Neuroestrogen: The brain’s secret weapon against hunger

Estrogen produced in the brain may help control appetite, offering new possibilities for obesity treatment

2025-05-01

(Press-News.org)

For years, estrogens were known as the reproductive hormones produced by the ovaries, but recent discoveries reveal that these hormones are also synthesized in the brain through an enzyme called aromatase. This brain-specific version of estrogen is called neuroestrogen, and while its presence has been known, its precise function remained unclear—until now. Researchers from Fujita Health University reveal a groundbreaking discovery suggesting the direct role of neuroestrogen in appetite regulation.

“It is well known that MC4R (melanocortin-4 receptor) is an important receptor in the brain that regulates food intake,” explains lead author Takanori Hayashi, Associate Professor at Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Japan.

The study was led by Dr. Hayashi and Dr. Eiji Nishio from the Fujita Health University School of Medicine, in collaboration with Chiba University of Graduate School of Medicine and Fukuoka University, Japan. The findings of the study were published online in The FEBS Journal on February 18, 2025.

To investigate the role of neuroestrogens, the team employed several mouse models, comparing animals lacking estrogen production to those exhibiting active neuroestrogen synthesis. The mice without ovaries (OVX) and without aromatase (ArKO) showed a notable increase in body weight and food consumption when compared with normal mice.

However, when the aromatase gene was selectively reactivated in the brains of ArKO mice (BrTG-ArKO strain), the animals exhibited significantly lower food intake as compared to the former group. They also showed a marked increase in the expression of MC4R in the hypothalamus. This highlights that the neuroestrogen produced by aromatase was involved in the expression of MC4R and thereby led to the suppression of hunger.

Furthermore, the study also revealed that neuroestrogen could enhance the brain’s responsiveness to leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells that helps regulate hunger.

“We observed that the mice with restored neuroestrogen responded more effectively to leptin treatment,” explains Dr. Hayashi. “This may be because neuroestrogen enhances the body’s natural appetite-suppressing mechanisms.”

Additionally, the researchers conducted cell culture experiments to confirm how neuroestrogen could directly increase MC4R levels in hypothalamic neurons. This provides further evidence that its effects are localized and not dependent on estrogen from the ovaries.

Hailing the success of their discovery, Dr. Hayashi remarks, “With its newly discovered role, neuroestrogen could be a game-changer in controlling appetite and tackling obesity!”

As global obesity rates continue to climb and conventional weight loss treatments often fall short, this ability to influence appetite via the brain’s own hormone opens an exciting new frontier for clinical research and drug development.

Emphasizing the significance of their research, the researchers note that as we gain a clearer understanding of neuroestrogen’s physiological role, it may become possible to regulate estrogen activity more precisely within the body. This could have far-reaching implications for women’s health, especially in managing life-stage hormonal challenges such as menopause or postpartum weight gain.

The study marks a major step forward in understanding how our brains regulate hunger and energy balance. By unlocking how neuroestrogen interacts with other hormones, researchers hope to develop innovative treatments that target appetite at its source—inside the brain.

***

Reference
DOI: 10.1111/febs.17426

About Fujita Health University
Fujita Health University (FHU) is a private medical university located in Aichi, Japan. Established in 1964, it houses one of the largest university hospitals in Japan. It's 900 member faculty provides diverse learning and research opportunities to medical students worldwide. Guided by its founding philosophy of "Our creativity for the people" Fujita Health University believes that it's students can shape the future through creativity and innovation. FHU has earned global recognition, ranking eighth among all universities and second among private universities in Japan in the 2020 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. The university ranked fourth worldwide in the 2024 THE University Impact Rankings for contributions to the "Good Health and Well-being" SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) of the United Nations (UN). In June 2021, the university made history as the first Japanese institution to host the THE Asia Universities Summit. In 2024, Fujita Health University was awarded the Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) Program by the Japanese government to establish an innovative academic drug discovery ecosystem and hub of a multi-university consortium for research and education.

Website: https://www.fujita-hu.ac.jp/en/index.html

About Associate Professor Takanori Hayashi from Fujita Health University School of Medicine
Dr. Takanori Hayashi is an Associate Professor of Anatomy and Medical Biology at Fujita Health University School of Medicine, where he also earned his PhD in medicine. He is recognized for his work bridging neurobiology and endocrinology to understand energy homeostasis. His research focuses on neuroestrogens, appetite regulation, breast cancer, and maternal health. Dr. Hayashi has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and contributed to over 15 research projects, as well as one book publication. He has led several projects funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and continues to advance the field of hormonal regulation and metabolic health.

Funding information
This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS KAKENHI, 17K16172 and 21K09527).

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Detecting Parkinson's disease with a simple retinal exam

2025-05-01

Could it be possible to diagnose Parkinson's disease with the help of a simple retinal exam? The idea should be seriously considered, according to a study published in the May issue of Neurobiology of Disease by researchers from Université Laval who discovered that the retina of people with Parkinson's disease responds differently to light stimuli than that of healthy people. Parkinson's disease is usually diagnosed when a person consults a doctor because of motor problems such as tremors. “By then, the disease has been present for several ...

Study opens the door for stronger evidence in bomb handling cases

2025-05-01

Scientists have for the first time provided insight into how bomb residue transfers to the hands of suspects, which could lead to stronger evidence in court. The study, which was led by a team from King’s College London and published today in the journal Science & Justice, investigated how explosive materials commonly found in pipe bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) transferred to the palms and fingers of individuals who handled them. The researchers learned that the amount that was handled and the unique characteristics of the handler were important determining factors. Surprisingly, ...

Guided VR meditations can reduce anxiety for parents of hospitalized children

2025-05-01

Parenting in the hospital is stressful. Moms and dads naturally focus on their ill child, sometimes to the neglect of their own mental health. A Stanford Medicine team has found an effective way to help: Using a virtual reality headset, parents of inpatients at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford can participate in a short, guided meditation that helps them relax and build healthy coping skills. The VR-guided meditation reduced parental anxiety by about 30% in a study that was published recently in the Journal of Patient Experience. It was especially helpful for Spanish-speaking families, ...

Poll reveals short-term thinking about long-term care

2025-05-01

Whether they’re counting on Medicare to pay for something it doesn’t currently pay for, thinking they can deal with the issue later, or thinking they won’t need it at all, a new poll reveals major gaps in knowledge and preparation regarding long-term care among Americans aged 50 and over. Nearly two-thirds (62%) believe Medicare would pay for their care if they needed to permanently move into a nursing home. But Medicare generally doesn’t cover this kind of care. It also doesn’t pay family caregivers to take care of someone at home. The poll also asked about Medicaid, which ...

Artificial sense of touch, improved

2025-05-01

PITTSBURGH, May 1, 2025 – University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists are one step closer to developing a brain-computer interface, or BCI, that allows people with tetraplegia to restore their lost sense of touch. While exploring a digitally represented object through their artificially created sense of touch, users described the warm fur of a purring cat, the smooth rigid surface of a door key and cool roundness of an apple. This research, a collaboration between Pitt and the University of Chicago, ...

New research reveals how physiology-inspired networks could improve political decision-making

2025-05-01

New York, NY — A study led by researchers at the Columbia Butler Aging Center and the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health has unveiled a groundbreaking framework for rethinking political decision-making—drawing inspiration from how the human body maintains stability and health. The findings are published in the npj Complexity, a Springer Nature publication. By using simulations modeled after physiological systems, the researchers explored how networked structures of decision-makers can be designed ...

Researchers find neurons in the fruit fly’s brain that tell it whether it’s moving straight ahead… or not

2025-05-01

When a fruit fly is navigating straight forward at high speed, why does it know that it’s not straying off course? Because as long as the fly moves directly forward, the visual scene shifts from front to back in a near-perfect mirror image across both retinas – generating, in other words, a symmetrical visual motion pattern. This pattern, known as “optic flow”, provides a powerful cue for detecting self-motion and maintaining direction. Moreover, at high speeds, as soon as the fly starts deviating ...

Intensifying farmland can sometimes degrade biodiversity more than expansion

2025-05-01

The intensification of existing farmland can sometimes be more harmful to local biodiversity than expanding the area covered by agricultural land, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers. They showed that neither expansion nor intensification is consistently better for biodiversity, as it varies by factors including region, crop type and local vegetation. The findings, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, challenge the conventional wisdom in favour of intensification, that encourages farmers to improve the productivity of existing farmland with techniques such as increased fertiliser and pesticide use. Lead author Dr Silvia ...

An intranasal albumin-based vaccine technology for induction of protective mucosal and systemic antibody immunity against respiratory virus

2025-05-01

Vaccines save millions of lives every year, but there is still an urgent need for more efficient vaccines. Strategies to combat serious outbreaks of viral infections are particularly important. Such infections are initiated at mucosal surfaces, where there is a close association between polarized epithelial cells and immune effector cells. However, vaccines are usually given intramuscularly or subcutaneously, and often do not provide sufficient protection at the actual site of infection. In the current paper, the laboratory ...

Mathematician solves algebra’s oldest problem using intriguing new number sequences

2025-05-01

A UNSW Sydney mathematician has discovered a new method to tackle algebra’s oldest challenge – solving higher polynomial equations. Polynomials are equations involving a variable raised to powers, such as the degree two polynomial: 1+ 4x - 3x2 = 0. The equations are fundamental to maths as well as science, where they have broad applications, like helping describe the movement of planets or writing computer programs. However, a general method for solving ‘higher order’ polynomial equations, where x is raised to the power of five or higher, has historically proven elusive. Now, UNSW Honorary ...

Neuroestrogen: The brain’s secret weapon against hunger

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: