Potential therapy helps treat diabetes

Scientists at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute have discovered a new signaling pathway between three organs - intestine, brain and liver - that can lower blood sugar if activated.

The group led by Dr. Tony Lam used mice to find fat that could activate a subset of nerves in the intestine, producing signals sent to the brain and then to the liver to lower the amount of glucose. or sugar production. But just consuming a high fat diet for three days is enough to interfere with this signal, disable it and prevent it from telling other organs to lower the blood glucose.

The work is published in the form of an article entitled 'Intestinal enteric-hepatocellular lipids capable of regulating glucose production' on the online edition of Nature's international science page. .

According to Dr. Lam, the holder of John Kitson McIvor Chair in Diabetes Research at Health Network University and University of Toronto 'This is a new approach to developing more effective ways to lower glucose levels. in the blood in people with diabetes or obesity '.

High levels of glucose can damage the eyes, nerves and kidneys, increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, blindness, erectile dysfunction, foot problems.(Photo: dav.gov.au)

Currently, people with diabetes must reduce their glucose levels by dieting, exercising, taking diabetes and insulin injections (usually several times a day) and must monitor the amount of glucose in blood regularly. High levels of glucose can damage the eyes, nerves and kidneys, increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, blindness, erectile dysfunction, foot problems and the possibility of amputation. Many laboratories around the world are fighting for effective alternatives that can lower the amount of glucose because of the serious consequences of excess blood sugar.

Dr. Lam stressed 'We already know that the brain and liver can regulate blood glucose levels, but the question is how can one of these organs be treated without the side effects? ? We can find a way around this problem by assuming that the gut is the original goal. Very close to a remote control device, the gut is capable of signaling the brain and in turn the brain signals the liver to lower glucose production. If new drugs can be developed to activate this mechanism of recognition in the intestine, we can get an effective method to curb the production of sugar in the body, which in turn can reduce Blood sugar in people with diabetes. '

He stressed that it will take years of testing to determine whether this method is effective and safe for people with diabetes.

More than two million Canadians have diabetes. According to Dr. Gary Lewis, Head of the Department of Endocrinology and Energy Metabolism at Health Network University and Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, as well as a lecturer in Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Toronto, 'Diabetes is now a disease Translation in Canada and around the world with the number of patients increases rapidly to an alarming level, consuming a lot of precious health care resources. We have evidence from medical trials that lowering blood sugar levels to normal in people with diabetes will have an important effect on preventing serious consequences. So it is of great importance for us to know how to control this content effectively and with less vulnerability. Dr. Lam's work revealed a new regulatory cycle that shows novel goals and areas for reducing obesity and diabetes blood sugar. '

Dr. Richard Weisel, Director of the Toronto Institute of General Research (TGRI), Professor and Head of Heart Surgery at the University of Toronto, said he welcomed any potential interventions that could help Reducing blood sugar 'Works have shown that people with high blood glucose levels are more likely to die from heart disease, so anything that can lower sugar levels will help reduce the process and risk of death of cardiovascular diseases. '

Dr. Diane Finegood, Scientific Director of the Institute of Nutrition, Energy and Diabetes Metabolism, part of the Canadian Health Research Institute (CIHR) said 'Tony's discovery is an exciting breakthrough that could be leading to new ways to treat diabetes. I am pleased that CIHR plays an important role in funding this project. '

Tested on mice, Dr. Lam and his colleagues designed and conducted a series of small experiments for the first time to show that fat entering the small intestine emits a neurotransmitter signaling the brain, which then transmits. signals down to the liver to lower glucose production and blood glucose levels little by little every 15 minutes. This decrease does not occur when the nerve between the intestine and brain or the brain and liver is cut or blocked. Glucose depletion also stopped working when mice were fed a high-fat diet for three days before the experiment, a finding that found high-fat consumers lost their signaling pathway. This benefit.