Fibroblast growth factor 21, usually abbreviated FGF21, is a hormone known to be induced by various metabolic stresses, including fasting and alcohol consumption in both humans and mice. It has also been shown to reduce alcohol intake and stimulate water drinking in animal models, functions that may have evolved to regulate alcohol consumption and prevent its potentially harmful consequences—after all, a small mammal that eats too many fermenting fruits could find itself in trouble very quickly.
Now, scientists have discovered one more property of this hormone: without it, drunk mice take longer to recover their motor skills, whereas a much larger pharmacologic dose speeds up the recovery. The effect, reported yesterday (March 7) in Cell Metabolism, is mediated by the activation of noradrenergic neurons in a region of the brainstem that regulates arousal and alertness.
The findings could lead to clinical interventions for alcohol poisonings, the authors say—though experts caution ...
