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Oxytocin can weaken reward signals of high-calorie food images
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NEW ORLEANS — Men with obesity who are administered oxytocin may benefit from a weakening of brain connections involved in food reward and sensory processing of images of high-calorie foods, according to findings presented at the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting.
“Studies consistently show that in the state of obesity, there is hyperactivation of the reward-related brain circuitry in response to viewing pictures of palatable food,” Liya Kerem, MD, MSc, a pediatric endocrinology fellow at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said during a press conference. “This hyperactivation of food motivation brain areas might represent a therapeutic target, and oxytocin might be one of the therapeutic agents.”
Kerem and colleagues conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 10 men with overweight or obesity (mean age, 31.4 years; mean BMI, 28.9 kg/m2) using psychophysiological interaction analysis. The study was initiated based on previous research that identified a reduced blood-oxygen-level dependent signal in relation to high-calorie food stimuli in the ventral tegmental area — which is a primary source for the “reward circuitry of the brain,” according to Kerem — in men with obesity after 24 IU of nasally administered oxytocin.
After screening, participants made two visits; they received 24 IU of oxytocin after a 10-hour fast during the first visit and placebo during the second. Participants were shown images of high-calorie and low-calorie foods, as well as images of household objects, 1 hour after administration. During this time, brain activity was assessed by functional MRI.
In comparison to placebo, oxytocin reduced the connection between the ventral tegmental area and food motivation areas of the brain, such as the insula, somatosensory cortex, operculum, temporal gyrus, amygdala and hippocampus, according to the researchers. Kerem noted that this connection was evident only when participants viewed pictures of high-calorie foods.
“Since we know that overconsumption of high-calorie foods is a main contributor to obesity, targeting the hyperactivation of the reward areas with oxytocin may inhibit overeating behavior,” Kerem said. “Additional studies are currently taking place to explore the potential role of oxytocin as a therapeutic agent in obesity.” – by Phil Neuffer
Reference:
Kerem L, et al. OR20-2. Oxytocin significantly attenuates the functional connectivity between food motivation brain areas in overweight and obese men exposed to high caloric food images. Presented at: The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting; March 23-26, 2019; New Orleans.
Disclosures: Kerem reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the abstract for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.