PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Sniffing out calories: Hormone linked to nose's ability to locate food

2011-04-13
(Press-News.org) CINCINNATI—The hormone ghrelin, known to promote hunger and fat storage, has been found to enhance exploratory "sniffing" in both animals and humans.

The research, by University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists, suggests that ghrelin may be designed to boost detection of calories in our environment through smell and link those inputs with natural regulation of metabolism and body weight.

Led by Jenny Tong, MD, and Matthias Tschöp, MD, both of UC's endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism division, the study appears in the April 13, 2011, issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.

"Smell is an integral part of feeding and mammals frequently rely on smell to locate food and discriminate among food sources," says Tong. "Sniffing is the first stage of the smell process and can enhance odor detection and discrimination."

The research team tested both rats and humans. Rats were given ghrelin and monitored for sniff frequency using a video-based behavior analysis system set to record the movement of the nose tip. The investigators also measured the ability of the rats to detect specific odors mixed in water.

Human subjects were evaluated before and after ghrelin infusion using a sniff magnitude test (SMT) developed at the University of Cincinnati by co-investigator Robert Frank, PhD. Subjects were instructed to take a natural sniff of several odorants using the SMT canister and rate the smells in order of pleasantness. Software connected to the canister allowed researchers to measure sniff pressure to determine overall sniff magnitude.

Data for both humans and rats show ghrelin enhanced odor detection and exploratory sniffing.

"Other studies have shown that hunger can enhance odor detection and sniffing in animals," says Tschöp. "Since ghrelin is a hunger-inducing stomach hormone that is secreted when the stomach is empty, this hormone pathway may also be responsible for the hunger-induced enhancement of sniffing and odor detection."

The scientists say this study could open up new avenues connecting metabolic control, chemo-sensation and behavioral neuroscience research. Future studies will explore the exact molecular pathways through which ghrelin affects sniff behavior.

### The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Pig stem cell transplants: The key to future research into retina treatment

2011-04-13
A team of American and Chinese scientists studying the role of stem cells in repairing damaged retina tissue have found that pigs represent an effective proxy species to research treatments for humans. The study, published in STEM CELLS, demonstrates how stem cells can be isolated and transplanted between pigs, overcoming a key barrier to the research. Treatments to repair the human retina following degenerative diseases remain a challenge for medical science. Unlike species of lower vertebrates the human retina lacks a regenerative pathway meaning that research has ...

Accidental Deaths in New York: What are the Common Causes?

2011-04-13
There are thousands of ways to classify a death: city officials categorize accidental deaths in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island using approximately 6,000 codes. Given the wide array of options in defining accidental death, an exhaustive list of the top contributors is a slippery concept. But, while lists may vary, there is a general hierarchy to sources of unintended tragedy. Unsurprisingly, motor vehicle accidents are the number one source of accidental deaths. Those 19-30 years old are most likely to be killed in traffic accidents, although ...

First galaxies were born much earlier than expected

First galaxies were born much earlier than expected
2011-04-13
Using the amplifying power of a cosmic gravitational lens, astronomers have discovered a distant galaxy whose stars were born unexpectedly early in cosmic history. This result sheds new light on the formation of the first galaxies, as well as on the early evolution of the Universe. Johan Richard, the lead author of a new study [1] says: "We have discovered a distant galaxy that began forming stars just 200 million years after the Big Bang. This challenges theories of how soon galaxies formed and evolved in the first years of the Universe. It could even help solve the ...

Austin Jury Intolerant of Investment Fraud, Awards Man $1.6M

2011-04-13
A Travis County jury recently awarded a Texas man $1.6 million in damages resulting from business fraud committed by businessman and broker Christopher Bounds. Bounds worked for Merrill Lynch in Austin, where he conducted several business transactions that came to be the subject matter of the District Court lawsuit. Plaintiff David Fernea accused Bounds of committing investment fraud and theft through the sale of stock in two telemarketing businesses. In the sales agreement, Bounds was to transfer his business interests in Austrends Inc. and Bounds and Pinto Marketing ...

Birds inherited strong sense of smell from dinosaurs

Birds inherited strong sense of smell from dinosaurs
2011-04-13
ATHENS, Ohio (April 12, 2011) – Birds are known more for their senses of vision and hearing than smell, but new research suggests that millions of years ago, the winged critters also boasted a better sense for scents. A study published today by scientists at the University of Calgary, the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine tested the long-standing view that during the evolution from dinosaurs to birds, the sense of smell declined as birds developed heightened senses of vision, hearing and balance for flight. The team compared ...

New clue found for Fragile X syndrome-epilepsy link

New clue found for Fragile X syndrome-epilepsy link
2011-04-13
Individuals with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability, often develop epilepsy, but so far the underlying causes are unknown. Researchers have now discovered a potential mechanism that may contribute to the link between epilepsy and fragile X syndrome. The protein that is missing in fragile X syndrome, FMRP, controls the production of a protein that regulates electrical signals in brain cells, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found. The results were published April 13 in the Journal of Neuroscience. Individuals ...

Options for Arizona Homeowners When Debt Becomes Overwhelming

2011-04-13
In recent years, the United States has seen one of the most uncertain economic times in its history. The housing market has suffered perhaps more than any other area of our economy. According to CoreLogic, over 10.8 million homes are underwater, where the borrower owes more than the home is worth. That number is actually down from the second quarter of 2010, when over 11 million properties were underwater. But CoreLogic cautions that the decline in the number of properties with negative equity may be a result of a spike in foreclosures as opposed to a rebound in the ...

Hunger hormone enhances sense of smell

2011-04-13
An appetite-stimulating hormone causes people and animals to sniff odors more often and with greater sensitivity, according to a new study in the April 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings suggest ghrelin may enhance the ability to find and identify food. Researchers led by Jenny Tong, MD, and Matthias Tschöp, MD, at the University of Cincinnati found the appetite-related hormone also influences smell. The new study shows ghrelin, made mainly in the stomach, binds to molecules in the brain's olfactory bulb, suggesting the hormone is directly involved in ...

Study links heart disease risk factors to some cognitive decline

Study links heart disease risk factors to some cognitive decline
2011-04-13
Older adults at risk for stroke have significantly increased risk for some types of cognitive decline, according to a multicenter study led by University of California scientists. The study, which involved 73 older women and men who had not had a stroke and did not have dementia, showed that participants had substantially greater risk for decline in some aspects of "executive function" – specifically in verbal fluency and the ability to ignore irrelevant information. Verbal memory and short term, or "working memory," were not affected. The finding is reported in a ...

Travelzest's VFB Holidays Announces Special Offers to France

2011-04-13
Travelzest owned VFB Holidays has revealed it is cutting the cost of going to France with a special promotional offer on return ferry crossings, running right through till the 30th of April 2011. The special offers will mean that customers can book a holiday cottage in France with VFB Holidays at any time during the month of April 2011 and they will get a discounted rate on a return ferry crossing with Sea France, which will save them GBP226 on the normal peak crossing rate for a car. The offer is exclusive to VFB Holidays and gives travellers the ability to make ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists reverse Alzheimer’s in mice using nanoparticles

‘Good’ gut bacteria boosts placenta for healthier pregnancy

USC team demonstrates first optical device based on “optical thermodynamics”

Microplastics found to change gut microbiome in first human-sample study

Artificially sweetened and sugary drinks are both associated with an increased risk of liver disease, study finds

Plastic in the soil, but not as we know it: Biodegradable microplastics rewire carbon storage in farm fields

Yeast proteins reveal the secrets of drought resistance

Psychiatry, primary care, and OB/GYN subspecialties hit hardest by physician attrition

New Canadian study reveals where HIV hides in different parts of the body

Lidocaine poisonings rise despite overall drop in local anesthetic toxicity

Politics follow you on the road

Scientists blaze new path to fighting viral diseases

The mouse eye as a window to spotting systemic disease

AI and the Future of Cancer Research and Cancer Care to headline October 24 gathering of global oncology leaders at the National Press Club: NFCR Global Summit to feature top scientists, entrepreneurs

FDA clears UCLA heart tissue regeneration drug AD-NP1 for clinical trials

Exploring the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol for Alzheimer's

We need a solar sail probe to detect space tornadoes earlier, more accurately, U-M researchers say

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): Disease risk but not remission status determines transplant outcomes – new ASAP long-term results

Sperm microRNAs: Key regulators of the paternal transmission of exercise capacity

Seeing double: Clever images open doors for brain research

Inhaler-related greenhouse gas emissions in the US

UCLA Health study finds inhalers for asthma and COPD drive significant greenhouse gas emissions

A surgical handover system for patient physiology and safety

Cardiovascular health changes in young adults and risk of later-life cardiovascular disease

Nurse workload and missed nursing care in neonatal intensive care units

How to solve the remote work stalemate – dissertation offers tools for successful hybrid work

Chip-based phonon splitter brings hybrid quantum networks closer to reality

Texas Children’s researchers create groundbreaking tool to improve accuracy of genetic testing

Milken Institute, Ann Theodore Foundation announce more than $2.5 million in new funding for sarcoidosis research and launch new call for proposals

Boston University professor to receive 2025 Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award

[Press-News.org] Sniffing out calories: Hormone linked to nose's ability to locate food