Cannabinoid Agonist Induces Weight Loss without Adverse Central Nervous System Effects

Have you ever wondered why cannabis can cause the munchies, but not weight gain in recreational users? In fact, scientists have discovered that cannabinoids can actually induce weight loss. The anti-obesity effects of cannabinoids is mainly through the activation of the cannabinoid type 1 receptors. In particular, the endocannabinoid system is over-activated in obese individuals, making it the ideal target for treating obesity.

Studies have shown that antagonists of the cannabinoid type 1 receptors can induce significant weight loss in obese patients. However, also lead to unwanted central nervous system effects, including anxiety or depressive-like responses. Therefore, researchers in this study have developed a novel small peptide (Pep19) that can act as an cannabinoid agonist and induce weight loss without causing adverse central nervous system effects. Their study demonstrated that oral administration of Pep19 in diet-induced obese rats decreased whole body weight, adiposity index, as well as glucose, triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels significantly. Importantly, no alerting heart rate or depressive/anxiety-like behaviors were observed in rats administrated with Pep19. Results from this study also suggested that Pep19 functions through inducing the expression of uncoupling protein 1 in both the white adipose tissue and the differentiated adipocytes, thus inducing weight loss. Overall, this novel peptide cannabinoid agonist have many advantages over previously identified anti-obesity compounds in clinical applications.

• Reckziegel et al. A novel peptide that improves metabolic parameters without adverse central nervous system effects. Scientific Reports 7, 14781 (2017).
  DOI:  10.1126/science.aan0516

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