Hunger hormone suppression to combat obesity?

by Terri Potratz | September 16, 2008 at 10:50 am

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A new, minimally-invasive procedure has successfully minimized the appetites of pigs, and could pave the way to effectively treating obesity.

An Indian American medical scientist has successfully suppressed levels of 'hunger hormone' ghrelin in pigs, which could pave the way for a lasting solution to obesity in people.

He relied on a minimally invasive mode of vapourising the main vessel carrying blood to the top section or fundus of the stomach. An estimated 90 percent of the body's ghrelin originates in the fundus, which, without good blood supply, can't synthesise the hormone.

The best news of all is that this procedure may net results on par with gastric bypass surgery, or bariatric surgery, which involves a high risk of complications:

"With gastric artery chemical embolization, called GACE, there's no major surgery. In our study in pigs, this procedure produced an effect similar to bariatric surgery by suppressing ghrelin levels and subsequently lowering appetite."

Bariatric surgery involves removal, reconstruction or bypass of part of the stomach or bowel to suppress appetite and help people lose weight. However, there are potential major risks and complications associated with the procedure.

Ghrelin is secreted by the stomach and small intestine and is believed to influence appetite by triggering hunger, as its levels rise before eating and fall afterwards. It can also be somewhat suppressed by eating a diet high in proteins (and carbs, to a lesser extent) rather than fatty foods.

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