Skin Epidermal Keratinocyte p53 Induces Food Uptake Upon UV Exposure
December 2023
in “
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
”
TLDR UVB exposure increases appetite by activating p53 in skin cells.
The study investigates the role of p53 in epidermal keratinocytes in appetite stimulation following UVB exposure. It was found that conditional knockout of p53 in these cells reduced food intake in mice exposed to UVB. Behavioral tests indicated that loss of p53 also led to anxiety-related behaviors without affecting activity levels. The findings suggest that UVB exposure activates p53, increasing β-endorphin levels, which in turn influences appetite. This positions UVB as a significant environmental factor affecting systemic behavior, with potential implications for treating eating and anxiety-related disorders.