Rap1 is a potential target for the fight against obesity

Scientists have found and were able to block the gene responsible for obesity

Vladimir Kuznetsov, Hi-News

According to the editorial board of the journal Cell Reports, American scientists have managed to find in the brain cells of mice a gene responsible for the development of obesity (see the press release of Baylor College of Medicine Rap1, a potential new target to treat obesity – VM).

According to a recent study, the body's tendency to obesity increases because fatty foods alter brain activity. Now, scientists from Baylor College of Medicine and Virginia Polytechnic University have continued the research of their colleagues and found out exactly how this process happens.

Scientists have studied the activity of the Rap1 gene in the brain of mice. This gene is involved in memory formation and learning processes, but researchers were interested in its role in ensuring energy balance. The data obtained showed that the activity of this gene really affects the energy balance.

A drawing from an article by Kaneko et al. Neuronal Rap1 Regulates Energy Balance,
Glucose Homeostasis, and Leptin Actions (Cell Reports, 2016) – VM.

Rodents participated in the experiments, as has long been the custom in scientific circles. Mice. The animals were divided into two groups. In one group of experimental animals, the activity of the Rap1 gene in a group of neurons in the hypothalamus was blocked. After that, both groups of mice were fed food with a high fat content.

Mice in which the gene was suppressed gained much less weight than their relatives. In addition, the rodents ate less, and their body began to burn fats efficiently. But that's not all! Animals with the "switched off" gene did not experience the development of resistance to the satiety hormone leptin. And, as you know, with the development of obesity, immunity to leptin develops, from which a person does not understand when he is full, and eats more and more.

The scientists themselves, with the help of their results, plan to develop a new method of treating obesity with the help of gene therapy, which is gaining popularity.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  19.09.2016