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UNE researchers identify brain centre controlling 'the munchies'

October 17, 2005

PaulMallet.thumb.JPGIn exploring the link between cannabis and hunger, scientists at The University of New England have discovered chemical processes in the brain that could be exploited in the treatment of conditions such as anorexia and obesity.

"An increase in appetite, or the so-called 'munchies', is a well-known side effect of smoking marijuana," said Dr Paul Mallet, a leading researcher on the function of cannabis-like chemicals ("cannabinoids") occurring naturally in the brain. "However, the way in which the brain controls the hunger-inducing effect of cannabis was not well understood - until now."

Dr Mallet (pictured here) and Dr Aaron Verty, using laboratory rats, discovered that appetite is greatly increased by injecting the cannabis extract THC directly into the brain region called the "paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus" (PVN). "For years I have been trying to identify the purpose of cannabinoid substances that are released within numerous brain regions, including the PVN," Dr Mallet said. "The cannabinoid system plays a role in the 'rewarding' effects of addictive drugs, and it is also involved in the transmission of pain signals. My previous work revealed that brain cannabinoids play a role in learning and memory (or, perhaps more precisely, in forgetting)."

"Our latest finding that appetite is increased by injecting THC into the PVN suggests that natural brain cannabinoids and their receptors play an important role in normal appetite regulation," Dr Mallet continued. "The fact that smoking cannabis stimulates appetite is probably just a side effect caused by the overstimulation of cannabinoid receptors within the PVN."

Dr Verty (now a postdoctoral researcher at Monash University) said this discovery could lead to the development of new, more effective treatments for abnormal body weight. "Cannabis and commercially-produced cannabis extracts are being used by patients who need to gain weight, such as those suffering from anorexia, HIV, or chemotherapy-induced weight loss," he said. "Also, drugs that block brain receptors for cannabis are undergoing successful trials in the treatment of obesity. We hope our new discovery will lead to the development of more specific cannabinoid-based treatments, having fewer side effects than cannabis itself."

The study will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal "Neuropharmacology".


Media contact: Dr Paul Mallet, School of Psychology, UNE (02) 6773 3725 (e-mail: paul.mallet@une.edu.au), or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

The photograph of Dr Paul Mallet displayed here is available at:
http://photodatabase.une.edu.au/albums/incoming/2005/press/Paul%20Mallet7.JPG

Posted by Jim Scanlan at October 17, 2005 04:29 PM