5-HT obesity medication efficacy via POMC activation is maintained during aging

Endocrinology. 2014 Oct;155(10):3732-8. doi: 10.1210/en.2014-1223. Epub 2014 Jul 22.

Abstract

The phenomenon commonly described as the middle-age spread is the result of elevated adiposity accumulation throughout adulthood until late middle-age. It is a clinical imperative to gain a greater understanding of the underpinnings of age-dependent obesity and, in turn, how these mechanisms may impact the efficacy of obesity treatments. In particular, both obesity and aging are associated with rewiring of a principal brain pathway modulating energy homeostasis, promoting reduced activity of satiety pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons within the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC). Using a selective ARC-deficient POMC mouse line, here we report that former obesity medications augmenting endogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) activity d-fenfluramine and sibutramine require ARC POMC neurons to elicit therapeutic appetite-suppressive effects. We next investigated whether age-related diminished ARC POMC activity therefore impacts the potency of 5-HT obesity pharmacotherapies, lorcaserin, d-fenfluramine, and sibutramine and report that all compounds reduced food intake to a comparable extent in both chow-fed young lean (3-5 months old) and middle-aged obese (12-14 months old) male and female mice. We provide a mechanism through which 5-HT anorectic potency is maintained with age, via preserved 5-HT-POMC appetitive anatomical machinery. Specifically, the abundance and signaling of the primary 5-HT receptor influencing appetite via POMC activation, the 5-HT2CR, is not perturbed with age. These data reveal that although 5-HT obesity medications require ARC POMC neurons to achieve appetitive effects, the anorectic efficacy is maintained with aging, findings of clinical significance to the global aging obese population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / drug effects
  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Female
  • Fenfluramine / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Obesity / drug therapy*
  • Pro-Opiomelanocortin / genetics
  • Pro-Opiomelanocortin / metabolism*
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Serotonin / metabolism*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
  • Fenfluramine
  • Serotonin
  • Pro-Opiomelanocortin