'The Skinny' on Nicotine and Weight Loss (2 of 5) (IMAGE)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

'The Skinny' on Nicotine and Weight Loss (2 of 5)

Caption

Nicotine activates nerve cells that signal satiety. The POMC neurons are found in the hypothalamus, a brain area critical for feeding and energy balance, and their activity decreases food intake. Nicotine increases a marker of activity (c-Fos) in these cells. This image relates to an article that appeared in the June 10, 2011, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. Yann S. Mineur of Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and colleagues was titled, "Nicotine Decreases Food Intake Through Activation of POMC Neurons."

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