A brain cell that stops over-eating has been identified by scientists, paving the way to potential new anti-obesity treatments.
Tests showed that switching off the satiety neurons caused mice to eat more, and double their weight in three weeks.
When the cells' function was restored, the mice reduced the amount they ate each day by about 25 per cent.
Scientists found the cells in a small brain region called the paraventricular nucleus, which was already known to send and receive signals related to appetite and food intake.
"When the type of brain cell we discovered fires and sends off signals, our laboratory mice stop eating soon after," Dr Richard Huganir, director of the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said.
"The signals seem to tell the mice they've had enough."
A particular enzyme, OGT, was found to play a key role in the process by stimulating synaptic connections between the cells.
When the gene for OGT was silenced, the mice over-ate. Although they consumed the same number of meals as normal mice, they ate bigger portions.
Measurements of neuronal electrical activity showed that without OGT the cells lacked synaptic input.
"That result suggests that, in these cells, OGT helps maintain synapses," Dr Huganir said.
"The number of synapses on these cells was so low that they probably aren't receiving enough input to fire. In turn, that suggests that these cells are responsible for sending the message to stop eating."
The findings are published in the latest edition of the journal Science.
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