French scientists have developed a drug which, they say, can offer protection against diet-related obesity by tricking the body into burning fat.
The drug, SRT1720, is chemically related to resveratrol, a polyphenol present in red wine that is believed to have longevity-promoting properties. Tests on mice showed that a low daily dose of the drug partially protected mice fed a high-fat diet for 15 weeks from gaining weight. Whilst a higher daily dose of SRT1720 fully prevented the animals from gaining any weight.
Further tests revealed that SRT1720, which works by switching the metabolism to a fat-burning mode that is normally only active when energy levels are low, also reduced triglyceride, cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and insulin levels. In addition, mice given the drug were able to run approximately twice as far as control animals in an endurance exercise test, thus suggesting that SRT1720 significantly improves exercise endurance.
Feige JN, Lagouge M, Canto C, Strehle A, Houten SM, Milne JC, Lambert PD, Mataki C, Elliott PJ, Auwerx J. Specific SIRT1 Activation Mimics Low Energy Levels and Protects against Diet-Induced Metabolic Disorders by Enhancing Fat Oxidation. Cell Metabolism. 2008;7:104-112.
