INJECTIONS that could cure a hangover have been developed by scientists.
Researchers found giving drunk mice a hormone called FGF21 helped sober them up.
GettyResearchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre have found a hormone injection that “can dramatically accelerate recovery from intoxication”[/caption]
The chemical, found naturally in the liver, sends signals to the brain to protect against the harmful effects of alcohol.
Dr Steven Kliewer, of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said boosting levels in the body with a jab “can dramatically accelerate recovery from intoxication”.
He said: “We’ve discovered the liver is not only involved in metabolising alcohol.
“It also sends a hormonal signal to the brain to protect against the harmful effects of intoxication, including both loss of consciousness and coordination.”
Alcoholism is one of the biggest sources of preventable disease in Britain, costing the NHS an estimated £3.5billion per year.
Regular drinking can cause cancer, liver failure, high blood pressure, depression and other mental health conditions.
Alcohol abuse claims around 9,000 lives a year in the UK and 95,000 in the US.
The NHS recommends men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week — the equivalent of six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine.
The latest study, published in Cell Metabolism, tested FGF21 in drunk mice to see how it reduced the effects of alcohol.
Mice with lower natural levels of the hormone took longer to recover from the booze.
But when they were given a shot, speeded up the time it took to come round – and get back their reflexes.
Co-author Dr David Mangelsdorf said: “Our studies reveal the brain is the major site of action for FGF21’s effects.
“We are now exploring in greater depth the neuronal pathways by which FGF21 exerts its sobering effect.”
The researchers said other studies will also be required to determine whether FGF21’s anti-intoxicant activity translates to humans.
Last year, a study found FGF21 halved the amount of booze monkeys hooked on alcohol drank.