Fat Fighter — The August 16, 2013 issue of Science details a new link between increased consumption of high-fat foods and low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The research represents a collaboration led by Dr. Ivan Araujo of the Yale University School of Medicine that includes Einstein researcher Dr. Gary Schwartz, along with collaborators from Yale and Tongji University in Shanghai, China. Dopamine activates reward-motivated behaviors, and obese rodents and humans have reduced dopamine signaling in response to palatable foods. This often results in overeating, presumably to achieve increased brain dopamine signaling. The research team focused on oleoylethanolamine (OEA), a “fat messenger” molecule in the gut that is significantly reduced in obese mice. Administration of OEA restored dopamine release in the brains of obese mice, promoting the consumption of lower fat food. The finding identifies a gut-brain pathway as a target for potential therapies to treat obesity. Dr. Schwartz is professor of medicine and of neuroscience.
Posted on: Wednesday, September 25, 2013