Appetite suppression based on selective inhibition of NPY receptors.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this review is to critically assess available evidence that blockade of the actions of NPY at one of the five NPY receptor subtypes represents an attractive new drug discovery target for the development of an appetite suppressant drug.


RESULTS
Blockade of the central actions of NPY using anti-NPY antibodies, antisense oligodeoxynucleotides against NPY and NPY receptor antagonists results in a decrease in food intake in energy-deprived animals. These results appear to show that endogenous NPY plays a role in the control of appetite. The fact that NPY receptors exist as at least five different subtypes raises the possibility that the actions of endogenous NPY on food intake can be adequately dissociated from other effects of the peptide. Current drug discovery has produced a number of highly selective NPY receptor antagonists which have been used to establish the NPY Y(1) receptor subtype as the most critical in regulating short-term food intake. However, additional studies are now needed to more clearly define the relative contribution of NPY acting through the NPY Y2 and NPY Y5 receptors in the complex sequence of physiological and behavioral events that underlie the long-term control of appetite.


CONCLUSIONS
Blockade of the NPY receptor may produce appetite-suppressing drugs. However, it is too early to state with certainty whether a single subtype selective drug used alone or a combination of NPY receptor selective antagonists used in combination will be necessary to adequately influence appetite regulation.
Chamorro
S
S
Division of Metabolic Diseases, Institut de Recherches Servier, Suresnes, France.
Della-Zuana
O
O
Fauchère
J-L
JL
Félétou
M
M
Galizzi
J-P
JP
Levens
N
N
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D001067:Appetite Depressants; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015195:Drug Design; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D020319:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D017476:Receptors, Neuropeptide Y / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism
D000906:Antibodies; D001067:Appetite Depressants; D009281:Naphthalenes; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D020319:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense; D011743:Pyrimidines; D017476:Receptors, Neuropeptide Y; C116786:CGP 71683 A