薬理と治療

Abstract

Background　Obesity is a crucial contributing factor to the development of various lifestyle-related diseases. Phytostenone, a derivative of phytosterol, is a candidate for improving lipid and glucose metabolism. We investigated the effect of application of compound phytostenone cream（stenone cream）to the abdominal skin daily for eight weeks on fat and lipid╱glucose metabolism in overweight adult women（BMI≥25）. Methods　This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study. Abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fats were measured using a computed tomography. Results　The results showed that there was an increase in visceral fat in the placebo group and a decrease in the stenone group, while no significant difference was found in subcutaneous fat of the subjects. With heavier subjects the stenone group showed a significant reduction in visceral fat compared with the placebo group. The blood glucose levels in the stenone group were significantly reduced at Week 8. A strong negative correlation was found between baseline leptin levels and the change in visceral fat in the placebo group, however, no correlation was found in the stenone group. Conclusions　These results suggest that the very simple method of applying stenone cream to the abdomen can improve fat and blood glucose levels. （UMINID: 000039249）（Jpn Pharmacol Ther 2022；50：1215‒27）