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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