being overweight.”

Other sources: Albert Einstein College of Medicine