Further exploration of the possible influence of polymorphisms in HTR2C and 5HTT on body weight

Bah, Jessica; Westberg, Lars; Baghaei, Fariba; Henningsson, Susanne; Rosmond, Roland; Melke, Jonas; Holm, Göran; Eriksson, Elias

doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2009.11.007

« Previous Next »Metabolism - Clinical and Experimental
Volume 59, Issue 8 , Pages 1156-1163, August 2010

Further exploration of the possible influence of polymorphisms in HTR2C and 5HTT on body weight

Jessica Bah
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Box 431, SE- 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +46 31 786 34 48; fax: +46 31 82 10 85.
Lars Westberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Box 431, SE- 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
Fariba Baghaei
- The Cardiovascular Institute, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
Susanne Henningsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Box 431, SE- 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
Roland Rosmond
- The Cardiovascular Institute, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
Jonas Melke
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Box 431, SE- 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
Göran Holm
- The Cardiovascular Institute, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
Elias Eriksson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Box 431, SE- 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden

Received 27 March 2009; accepted 5 November 2009. published online 21 January 2010.

Abstract

Receptors of the 5-HT2C subtype are of importance for the influence of serotonin on food intake, and 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms in this gene (HTR2C)—Cys23Ser (rs6318) and −759C>T (rs3813929)—have been reported to be associated with weight and/or antipsychotic-induced weight gain. The present study aimed to replicate these associations; in addition, the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) was assessed. The polymorphisms were genotyped in subjects recruited from the normal population (n = 510), and possible associations between genotype and body mass index (BMI) were assessed. The Ser23 allele was more common in underweight subjects (BMI <20) than in normal- and overweight (BMI ≥20) subjects (P = .006). The T allele of the −759C/T polymorphism was less common in the overweight group (BMI ≥25) (P = .007). Homozygosity for the short allele of 5-HTTLPR was more frequent in underweight subjects (P = .015). Our results are in agreement with previous studies, suggesting polymorphisms in HTR2C to be associated with body weight, particularly in women; and they also suggest that 5-HTTLPR may influence this phenotype. Further studies on the importance of the investigated genes for eating disorders and drug-induced weight gain are warranted.