Liver hormone counters sweet tooth
Scientists from the UT Southwestern Medical Center found a hormone in the liver that can reduce cravings for alcohol and sweets. Scientists are looking into possible applications like treating obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
“This is the first time a hormone made in the liver has been shown to affect sugar and alcohol preference in mammals,” said Dr. Steven Kliewer, Professor of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology at UT Southwestern and co-senior author of the study, published online today in Cell Metabolism.
The hormone, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), is produced when mammals consume carbohydrates and is also associated with environmental stress like extreme diet changes and cold temperature.
Mice with elevated levels of FGF21 showed reduced preference for sweetener- and alcohol-laced water as well as a marked decrease in levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a central role in reward behavior.
“Our findings raise the possibility that FGF21 administration could affect nutrient preference and other reward behaviors in humans, and that the hormone could potentially be used to treat alcoholism,” said Dr. Kliewer, who holds the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Distinguished Chair in Basic Cancer Research.
This marks the fourth study from the Mangelsdorf-Kliewer laboratory to show that FGF21 directly affects the central nervous system. First, in two studies in Nature Medicine in 2013, they reported on FGF21’s ability to regulate metabolism, circadian (body clock) behavior, and female reproduction. In 2014, they reported in Cell Metabolism that FGF21 acts on the brain to cause weight loss.
