Scientists invent new tricks for weight loss

German researchers found that using drugs that target both nicotine (a.called nicotine) and cold-exposure signaling path paths can reduce weight and improve metabolic health in mice. The compounds ice and methamphetamine stimulate appetite suppression pathfles and heat-producing promotion paths, thus regulating the body's energy balance to promote weight loss in obese mice.
is a risk factor for metabolic diseases such as diabetes and poses a major health risk. Smoking and cold exposure are environmental regulators of human energy metabolism, which inhibit appetite and increase energy consumption. Currently, people are looking for drugs to increase heat production, hoping to simulate cold exposure and increase energy consumption, thereby promoting weight loss. However, these effects may be offset by increased food intake.
Matthias Tschop of the German Centre for Environmental Health Research, the Helmholtz Munich Research Center, and colleagues used a combination therapy that used both nicotine-based acetylcholine receptor alpha3 beta4 and transient voltage receptor cation channel M8 (TRPM8), which can be activated by small molecule therapy at low temperatures. The researchers found that the treatment reduced the weight of obese mice and corrected poor glucose tolerance. The paper was recently published in Nature - Newsletter.
researchers say the findings open up a potential new avenue for treating obesity, and that the treatment does not have negative health consequences associated with cigarette smoke. However, further research is needed to determine whether these findings can be translated into humans. (Source: Lu Yi, China Science Daily)