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Updated: May 25, 2026

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model
Published on: September 7, 2013
Genetic association study between antipsychotic-induced weight gain and the melanocortin-4 receptor gene
N I Chowdhury1, A K Tiwari, R P Souza
1Neurogenetics Section, Department of Neuroscience, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Abstract:
Antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG) may result in the metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia (SCZ) patients. Downstream variants of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene have been associated with obesity in various populations. Thus, we examined single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MC4R region for association with AIWG in SCZ patients. Four SNPs (rs2229616, rs17782313, rs11872992 and rs8087522) were genotyped in 224 patients who underwent treatment for SCZ and were evaluated for AIWG for up to 14 weeks. We compared weight change (%) across genotypic groups using analysis of covariance for three SNPs (r²≤0.8). European-ancestry patients who were rs8087522 A-allele carriers (AG+AA) on clozapine gained significantly more weight than non-carriers (P=0.027, n=69). These observations were marginal after correction for multiple testing. We performed in vitro electrophoretic mobility-shift assay that suggested that the presence of the A-allele may create a transcription factor-binding site. Further investigation is warranted for both these exploratory findings.
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