The obsession with thinness seen throughout Europe and North America in the twen

Question

The obsession with thinness seen throughout Europe and North America in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries is a trend that developed during the late 1800s. prior to the 1800s, the concept of beauty was completely different. 'Full figure' women were quite desirable as seen in art from the 1700s and 1800s, when women were depicted as being curvaceous. The weight loss pill of choice in the 1930s was a drug called dinitrophenol (DY-NY-troth-FEE-noll). It became very popular as a weight-loss remedy despite the fact that it was originally used as a pesticide. Hundreds of thousands of Americans took dinitrophenol, which acted to 'prevent food energy from being turned into fat'. Not surprisingly, the drug was found to be poisonous not only to bugs but also to humans. Side effects included blindness, skin rashes, extremely high fevers and death. It was drugs like dinitrophenol that led the U.S Congress to enact the Food. Drug and Cosmetics Act in 1938 to help regulate substances marketed as drugs to the public. 2,4-Dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP, or simply DNP, C6H4N2O5, acts as an inhibitor of efficient energy(ATP) production in cells with mitochondria(eukaryotic cells). DNP acts to 'uncouple' oxidative phosphorylation by puncturing holes in the mitochondrial membrane. What does uncouple mean in the context above? What is being 'uncoupled' from what? Why was DNP such a good diet drug? (Explain why people could eat whatever they wanted and still lose weight.) What is the mechanism of death? (Why is DNP lethal?)

Explanation / Answer

1. what is uncoupled ?

The DNP affects the mitochondrial membrane potential by acting as proton inophores and collapsed the hydrogen gradient which was otherwise used for ATP synthesis. Thus by acting as proton inophores, DNP uncoupled the ATP synthesis.

2. Why was DNP such a good diet drug ?

DNP inhibits the ATP synthase molecule and thereby abolishing high cellular energy transfer molecule ATP, major application of transfer of energy within body cells. The body converts ADP to ATP high energy source and after utilization converted to adenosine phosphate. DNP inhibits ATP synthesis and the excess energy is not able to reutilized by the body system and expelled as heat and this resulted in burning of 50% calorie which supported as diet drug.

3. DNP lethal?

Rapid oxidation of fat tissue by DNP results with accumulation of free radicals and also phenol is carcinogenic.Due to over heat production cause sweating, lack of energy resulted with various allergic reactions like muscle soreness, carbohydrates cravings and insomnia leads to acute toxicity of the biological system and death.

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