DeepSummary
A team of researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center discovered that the hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) plays a crucial role in sobering up mice after alcohol consumption. Mice lacking FGF21 took twice as long to recover from alcohol's effects, while injecting FGF21 into intoxicated mice helped them regain coordination and consciousness faster.
The researchers, Steve Cleaver and David Mangelsdorf, initially found that alcohol consumption induces high levels of FGF21 in both mice and humans. They conducted experiments with FGF21 knockout mice, which showed impaired recovery from alcohol's effects, and then demonstrated that injecting FGF21 into drunk mice reversed the effects of alcohol more rapidly.
FGF21 not only helps sober up mice but also appears to suppress their desire for alcohol and promote water consumption to prevent dehydration. The researchers aim to further study the effects of FGF21 on decision-making, heart rate, and breathing, as well as explore its potential therapeutic applications as an "amethystic" agent for alcohol intoxication.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) plays a crucial role in helping mice sober up from alcohol intoxication.
- Mice lacking FGF21 took longer to recover from alcohol's effects, while injecting FGF21 into intoxicated mice helped them regain coordination and consciousness faster.
- FGF21 not only helps sober up mice but also appears to suppress their desire for alcohol and promote water consumption to prevent dehydration.
- The researchers aim to further study the effects of FGF21 on decision-making, heart rate, and breathing in relation to alcohol intoxication.
- FGF21 has potential therapeutic applications as an "amethystic" agent for reversing or mitigating the effects of alcohol intoxication.
- The discovery of FGF21's role in alcohol intoxication was surprising and unexpected, leading the researchers to shift their focus and explore this aspect further.
- The pharmaceutical industry has shown interest in developing "amethystic agents" to counter alcohol intoxication, making the FGF21 research valuable.
- The researchers draw a parallel between the ancient Greek belief in amethyst crystals as a cure for drunkenness and the potential of FGF21 as a modern "amethystic agent."
Top Episodes Quotes
- “This has been the most exciting project that I've worked on in my career, I have to say the most interesting.“ by Steve Cleaver
- “And as scientists, we're always interested in making a discovery on a new pathway or mechanism. But what makes it, particularly in this case, attractive is that it has a potential therapeutic use that would be phenomenally helpful.“ by David Mangelsdorf
- “The pharmaceutical industry has been interested in trying to discover amethystic agents in the past.“ by David Mangelsdorf
- “Amethyst crystals were believed by the Greeks to cure drunkenness. And what FGF 21 essentially is, is an amethystic agent, one that would be.“ by David Mangelsdorf
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Episode Information
60-Second Science
Scientific American
1/17/24