Viagra's "cousin" reduces obesity by stimulating cells to burn fat?

These findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on October 7, revealed that a chemical inhibitor of the PDE9 enzyme stimulates cells to burn more fat

Inhibition of PDE9 did not cause these changes in female mice with ovaries, so the status of female sex hormones is important in this study

"Currently, there are no drugs that have been proven effective in treating severe obesity.

Prior to this study, a research report published by the laboratory in 2015 showed for the first time that the PDE9 enzyme is present in the heart and causes heart disease caused by high blood pressure

Based on these results, researchers suspect that PDE9 inhibition may improve Cardiometabolic Syndrome (CMS), a common disease including high blood pressure; high blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides; excessive body fat, especially in the waist

Although PDE9 inhibitors are still in the experimental stage, several pharmaceutical companies have developed them and tested their efficacy against diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and sickle cell disease in humans

To test the effects of PDE9 inhibitors on obesity and cardiometabolic syndrome, the researchers asked mice to eat high-fat foods.

In female mice without ovaries (a postmenopausal model), the median percentage difference in weight change between the drug group and the placebo group was -27.

Researchers have found that PDE9 inhibition produces these effects by activating PPARa, the main regulator of fat metabolism

Researcher Sumita Mishra pointed out: "This experimental drug is not good for female mice.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), more than 40% of Americans are obese; 43% of American women over the age of 60 — who have passed menopause long ago — are considered obese

Cass pointed out that if his laboratory findings on mice are applicable to humans, a 250-pound person can lose about 50 pounds by oral PDE9 inhibitors without changing their diet or exercise habits

"I am not suggesting to take a pill like a TV fan, but I suspect that combined with diet and exercise, the effect of PDE9 inhibition may be greater

"PDE9 inhibitors have been studied in humans, so clinical obesity research should not be far away from us

Journal Reference :

1. Sumita Mishra, Nandhini Sadagopan, Brittany Dunkerly-Eyring, Susana Rodriguez, Dylan C.