Researchers Discover Snake Metabolite That Suppresses Appetite in Obese Mice
Pythons exhibit an extraordinary metabolic adaptation, consuming large prey such as an antelope in a single meal and then fasting for extended periods. Scientists have now identified a molecule in python blood that appears to be central to this ability, which could inform the development of new obesity drugs.
This python metabolite, which increases sharply in their bloodstream after feeding, was administered to obese mice, resulting in reduced food intake and rapid weight loss. Researchers suggest the molecule might have effects comparable to existing drugs like Wegovy.
“Obviously, we are not snakes,” said Dr Jonathan Long, an associate professor of pathology at Stanford University and co-author of the research. “But maybe by studying these animals, we can identify molecules or metabolic pathways that also affect human metabolism.”
Burmese pythons can grow over 5 metres (16ft) long and weigh nearly 100kg (220lbs). In their natural habitat, they consume prey that can weigh as much as their own body weight. Following a meal, a python’s heart enlarges by 25% and its metabolism accelerates by 4,000 times to facilitate digestion. Subsequently, they can fast for 12 to 18 months without apparent adverse effects.
Study Focused on Metabolites Linked to Post-Feeding Heart Growth
The research initially aimed to identify metabolites involved in the rapid heart growth pythons experience after feeding. Blood samples were collected from young Burmese pythons weighing approximately 1.5kg to 2.5kg before and after consuming a meal equal to about 25% of their body weight. The snakes had fasted for 28 days prior to feeding.
Scientists detected over 200 molecules that significantly increased in the pythons’ blood within hours post-feeding. Among these, one molecule, named pTOS, rose more than 1,000-fold. This metabolite is produced by the snake’s gut bacteria and is also found at low levels in human urine. Dr Long commented,
“We wondered whether this metabolite affected any of the post-feeding physiological changes in the snake.”
When pTOS was administered to laboratory mice, it did not produce noticeable changes in energy expenditure or organ size. However,
“What it did regulate was the appetite and feeding behaviours of the mice,”
Dr Long added.
Obese mice treated with pTOS consumed significantly less food than control mice and lost 9% of their body weight after 28 days.
Distinct Mechanism Compared to GLP-1 Drugs
The molecule appears to function differently from GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, which partly work by delaying stomach emptying. This delay prolongs feelings of fullness but is also associated with side effects like nausea, constipation, and stomach pain. In contrast, pTOS seems to act on the hypothalamus, a brain region known to regulate appetite.
Prof Leslie Leinwand, a biologist at the University of Colorado Boulder who has studied pythons for two decades and co-authored the research, stated,
“We’ve basically discovered an appetite suppressant that works in mice without some of the side-effects that GLP-1 drugs have.”
Prof Leinwand noted that further research is required before clinical application of these findings, but since pTOS naturally occurs in humans, it is expected to be safe.
“I have a healthy respect for snakes,” Leinwand added. “We can learn so much from these animals that have evolved to do extreme things.”
The study’s findings are published in the journal .
