Allopregnanolone involvement in feeding regulation, overeating and obesity.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing preclinical, mechanistic, and clinical observational data without systematic methodology
PubMed 28694181 · doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.07.002
What was done
This narrative review examined the role of allopregnanolone, a potent positive GABA-A receptor modulating steroid, in feeding regulation and obesity across mammalian models and human clinical conditions (including polycystic ovarian disease, pregnancy, and Prader-Willi syndrome).
What was found
Elevated allopregnanolone levels are linked to increased food intake, preference for energy-rich foods, and obesity in humans and other mammals. In women with polycystic ovarian disease, high serum allopregnanolone correlates with uncontrolled eating and altered neurosteroid sensitivity. Weight gain in pregnancy also correlates with rising allopregnanolone levels. In Prader-Willi syndrome, hyperphagia associates with loss of a GABA-A receptor and compensatory >12-, >5-, and >1.5-fold increases in α4, γ2, and α1/α3 subunits, as well as increases in the allopregnanolone-sensitive α4, βx, δ receptor subtype. No other numerical data were reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
Elucidating neurosteroid modulation of hypothalamic GABA-A receptors highlights a potential mechanism driving hyperphagia and weight gain in diverse metabolic conditions.
Limits
The abstract describes a narrative review with no systematic search criteria, meta-analytic pooling, or sample size reporting. Findings rely on mechanistic and observational correlations, limiting causal inference.
Cited by
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