Appetite Depends on Brain Chemical

A brain chemical called malonyl-CoA, an intermediate in the production of fatty acids, may be the most potent brain regulator of appetite, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. They found that brain levels of the chemical are low when mice have not eaten for a while, and much higher directly after feeding.

In separate experiments, they found that a drug that increases malonyl-CoA levels reduces appetite, while one that blocks production of the chemical increases appetite.