Discovery: human bone tissue cells produce a hormone reducing appetite

A team of specialists has found that bone cells produce a hormone called lipocalin 2, which affects the brain areas responsible for a hunger. The levels of this hormone are reduced in people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight and have high blood sugar levels. The study has shown that daily injections of lipocalin 2 help to reduce an appetite and weight, the Daily Mail says.

Today’s diet tablets work differently. Some tablets bind fat before the body can get calories from it, other tablets accelerate the metabolism and the process of burning calories accordingly and the third ones make people feel full, and the fourth ones suppresses the appetite. Apparently, lipokalin 2 works the same as the last ones.

The scientists have found that after meals the hormone’s level in the blood was increased. The scientists have carried out experiments on mice. The rodents were injected with lipocalin 2. When it reached the same level as after meals, the animals began to lose weight. The fat mice, which were daily injected with lipocalin 2, began to gain weight less. In addition, the injections promoted the absorption of sugar.

It’s the same story with humans. The patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with high levels of lipocalin 2 weigh less and more often have normal blood sugar levels. The experts have found out one more thing – by activating MC4R receptors in neurons of a hypothalamus (the brain area regulating an appetite) lipocalin 2 penetrates the blood-brain barrier.

Source: The Daily Mail.