Nesfatin-1

Nesfatin-1 is a naturally occurring protein molecule produced by the brains of mammals. Japanese scientists discovered in 2006 that it is responsible for regulating appetite and production of body fat.^[1] Excess nesfatin-1 in the brain leads to a loss of appetite, less frequent hunger, a 'sense of fullness', and a drop in body fat and weight. A lack of nesfatin-1 in the brain leads to an increase of appetite, more frequent episodes of hunger, an increase of body fat and weight, and the inability to 'feel full.' This latter condition can be artificially induced by injecting an anti-nesfatin-1 antibody into the brain.

The receptors within the brain are not completely understood, although they are thought to be contained in the hypothalamus and in the solitary nucleus, where nesfatin-1 is believed to be produced via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Through observation, it appears there is also some unknown relationship between nesfatin-1 and cannaboid receptors; however, its precise mechanism and effect remain controversial.^{[citation needed]} Nesfatin-1-induced inhibition of feeding may be mediated through the inhibition of orexigenic NPY neurons. ((Brain Res. 2008 Sep 16;1230:99-106. Epub 2008 Jul)]

Discovery and study of nesfatin-1 was assisted by Hiroyuki Shimizu at Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine within the Medicine and Molecular Science department with assistance by research conducted at Saitama University (Saitama, Japan) and the Nippon Medical College (Tokyo, Japan).

See also

• Obestatin
• Leptin

References

1. ^ Oh-I S, Shimizu H, Satoh T et al. (2006). "Identification of nesfatin-1 as a satiety molecule in the hypothalamus". Nature 443 (7112): 709–12. doi:10.1038/nature05162. PMID 17036007. 

External links

• A Scientific Article Mentioning Nesfatin-1 (In japanese language).
• A News Article Announcing the Discovery of Nesfatin-1 (In japanese language).
• MeSH nesfatin-1+protein,+rat