Among the neural systems responsible for food ingestion, the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway stands out by eliciting pleasure and motivation for chemical and natural rewards through the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This reward pathway is regulated by transmembrane dopaminergic receptors, which range from DRD1 to DRD5. Thus, considering the pleasurable effects aroused by food intake, it is plausible that genetic variations in genes of the dopaminergic system may have a role in the genetic architecture of obesity. This study aims to conduct a narrative review of the literature on the influence of genetic variants of dopaminergic receptors on obesity-related phenotypes. Taken together, the main findings of this review indicated that the genes encoding the DRD2 and DRD4 receptors may be the most relevant in the context of obesity and related phenotypes. However, obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease and new studies are still being conducted to better understand the impact of dopamine on obesity-related outcomes. It is also important to note that these effects can be specific to subgroups of patients and that other factors, in addition to genetic variants, must be considered.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.