By Suzanne Rostler
WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) – A little-known fatty compound produced in the small intestine could hold the key to permanent weight loss, recent study findings suggest.
If further research in humans confirms the results of data from an animal model, oleylethanolamide (OEA) could lead to the development of better treatments for eating disorders and obesity, researchers report in the November 8th issue of Nature.
"The effects of OEA are striking and profoundly different from those of traditional appetite suppressants," Dr. Daniele Piomelli, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. "This implies that molecular mimics of OEA, or synthetic molecules that resemble OEA but are more potent and more resistant to degradation by the body, could be used in the treatment of obesity and overweight."
OEA is a fatty acid produced in the small intestine in response to food. While scientists have known that OEA was present in the body, its function has been unknown until now.
"We found by chance that OEA production is regulated by feeding," Dr. Piomelli, a researcher at the University of California, Irvine, told Reuters Health.
When injected into the bodies of rats, the investigators found that OEA caused the animals to eat significantly less food and gain weight at a slower pace. At the same time, rats that had been deprived of food had lower OEA levels, leading investigators to conclude that OEA is involved in appetite control and satiety.
The compound, however, did not have the same effect on appetite when injected into the brains of rats or when certain nerves located outside the brain were removed. This finding suggests that OEA acts on the brain indirectly. This is important since some appetite-suppressing drugs work by activating certain brain pathways and are associated with serious side effects.
"Appetite-suppressant agents such as OEA and its mimics, which do not engage the brain, may not produce such side effects," Dr. Piomelli said.
Studies are now underway to investigate how OEA works on a cellular and molecular level, and to determine whether OEA has appetite-suppressing effects in humans, the researcher noted.
Nature 2001;414:209-212.
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