LG839: Anti-obesity effects and polymorphic gene correlates of reward deficiency syndrome

• Published in: Advances in therapy Vol. 25; no. 9; pp. 894 - 913
• Main Authors: Blum, Kenneth, Chen, Amanda L. C., Chen, Thomas J. H., Rhoades, Patrick, Prihoda, Thomas J., Downs, B. William, Waite, Roger L., Williams, Lonna, Braverman, Eric R., Braverman, Dasha, Arcuri, Vanessa, Kerner, Mallory, Blum, Seth H., Palomo, Tomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer Healthcare Communications 01-09-2008
• Subjects: Anti-Obesity Agents - therapeutic use; Appetite - drug effects; Cardiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietary Supplements; Endocrinology; Feeding Behavior - drug effects; Genotype; Health technology assessment; Humans; Hyperphagia - drug therapy; Internal Medicine; Leptin - genetics; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) - genetics; Obesity - genetics; Obesity - therapy; Oncology; Original Research; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Polymorphism, Genetic; PPAR gamma - genetics; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A - genetics; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - genetics; Retrospective Studies; Reward; Rheumatology; Syndrome; Weight Loss - drug effects; weight loss; LG839; reward deficiency syndrome; neurotransmitters; obesity; sugar craving behavior
• ISSN: 0741-238X; 1865-8652
• DOI: 10.1007/s12325-008-0093-z

Introduction
This study systematically assessed the weight management effects of a novel experimental DNA-customized nutraceutical, LG839 (LifeGen®, Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA).
Methods
A total of 1058 subjects who participated in the overall D.I.E.T. study were genotyped and administered an LG839 variant based on polymorphic outcomes. A subset of 27 self-identified obese subjects of Dutch descent, having the same DNA pattern of four out of the five candidate genes tested (chi-square analysis) as the entire data set, was subsequently evaluated. Simple
t
tests comparing a number of weight management parameters before and after 80 days of treatment with LG839 were performed.
Results
Significant results were observed for weight loss, sugar craving reduction, appetite suppression, snack reduction, reduction of late night eating (all
P
<0.01), increased perception of overeating, enhanced quality of sleep, increased happiness (all
P
<0.05), and increased energy (
P
<0.001). Polymorphic correlates were obtained for a number of genes (
LEP, PPAR-γ2, MTHFR, 5-HT2A
, and
DRD2
genes) with positive clinical parameters tested in this study. Of all the outcomes and gene polymorphisms, only the DRD2 gene polymorphism (A1 allele) had a significant Pearson correlation with days on treatment (
r
=0.42,
P
=0.045).
Conclusion
If these results are confirmed in additional rigorous, controlled studies, we carefully suggest that DNA-directed targeting of certain regulator genes, along with customized nutraceutical intervention, provides a unique framework and strategic modality to combat obesity.