Enterostatin is an endogenous pentapeptide fragment involved in the regulation of food intake.¹It is released from its precursor protein, procolipase, during digestion and acts in the peripheral and central nervous systems to reduce food, especially fat, intake through the vagus nerve in the periphery and κ-opioid-, serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtype 5-HT_1B-, and cholecystokinin-mediated signaling pathways in the brain.^1,2Enterostatin binds to mitochondrial complex V, also known as F₁F₀ATP synthase, in a cell-free assay and inhibits ATP production and increases thermogenesis in INS-1 insulinoma cells.³It reduces body weight in rats fed a high-fat diet but not mice fed a chow diet. Enterostatin (1 nmol, i.c.v) reduces food intake in wild-type, but not melanocortin receptor 4 knockout (Mc4r^-/-), mice.⁴It also enhances memory consolidation in mice in a passive avoidance test when administered at a dose of 300 mg/kg, an effect that can be blocked by the cholecystokinin 1 (CCK₁) receptor antagonist lorglumide .⁵

1.York, D.A., and Park, M.Enterostatin, a peptide regulator of dietary fat ingestionHandbook of biologically active peptides969-974(2006) 2.Lin, L., and York, D.A.5-HT1B receptors modulate the feeding inhibitory effects of enterostatinBrain Res.1062(1-2)26-31(2005) 3.Berger, K., Sivars, U., Winzell, M.S., et al.Mitochondrial ATP synthase—a possible target protein in the regulation of energy metabolism in vitro and in vivoNurtr. Neurosci.5(3)201-210(2002) 4.Lin, L., Park, M., and York, D.A.Enterostatin inhibition of dietary fat intake is modulated through the melanocortin systemPeptides28(3)643-649(2007) 5.Ohinata, K., Sonoda, S., Shimano, T., et al.Enterostatin (APGPR) enhances memory consolidation in micePeptides28(3)719-721(2007)