Viagra was able to help mice lose weight

Viagra melted the fat deposits of mice during a study

13/01/2013

Apparently, active ingredients help in the sexual enhancer „Viagra“ in the process of breaking down excess fats in the body. At least that was the result of a study with mice recently conducted by scientists at the University of Bonn. „The obese mice lost weight after being given sildenafil for a longer period of time“, the researchers summarized. Whether the results can also be transferred to humans is not yet clear. Even self-attempts with Viagra should be avoided if possible. After all, the remedy is not without side effects and can even lead to death in individual cases.

Drug melted fat deposits
The drug sildenafil, better known as Viagra, has shown unexpected effects in research work. In laboratory experiments with mice, the drug converted normal white fat cells and allowed to melt excess fat deposits of the animals. Furthermore, the agent seems to lose typical inflammatory reactions due to obesity, as Bonn scientists report in The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). The pharmaceutical industry is already exulting a potentially existing approach in the fight against massive overweight (obesity). But the scientists warn: „The effect is not tested in humans. No one should just take the blue pills, for example, to get rid of winter bacon“.

Actually, erectile dysfunction in men is symptomatically treated with sildenafil. In this case, the active ingredient in a signal chain of the messenger substance attacks „cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)“ on. Thus, the influx of blood into the erectile tissue of the limb and thus an erection is possible. The remedy should actually be used conceptually as a circulatory drug until researchers found out that Viagra can also temporarily repair erection problems.

Mice lost weight
Now scientists have again discovered an unexpected mode of action. Already some time ago physicians and researchers became aware of the now investigated effect. Previous studies have also shown that mice lose significant weight if they are given sildenafil in the diet for a longer period of time. So far, it has always been unknown why this is so.

„We have been researching the effect of cGMP on fat cells for a long time“, says Prof. Alexander Pfeifer, Director of the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology. „That's why sildenafil was a potentially interesting candidate for us.“ His research team, together with other scientists, investigated the effect of Viagra on the fat cells of mice. During the experimental setup, the animals were given sildenafil for a total of seven days.

Hope for obesity and secondary diseases
„The effects were amazing“ Study author Ana Kilic reports. The drug converted the white fat cells into brown fat cells in the animals. The benefit of this is that brown fat cells burn food energy and convert it into heat, says research leader Pfeifer. Because sildenafil simply minimized fat deposits in the trial, the drug was a hope to support the treatment for obesity in the future. Finally, obesity is a major risk factor in the development of diabetes, cancer, stroke or heart attack.

The scientists made another observation: white fat cells get bigger and smaller. If the body continues to gain a lot of calories, the cells also enlarge and additionally emit messenger substances into the organism. These substances cause inflammation, which is considered to be hazardous to health. „The reactions, for example, develop cardiovascular diseases with heart attack and stroke or cancer and diabetes“. Sildenafil could obviously make sure that the rodents „The fat cells are not so easy to get on the wrong path“, reports Pfeifer. During the study, the development of white cells overall appeared in the mice „to get healthier“.

Do not take Viagra on your own
The research should now continue. The Bonn scientists hope for interesting results. „Sildenafil can not only reduce erectile dysfunction but also positively influence the risks of obesity“, says Piper. Maybe here a lever was found to turn the white into brown fat cells. The lever could help obese patients lose weight in the future. In addition, secondary diseases caused by massive obesity could be prevented by the drug. „However, this still needs to be explored further“, emphasize the scientists.

In no case should Viagra now be taken on its own permanently. „We are in the stage of basic research - the investigations have so far only been done on mice“, emphasizes Piper. It would take a few more years before an adequate drug was conceived. (Sb)

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