Glucophage (metformin, Bristol-Myers Squibb) activates a pathway that reduces hunger, according to Dr. Jonathan Long, assistant professor of pathology at Baylor University and co-senior author of a study published in 2006. It has been shown to have a weight loss effect. natural metabolism. Glucophage, an oral drug, induces an “anti-starvation” molecule called lac-phe, which is normally triggered after intense exercise.
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“Until now, it was unclear how glucophages, which are prescribed to control blood sugar levels, result in weight loss,” Long said in a press release. “[But] Understanding how these pathways are regulated could lead to actionable strategies to lose weight and improve health for millions of people. ”
Compared to common weight loss injections such as semaglutide, Glucophage produces only modest weight loss (2% vs. 15%, respectively). However, understanding the mechanisms of weight loss may lead to the development of drugs that have a greater impact on weight loss.
In 2022, researchers from Baylor University, Stanford University, and affiliated universities first discovered lac-phe, a molecule made by intestinal epithelial cells. The name lac-phe actually comes from the words “lactic acid” and “phenylalanine.” Phenylalanine is an amino acid produced as a byproduct during the production of lactate. Consuming plenty after exercise (especially strenuous exercise) can also reduce hunger pangs.
“There is a close relationship between lac-phe production and lactic acid production,” Long said in a press release. “Once we understood this relationship, we started thinking about other aspects of lactate metabolism.”
In a study of obese laboratory mice, glucophage increased lac-phe levels, resulting in decreased food intake. In this group of animals, Long observed, “lacfee concentrations shoot through the roof and stay high for hours.”
When the researchers inhibited lac-phe production in mice, the mice lost their appetite suppression and regained weight. “The involvement of intestinal epithelial cells suggests the existence of a transmission layer from the gut to the brain and merits further investigation,” Professor Long said in a press release.
In another study evaluating glucophage in patients with type 2 diabetes, the drug significantly increased lac-phe in the blood after 12 weeks. These results were confirmed in a study evaluating glucophages in atherosclerosis patients, where researchers observed a significant association between weight loss, lac-phe production, and glucophages.
Long says glucophages affect body weight in the same way as sprinting does because they both activate the same pathways. Researchers should investigate whether glucophages activate other signals that aid weight loss.
“These findings suggest that there may be ways to optimize oral medications that influence hunger and energy balance pathways to control weight, cholesterol and blood pressure,” Professor Long said. said in a press release. “I think what we’re seeing now is just the beginning of a new type of weight loss drug.”
reference
Research is investigating weight loss by linking common diabetes drugs to “anti-hunger” molecules. Stanford Medicine. news release. March187, 2024. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037636
