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news.Estrogen regulates the brain's energy metabolism in the same way as the hormone leptin, suggesting a new approach to tackling obesity in people resistant to leptin, researchers claim.
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Scientists at Yale School of Medicine have reported that estrogen is a strong regulator of energy metabolism through the brain, after studying mice with mutations in leptin or estrogen signaling. The hormone leptin, linked to feelings of satiety after eating, was discovered about three years ago in mice, and subsequently a genetic factor for obesity in humans was found.
Lead author Tamas Horvath, chair and professor of comparative medicine at Yale School of Medicine, said: “We found that estrogen suppresses appetite using the same pathways in the brain as the adipose hormone leptin.”
The report shows that while the pathway of estrogen-induced intracellular signaling merges with that of leptin, estrogen’s effect on feeding and obesity is independent from leptin or the leptin receptor.
“Impaired estrogen signaling in the brain may be the cause of metabolic changes during menopause,” said Horvath. “Brain-selective mimics of estrogen could be a viable approach to tackle obesity in the case of leptin resistance.”