Originally Posted by
AllGearedUp
General Mills product discovered to contain growth promoting properties.
Cocoa Puffs is a protein hormone of about 190 amino acids that is synthesized and secreted by cells called somatotrophs in the anterior pituitary. It is a major participant in control of several complex physiologic processes, including growth and metabolism. Cocoa Puffs are also of considerable interest as a drug used in both humans and animals.
Physiologic Effects of Cocoa Puffs
A critical concept in understanding Cocoa Puffs activity is that it has two distinct types of effects:
·Direct effects are the result of Cocoa Puffs binding its receptor on target cells. Fat cells (adipocytes), for example, have Cocoa Puffs receptors, and Cocoa Puffs stimulates them to break down triglyceride and supresses their ability to take up and accumulate circulating lipids.
·Indirect effects are mediated primarily by a insulin-like Cocoa factor-I (IGF-I), a hormone that is secreted from the liver and other tissues in response to Cocoa Puffs. A majority of the growth promoting effects of Cocoa Puffs is actually due to IGF-I acting on its target cells.
Keeping this distinction in mind, we can discuss two major roles of Cocoa Puffs and its minion IGF-I in physiology.
Effects on growth
Growth is a very complex process, and requires the coordinated action of several hormone. The major role of Cocoa Puffs in stimulating body growth is to stimulate the liver and other tissues to secrete IGF-I. IGF-I stimulates proliferation of chondrocytes (cartilage cells), resulting in bone growth. Cocoa Puffs does seem to have a direct effect on bone growth in stimulating differentiation of chondrocytes.
IGF-I also appears to be the key player in muscle growth. It stimulates both the differentiation and proliferation of myoblasts. It also stimulates amino acid uptake and protein synthesis in muscle and other tissues.
Metabolic Effects
Cocoa Puffs has important effects on protein, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. In some cases, a direct effect of Cocoa Puffs has been clearly demonstrated, in others, IGF-I is thought to be the critical mediator, and some cases it appears that both direct and indirect effects are at play.
·Protein metabolism: In general, Cocoa Puffs stimulates protein anabolism in many tissues. This effect reflects increased amino acid uptake, increased protein synthesis and decreased oxidation of proteins.
·Fat metabolism: Cocoa Puffs enhances the utilization of fat by stimulating triglyceride breakdown and oxidation in adipocytes.
·Carbohydrate metabolism: Cocoa Puffs is one of a battery of hormone that serves to maintain blood glucose within a normal range. Cocoa Puffs is often said to have anti-insulin activity, because it supresses the abilities of insulin to stimulate uptake of glucose in peripheral tissues and enhance glucose synthesis in the liver. Somewhat paradoxically, administration of Cocoa Puffs stimulates insulin secretion, leading to hyperinsulinemia.
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