Gonadal hormones are linked to mechanisms that govern appetitive behavior and its suppression. Estrogens are synthesized from androgens by the enzyme aromatase, highly expressed in the ovaries of reproductive-aged women and in the brains of men and women of all ages. We measured aromatase availability in the amygdala using positron emission tomography (PET) with the aromatase inhibitor [¹¹C]vorozole in a sample of 43 adult, normal-weight, overweight, or obese men and women. A subsample of 27 also completed personality measures to examine the relationship between aromatase and personality traits related to self-regulation and inhibitory control. Results indicated that aromatase availability in the amygdala was negatively associated with body mass index (BMI) (in kilograms per square meter) and positively correlated with scores of the personality trait constraint independent of sex or age. Individual variations in the brain’s capacity to synthesize estrogen may influence the risk of obesity and self-control in men and women.

性腺激素与控制食欲行为及其抑制的机制有关。雌激素是由雄激素通过芳香化酶合成的，芳香化酶在生殖年龄女性的卵巢以及各个年龄段的男性和女性的大脑中高表达。我们使用带有芳香化酶抑制剂的正电子发射断层扫描（PET）测量了杏仁核中芳香化酶的可用性[ ¹¹C]伏洛唑在43名成人，体重正常，超重或肥胖的男性和女性样本中进行。27个子样本还完成了性格测量，以检查芳香化酶与与自我调节和抑制控制有关的性格特征之间的关系。结果表明杏仁核中的芳香酶可用性与体重指数（BMI）呈负相关（以千克每平方米为单位），并且与人格特质约束的得分呈正相关，而不受性别或年龄的影响。大脑合成雌激素能力的个体差异可能会影响男性和女性肥胖和自我控制的风险。