Study type: Human research · Status: Verified against declared source
Oxytocin's inhibitory effect on food intake is stronger in obese than normal-weight men
2016
Study scale: In the present study, we investigated the impact of oxytocin on eating behaviour in obese men and compared the results with the effects obtained in normal-weight men.5 As ingestive behavior is homeostatically regulated in response to energy depletion as well as by brain circuits processing the reward-related, ‘hedonic' qualities of food intake,12, 13 we applied a validated paradigm that includes a breakfast buffet presented to fasted participants,14, 15 as well as the delayed assessment of food intake from snacks.16, 17 In addition, energy expenditure, glucose homeostasis and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis secretory activity were measured before and after oxytocin administration as well as after breakfast intake.
Abstract only: Open source record
Product or molecular entity relationships
- Oxytocin: Exact entity relationship. Legacy citation custody associates this source with the catalog record; no product-relevance conclusion is implied.
Plain-language verified summary
Question
Animal studies and pilot experiments in men indicate that the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin limits food intake, and raise the question of its potential to improve metabolic control in obesity.
Methods
Blood samples obtained in the obese participants to assess serum insulin, C-peptide, cortisol and growth hormone, as well as plasma glucose, lactate, adrenocorticotropic hormone and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were centrifuged, and samples were stored at −80 °C.
Scale or participants
In the present study, we investigated the impact of oxytocin on eating behaviour in obese men and compared the results with the effects obtained in normal-weight men.5 As ingestive behavior is homeostatically regulated in response to energy depletion as well as by brain circuits processing the reward-related, ‘hedonic' qualities of food intake,12, 13 we applied a validated paradigm that includes a breakfast buffet presented to fasted participants,14, 15 as well as the delayed assessment of food intake from snacks.16, 17 In addition, energy expenditure, glucose homeostasis and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis secretory activity were measured before and after oxytocin administration as well as after breakfast intake.
Key findings
We compared the effect of central nervous oxytocin administration (24 IU) via the intranasal route on ingestive behaviour and metabolic function in 18 young obese men with the results in a group of 20 normal-weight men.
Limitations and uncertainty
Oxytocin did not alter resting energy expenditure assessed by indirect calorimetry during the entire experimental period in the obese (F(1,17)=0.03, P>0.87 for treatment × time; F(1,17)=0.32, P>0.58 for treatment; Figure 1g) and the normal-weight subjects (all P>0.12; F(1,36)=0.47, P>0.49 for group × treatment × time).
Verified against declared source. Verification is limited to the declared source and review scope. It does not mean independent replication or establish efficacy, safety, or suitability.