Researcher
Urszula Iwaniec
(October 21, 2015) Delivering
the hormone leptin directly to the brain through gene therapy aids weight loss
without the significant side effect of bone loss, according to new
collaborative research from Oregon State University and University of Florida.
Rapid or significant weight loss through dieting can trigger
bone loss. Loss of bone density, in turn, can lead to increased susceptibility
to bone fractures in older adults, which can have a debilitating effect on
quality of life.
The bone loss is most concerning in people whose weight
fluctuates due to “yo-yo” dieting, or repeated cycles of weight gain and loss,
because bone lost during weight loss is not typically regained when the person
gains weight again, said Urszula Iwaniec, an associate professor in the College
of Public Health and Human Sciences at OSU.
“Weight loss is generally good for you if you are seriously
overweight, but bone loss can cause significant problems later in life,” said
Iwaniec, whose research focuses on metabolic bone disease and bone health.
“What we are trying to determine is whether there is a way to lose excessive
weight while preserving bone density.”
In the study, rats who received leptin had a weight
reduction of about 20 percent, but they did not have any bone loss. The rats
that lost weight were able to maintain that weight loss. They also had large
reductions of abdominal fat, also known as “bad” fat, which is known to
contribute to weight-related health problems.
The findings were published this week in the Journal of
Endocrinology. Co-authors of the paper included Russell Turner, director of
OSU’s Skeletal Biology Lab, and several Oregon State University faculty, as
well as researchers from the University of Florida. The study was supported by
grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.