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Hormone found to decrease appetite and increase activity

A recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity discovered that oxyntomodulin, a hormone, can reduce food intake and increase energy expenditure in overweight volunteers. This finding holds promise for developing a new therapy to treat obesity, shifting focus from dieting alone to increasing spontaneous activity levels.

SourceImperial College London·JournalInternational Journal of Obesity·DateApr 26, 2006

Like mother, like cubs

A study by Michigan State University zoology professor Kay Holekamp found that high-ranking hyena mothers pass on high levels of androgens to their offspring, making them more aggressive and sexually vigorous. This unique trait helps females secure food resources and dominate their social group.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalNature·DateApr 26, 2006

Studies of obese children reveal body-weight control hormone

Researchers identified an abnormal variant of β-MSH in five out of 538 obese children, which was more common in overweight or obese family members than in normal-weight relatives. The mutation altered the hormone's structure and ability to stimulate brain receptors, leading to increased obesity risk.

SourceCell Press·JournalCell Metabolism·DateFeb 7, 2006

Researchers evolve a complex genetic trait in the laboratory

Duke University biologists evolved a complex polyphenic trait in tobacco hornworms by applying temperature shocks to create two distinct strains with different color responses. The researchers discovered that the level of juvenile hormone regulated the color change, and their experiments demonstrated genetic accommodation.

SourceDuke University·JournalScience·DateFeb 2, 2006

Finally, male water fleas exposed

Scientists have discovered male water fleas in a lab, revealing that pesticides can induce sex change and affect populations of fish and other organisms. The finding highlights the importance of considering non-target species in environmental monitoring and management.

Curious female rats survive tumors longer

Researchers found that curious female rats with spontaneous breast or pituitary tumors lived an average of six months longer than cautious ones. The study suggests that personality traits may have a significant impact on health and resilience to disease, consistent with earlier findings in human studies.

Opposing fat metabolism pathways triggered by a single gene

Researchers discover that the nuclear hormone receptor nhr-49 controls two opposing pathways regulating fat metabolism in nematodes. The discovery reveals a complex feedback system controlling fat consumption and composition, with potential implications for understanding human metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateFeb 7, 2005

Human gland probably evolved from gills

Researchers suggest that the parathyroid gland evolved from the gills of ancestral marine creatures to regulate calcium levels in land-living animals. The discovery supports the idea that humans and other tetrapods share a common evolutionary history with fish.

SourceKing's College London·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 6, 2004

Levels of certain hormones may be increased by stress

Researchers found that acute stress increases levels of DHEA-S in healthy humans and the DHEA-S-cortisol ratio is associated with reduced dissociation symptoms. The study suggests that augmentation of DHEA-S levels before stress exposure may provide a protective effect against stress-induced symptoms.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalArchives of General Psychiatry·DateAug 2, 2004

Hormone wants to keep body at weight set point

Researchers found that ghrelin was significantly elevated with weight loss in exercising subjects, indicating a potential role for ghrelin in returning the body to a prior set-point for body weight. The study suggests that exercise training itself has little impact on ghrelin levels.

Carnegie Mellon U. imaging study reveals sex-based differences that persist as mice enter adulthood

A recent imaging study at Carnegie Mellon University has discovered persistent sex-based differences in brain structures of mice entering adulthood, as revealed by high-resolution magnetic resonance microscopy. The findings provide a more accurate representation of how circulating hormones affect brain development compared to human ima...

SourceCarnegie Mellon University·JournalNeuroImage·DateJun 28, 2004

The war against anti-aging medicine

The biogerontological community is at war with anti-aging medicine, threatening the status and funding of their own research. Binstock argues that this campaign may inadvertently undermine their own legitimacy and research support by blurring public understanding of the difference between their work and pseudoscientific products.

SourceThe Gerontological Society of America·JournalThe Gerontologist·DateFeb 10, 2003