When pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP), a peptide and hormone produced by neurons, was administered in a specific area of the brain called the "central amygdala", it reduced the intake of food and led to weight loss, the researchers said.
According to the researchers, PACAP is known for its food intake and body weight effects in the hypothalamus (the area of the brain known for controlling appetite).
However, this is the first report of PACAP effects in the amygdala, a region of the brain outside the hypothalamus, involved in fear and emotional component of eating.
The study was conducted on male rats.
"We found that amygdalar PACAP reduces the amount of food eaten within meals, but not how many meals are consumed," said Valentina Sabino, assistant professor of pharmacology and psychiatry at BUSM.
"In addition, we found that PACAP reduced the rate of intake of food. This means that, following administration of PACAP, models were eating more slowly," Sabino added.
The study appeared in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.