Details for Patent: 5,554,623
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| Title: | Method for the long term reduction of body fat stores, insulin resistance, hypersinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in vertebrates |
| Abstract: | A process for the long term modification and regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism--generally to reduce obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia or hyperglycemia, or both (these being the hallmarks of noninsulin dependent, or Type II diabetes)--by administration to a vertebrate, animal or human, of a dopamine agonist and a prolactin stimulator. The dopamine agonist and prolactin stimulator are administered in daily dosages, respectively, at a time of day dependent on the normal circadian rhythm of fat and lean members of a similar species. Decreases in body fat deposits result by treatment of an obese species on a daily timed sequence based on circadian rhythms of the peak prolactin, or peak prolactin and peak glucocorticosteroid, blood level established for lean insulin sensitive members of a similar species. The dopamine agonist is administered at the time of, or just after the time of peak plasma prolactin concentration found in lean animals of the same species and the prolactin stimulator is administered at a time just before the plasma prolactin rhythm reaches its peak in lean animals. Insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia or hyperglycemia, or both, can also be controlled in humans on a long term basis by treatment corresponding to that of the treatment for obesity. The short term daily injections reset hormonal timing in the neural centers of the brain to produce long term effects. |
| Inventor(s): | Cincotta; Anthony H. (Andover, MA), Meier; Albert H. (Baton Rouge, LA) |
| Assignee: | Ergo Science Incorporated (Charlestown, MA) The Board of Supervisors of Louisiana University and Agricultural and (Baton Rouge, LA) |
| Filing Date: | May 26, 1994 |
| Application Number: | 08/249,808 |
| Claims: | 1. A method for modifying and regulating at least one of lipid and glucose metabolism in a vertebrate animal or human subject in need of such treatment comprising: administering a prolactin stimulator to said subject on a timed daily basis at a predetermined time of day in a dosage amount sufficient to increase hormonal prolactin level in the blood of said subject; and continuing said administration for a period of time sufficient to modify and reset on a long-term basis the subject's daily prolactin cycle to cause it to mimic the peak of the daily prolactin cycle of a lean healthy member of the same species, thereby achieving in said subject at least one of the following modifications in lipid and glucose metabolism: decrease in insulin resistance, reduction in fat stores, suppression of hyperinsulinemia and reduction of hyperglycemia. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said subject is a human and wherein said administration is continued for a period of time sufficient to modify and reset on a long-term basis the subject's daily prolactin cycle to cause it to mimic the night time peak of the daily prolactin cycle of a lean healthy human. 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising discontinuing said administration after said period of time, said modification persisting over the long-term after cessation of said administration. 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the prolactin stimulator is administered on a timed daily basis to said subject in an amount and for a period of time sufficient to modify and reset on a long-term basis the daily cycles of both prolactin and glucocorticosteroid in said subject. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the timed daily dosage of the prolactin stimulator is given daily, once a day, over a period ranging from about 10 days to about 150 days, the prolactin stimulator being administered in an amount within the range from about 10 micrograms to about 100 micrograms per pound of body weight. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said subject is a human and the timed dosages of the prolactin stimulator are given daily, once a day, in an amount ranging from about 10 micrograms to about 100 micrograms, per pound of body weight. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the prolactin stimulator is selected from the group consisting of metoclopramide, haloperidol, pimozide, phenothiazine, sulpiride, chlorpromazine and serotonin agonists. 8. The method of claim 1 comprising further administering to said subject thyroid hormone, daily, in an amount within the range from about 0.1 milligrams to about 0.4 milligrams. 9. A method for modifying and resetting the neural phase oscillations of the brain which control prolactin levels in the bloodstream of a vertebrate animal or human subject, the method comprising administering a prolactin stimulator to said subject on a daily basis at a time predetermined to produce a change of the plasma prolactin rhythm of said subject to mimic that of a lean insulin-sensitive subject, said administration continuing for a period of time sufficient to modify at least one of the following: increase the cellular sensitivity of the subject to insulin, reduce hyperinsulinemia and reduce hyperglycemia, said modification persisting after cessation of said administration. 10. A method for modifying and resetting the neural phase oscillations of both the prolactin and glucocorticosteroid rhythms in an obese insulin resistant vertebrate animal or human subject, which comprises administering a prolactin stimulator to said obese insulin-resistant subject on a daily basis at a time of day shortly before the prolactin level will peak in the blood of a lean insulin-sensitive member of the same species, in a dosage amount ranging from about 10 micrograms to about 100 micrograms, per pound of body weight, and continuing the administration over a period of time sufficient to at least begin reducing the fat deposits in the body of the obese insulin resistant subject to that of the lean insulin-sensitive member, such that on cessation said administration the fat deposits in the body of the treated subject, will continue to be reduced until they correspond substantially with that of the lean insulin-sensitive member, said substantial correspondence being thereafter maintained on a long-term basis. 11. A method for modifying lipid and glucose metabolism in a lean human in need of such treatment the method comprising: administering a prolactin stimulator to said lean human daily at a predetermined time of the day that will cause the prolactin level in the blood of said lean human to peak at substantially the same time of day as prolactin level peaks in an obese human, thereby causing the body fat content of said lean human to increase. 12. A method for modifying and regulating at least one of lipid and glucose metabolism in a human in need of such treatment, said method comprising administering metoclopramide to said human on a timed daily basis at a predetermined time of day in a dosage amount sufficient to increase hormonal prolactin level in the blood of said human; continuing said administration for a period of time sufficient to modify and reset on a long-term basis the prolactin daily cycle of said human to mimic the night time peak of the prolactin daily cycle of a lean healthy human, thereby achieving in said human at least one of the following long-term results: a reduction in insulin resistance, a reduction in fat stores, suppression of hyperinsulinemia and a reduction in hyperglycemia. 13. A method for modifying and regulating at least one of lipid and glucose metabolism in a vertebrate animal or human subject in need of such treatment comprising administering daily to said subject at a predetermined time of day the prolactin stimulator metoclopramide wherein said predetermined time of day is shortly before the daily peak of the prolactin level of a lean healthy member of the same species as said subject, in an amount sufficient to increase hormonal prolactin level in the blood of said subject to cause said subject's daily prolactin level to peak at about the same time as the daily prolactin level of said lean healthy member of the same species. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said subject is a human. 15. A method for treating Type II diabetes in a vertebrate animal or human subject in need of such treatment comprising administering to said subject a prolactin stimulator on a daily basis at a predetermined time of day in a dosage amount sufficient to increase the hormonal prolactin level in the bloodstream of said subject; and continuing said administration for a period of time sufficient to modify and reset on a long-term basis the daily prolactin cycle of said subject to mimic the peak of the prolactin cycle of a lean healthy member of the same species, thereby achieving in said subject at least one of a decrease in insulin resistance, reduction of hyperinsulinemia and reduction of hyperglycemia, with or without concomitant reduction of body fat stores in said subject. 16. The method of claim 15 wherein after lapse of said period of time, said administration is discontinued but the modification and reset of the prolactin cycle of said subject persist thereafter on a long-term basis. 17. The method of claim 15 wherein said subject is a human and said peak is the night time peak of the daily prolactin cycle of a lean healthy human. |
