Research

Hormonal

Peripheral administration of alpha-MSH restores the feeding rhythm and induces weight loss in mPer2-deficient mice by compensating for the disrupted hypothalamic alpha-MSH pulse.

For individuals with circadian eating disorders like night-eating syndrome, restoring the body's natural alpha-MSH rhythm might be key. This study shows that replacing this hormone can reduce food intake and weight, even on a high-fat diet. This supports the potential for targeted hormonal therapies for circadian-based obesity.

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Peripheral injection of alpha-MSH, which has been shown to enter the brain, restored the feeding rhythm and induced weight loss in mPer2-/- mice.
Shutong Yang et al. · Endocrinology · 2009

Why this rating

Clear cause-and-effect demonstrated in controlled animal trials.

Source

The Role of mPer2 Clock Gene in Glucocorticoid and Feeding Rhythms

Shutong Yang et al. · Endocrinology · 2009

DOI 10.1210/en.2008-0705

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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