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

Molecular imaging finds link between obesity and low estrogen levels

2011-06-07
(Press-News.org) San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—A new study presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting could throw open the door to a recently established area of obesity research. Investigators have developed a novel molecular imaging agent that targets estrogenic mechanisms in the brain to find out what effect an enzyme called aromatase has on body mass index (BMI), a measurement of body fat based on height and weight. Aromatase is crucial for the production of estrogen in tissues throughout the body, including the brain.

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980. As of 2008, an estimated 1.5 billion adults were overweight, and in 2010 nearly 43 million children under the age of five were overweight.

"We used this imaging agent to evaluate the amount of aromatase activity in the brain regions related to eating behaviors, such as the hypothalamus and amygdala, in both overweight and normal weight subjects. We were really surprised to see the highest correlation between aromatase availability and BMI happening in the amygdala, which controls emotional memory," says Gene-Jack Wang, MD, senior scientist and chair of the medical department at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N.Y. "Our eating is not only controlled by the hunger centers in the brain. It is also related to memory, and that could have a big impact on a person's eating behavior. This agent could potentially translate into a number of new studies evaluating estrogen and obesity, food intake and appetite suppression."

For this study, five healthy overweight subjects and 13 normal-weight subjects of the same age were chosen to undergo positron emission tomography, a molecular imaging technique that provides digital representations of physiological functions of the body. Subjects were injected before imaging with the novel imaging agent (C-11)vorozole, which is composed of a medical isotope bound with an aromatase inhibitor that binds strongly with the active sites of the enzyme in the brain. This allowed investigators to track and quantify the availability of this enzyme to selected areas of the brain associated with hunger and feeding behavior.

A significant correlation was found between high BMI of subjects and decreased uptake of the aromatase inhibitor. Imaging agent uptake was decreased in the hypothalamus (25 percent less), thalamus (27 percent less) and amygdala (30 percent less) in subjects with high BMI. This means that there was less availability of the enzyme in these selected brain regions. There was also a strong inverse correlation between low BMI and imaging agent uptake in the amygdala, meaning BMI was less in subjects showing higher aromatase availability. These findings suggest that there is decreased availability of aromatase in the brains of overweight subjects, conceivably leading to reduced availability of estrogen and potentially less control over appetite and food intake, resulting in weight gain; however, further studies need to be conducted to validate the relationship between estrogen synthesis and high BMI.

Future studies could be introduced to screen eating behaviors of obese subjects in order to further validate the correlation between BMI and estrogen availability in the brain. Based on the current research, theoretically the less estrogen available to the brain, the less control patients may have over their appetite. Studies moderating estrogen and feeding behavior could result in novel drugs for appetite suppression and perhaps even reduction of BMI. This is just the first step toward discovering the mechanisms behind appetite, BMI and estrogen availability.

INFORMATION:

Scientific Paper 340: G. Wang, A. Biegon, F. Telang, J. Logan, S. Won Kim, M. Jayne, N. Volkow, J. Fowler, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N.Y.; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD; "Decreased brain aromatase availability in overweight humans," SNM's 58th Annual Meeting, June 4-8, 2011, San Antonio, TX.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Cancer-seeking 'smart bombs' target kidney cancer cells

2011-06-07
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Researchers are halting kidney cancer with a novel form of radioimmunotherapy that zeroes in on antigens associated with renal cell carcinoma. Patients with progressive kidney cancer receiving up to three doses of the therapy show dramatic slowing of cancer growth and stabilization of their disease. "This study is another step forward in developing a cancer therapy that has the potential to provide additional treatment options for patients with renal cell carcinoma," says Wim Oyen, MD, professor and chairman of the department of nuclear ...

High-impact radiopeptide therapy halts neuroendocrine cancer

2011-06-07
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Research introduced at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting could be a sign of hope for patients with neuroendocrine cancer not responding well to standard therapies. Most radiotherapies use medical isotopes that emit beta radiation. The therapy in this study employs alpha particles, which have potential for higher potency. In fact, one single atom could be enough to kill an entire cancer cell. "Until now, the usage of alpha radionuclides was limited to direct injection into the tumor or the use of only very small doses," says Clemens Kratochwil, ...

New pretargeted radioimmunotherapy for colorectal cancer

2011-06-07
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Investigators at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting are presenting results from a phase 1 clinical trial for a cancer therapy that has the potential to kill colorectal tumors with less destruction of healthy tissue. Further research could lead to the use of this radioimmunotherapy to eliminate residual cancer after surgery or as a standard treatment to keep tumors from returning or spreading to other organs. "Compared to the conventional way of guiding radiation to tumors with radiolabeled antibody, pretargeted radioimmunotherapy offers an attractive ...

Combined imaging agents advance PET imaging of cancer

2011-06-07
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Research presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting is taking targeted molecular imaging to a new level by combining two commonly used imaging agents into one molecular imaging procedure. The combination of these agents creates a comprehensive examination of the extent of cancer spread within a variety of organ systems in the body. "During a time when health care costs are under intense scrutiny, consolidated procedures such as this one that provide comprehensive imaging data are a benefit to everyone—to clinicians, healthcare administrators ...

New approaches open up in spinal muscular atrophy

2011-06-07
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the leading genetic cause of death in children under 2, with no treatment other than supportive care. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Early Edition, week of June 6), researchers at Children's Hospital Boston show how loss or mutation of the SMA gene causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, and suggest a promising approach to treating the condition, sometimes referred to as a "Lou Gehrig's disease of babies." Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, affects one in every 1 in 6,000-10,000 infants, but an estimated ...

PET imaging determines malignancy in potential ovarian cancer cases

2011-06-07
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—A study presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting may provide a new tool for detection of malignant-stage ovarian cancer. Researchers found that positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT), which images both functional and anatomical changes in the body, was useful for preoperative cancer imaging of ovarian masses when used with a radiotracer that is actively metabolized by cells as fuel. Physicians imaging patients suspected of having malignant tumors can see where cancerous cells are hyper-metabolizing the tracer and accurately ...

Gamma imaging provides superior tumor detection for dense breasts

2011-06-07
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—A study revealed at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting is comparing the breast-tumor detection capabilities of two very different imaging technologies—breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI), which provides functional images of breast physiology, and ultrasound—for women with complex breast imaging cases that require further evaluation. Many women who have dense breast tissue (radiodense breasts) are difficult to image using mammography, currently the gold standard of breast imaging. For women whose mammograms are not clear enough to determine whether ...

Oatmeal-labeling ideal for molecular imaging of stomach emptying

2011-06-07
San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Patients undergoing molecular imaging to evaluate their stomach's ability to clear food are going to have an altogether new kind of breakfast. A study presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting has confirmed that nuclear medicine technologists can effectively use oatmeal products radiolabeled with a medical isotope to target and image the emptying of the stomach. "The current standard for molecular imaging of gastric emptying is radiolabeling egg meal, but there are patients who, either due to lifestyle choices or allergies, cannot eat eggs," ...

BUSM study finds higher adherence to dash-style diet reduces excess weight gain in adolescent girls

2011-06-07
(Boston) - Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers found that girls who followed the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet pattern had a lower incidence of excess weight gain as measured by body mass index (BMI) over the 10-year period of their adolescence. These findings are reported in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Obesity is a major public health problem, with 17 percent of American children overweight and 67 percent of adults either overweight or obese. Excess weight during childhood leads to numerous health problems ...

Virtual water cannot remedy freshwater shortage

2011-06-07
The implementation of virtual water into trading deals has been suggested as a realistic solution to solving the global inequality of renewable freshwater, but new research suggests that it may not be as revolutionary as first thought. In a study published today, Tuesday 7 June, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, researchers have claimed that virtual water is unlikely to increase water use equality, primarily because the existing amount of virtual water is not large enough to overcome the inequalities that exist. Lead author David Seekell, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

[Press-News.org] Molecular imaging finds link between obesity and low estrogen levels