In a recent experiment, scientists have created mice that are resistant to obesity. The experiment involved altering neurocommunication, blocking the brain’s release of a small neurotransmitter known as GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). Mutant mice were created with the inability to release GABA in the region of the brain that controls hunger. Normal and mutant mice were fed a regular diet, and both sets of mice weighed roughly the same. On a high-fat diet, however, the normal mice gained far more weight than the mutant mice. Researchers explain that this is due to the ability of the mutant mice to burn energy at a faster rate.
This research, published in Nature Neuroscience, highlights just how much of a role the GABA neurotransmitter plays in food intake and energy burning. However, whether or not the same results will be seen in humans is to be determined.
