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Researchers say they have discovered a novel role for heparin as a promoter of food intake and weight gain in animal models.
The team’s findings suggest heparin could be a potential target for drugs regulating appetite and weight control.
“In addition to its role as an anticoagulant, heparin, which is normally produced by the body, has been known to affect other biological functions,” said Yong Xu, MD, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
“In this study, we are among the first groups to investigate heparin’s potential role in regulating the body’s energy balance.”
Dr Xu and his colleagues described this study in Cell Reports.
“Our earlier studies showed that serum heparin levels in mice increased significantly during starvation,” said Dr Gang Shu, of South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, China.
“These encouraged us to explore a potential role of heparin in feeding control.”
This exploration revealed that treatment with heparin increased food intake and body weight in male and female mice.
Then, the researchers found that heparin stimulates AgRP neurons located in the hypothalamus. This results in increased production of AgRP protein, a neuropeptide that stimulates food intake.
“We also demonstrated that heparin activates AgRP neurons by competing with insulin for binding to the insulin receptor,” Dr Shu said.
“Insulin and heparin have opposite effects on AgRP neurons,” Dr Xu noted. “Insulin treatment suppresses AgRP neuron firing of electrical impulses and expression of AgRP neuropeptides. We found that heparin competes with and prevents insulin from binding to insulin receptors on AgRP neurons.”
The researchers also found that, by competing for insulin receptor binding, heparin inhibits FoxO1 activity to promote AgRP release and feeding.
The team noted that FoxO1 has been shown to be highly expressed in AgRP neurons and to represent a key intracellular component of pathways integrating AgRP-mediated food intake and peripheral metabolic signals.
Although this study was conducted in animals, the researchers believe its results have implications for patients. The research suggests heparin can affect how the body regulates appetite, so heparin might be a target for treating eating disorders. 
Researchers say they have discovered a novel role for heparin as a promoter of food intake and weight gain in animal models.
The team’s findings suggest heparin could be a potential target for drugs regulating appetite and weight control.
“In addition to its role as an anticoagulant, heparin, which is normally produced by the body, has been known to affect other biological functions,” said Yong Xu, MD, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
“In this study, we are among the first groups to investigate heparin’s potential role in regulating the body’s energy balance.”
Dr Xu and his colleagues described this study in Cell Reports.
“Our earlier studies showed that serum heparin levels in mice increased significantly during starvation,” said Dr Gang Shu, of South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, China.
“These encouraged us to explore a potential role of heparin in feeding control.”
This exploration revealed that treatment with heparin increased food intake and body weight in male and female mice.
Then, the researchers found that heparin stimulates AgRP neurons located in the hypothalamus. This results in increased production of AgRP protein, a neuropeptide that stimulates food intake.
“We also demonstrated that heparin activates AgRP neurons by competing with insulin for binding to the insulin receptor,” Dr Shu said.
“Insulin and heparin have opposite effects on AgRP neurons,” Dr Xu noted. “Insulin treatment suppresses AgRP neuron firing of electrical impulses and expression of AgRP neuropeptides. We found that heparin competes with and prevents insulin from binding to insulin receptors on AgRP neurons.”
The researchers also found that, by competing for insulin receptor binding, heparin inhibits FoxO1 activity to promote AgRP release and feeding.
The team noted that FoxO1 has been shown to be highly expressed in AgRP neurons and to represent a key intracellular component of pathways integrating AgRP-mediated food intake and peripheral metabolic signals.
Although this study was conducted in animals, the researchers believe its results have implications for patients. The research suggests heparin can affect how the body regulates appetite, so heparin might be a target for treating eating disorders.
Researchers say they have discovered a novel role for heparin as a promoter of food intake and weight gain in animal models.
The team’s findings suggest heparin could be a potential target for drugs regulating appetite and weight control.
“In addition to its role as an anticoagulant, heparin, which is normally produced by the body, has been known to affect other biological functions,” said Yong Xu, MD, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
“In this study, we are among the first groups to investigate heparin’s potential role in regulating the body’s energy balance.”
Dr Xu and his colleagues described this study in Cell Reports.
“Our earlier studies showed that serum heparin levels in mice increased significantly during starvation,” said Dr Gang Shu, of South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, China.
“These encouraged us to explore a potential role of heparin in feeding control.”
This exploration revealed that treatment with heparin increased food intake and body weight in male and female mice.
Then, the researchers found that heparin stimulates AgRP neurons located in the hypothalamus. This results in increased production of AgRP protein, a neuropeptide that stimulates food intake.
“We also demonstrated that heparin activates AgRP neurons by competing with insulin for binding to the insulin receptor,” Dr Shu said.
“Insulin and heparin have opposite effects on AgRP neurons,” Dr Xu noted. “Insulin treatment suppresses AgRP neuron firing of electrical impulses and expression of AgRP neuropeptides. We found that heparin competes with and prevents insulin from binding to insulin receptors on AgRP neurons.”
The researchers also found that, by competing for insulin receptor binding, heparin inhibits FoxO1 activity to promote AgRP release and feeding.
The team noted that FoxO1 has been shown to be highly expressed in AgRP neurons and to represent a key intracellular component of pathways integrating AgRP-mediated food intake and peripheral metabolic signals.
Although this study was conducted in animals, the researchers believe its results have implications for patients. The research suggests heparin can affect how the body regulates appetite, so heparin might be a target for treating eating disorders.