In the 1940s, Some Physicians Prescribed Low Doses of a Drug

question 49

Essay

In the 1940s, some physicians prescribed low doses of a drug called dinitrophenol (DNP) to help patients lose weight. This unsafe drug was quickly abandoned after a few patients died. DNP affects cells by uncoupling the chemiosmotic machinery and making the inner mitochondrial membrane ʺleakyʺ to hydrogen ions.
Explain how DNP caused weight loss and, ultimately, death in these dieters.

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Definitions:

Hippocampus

A major component of the brains of humans and other vertebrates, involved in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation.

Prospective Memory

The aspect of memory that involves remembering to perform a planned action or recall a planned intention at some future point in time.

Context-dependent Memory

Context-dependent memory refers to the improved recall of specific information when the context present at encoding and retrieval of the information is the same.

Memory Reconsolidation

The process by which previously consolidated memories are recalled and then stored again for long-term memory.