Potential therapies to help treat diabetes

Scientists at the Institute of Toronto General Hospital have discovered a new signaling pathway between three organs - the gut, brain and liver - may lower blood sugar if enabled.

Group led by Dr. Tony Lam use the mouse to find out the fat can activate a subset of nerves in the intestine, generated signals are sent to the brain and then to the liver to lower glucose levels or the production of sugar. But just consumed a high-fat diets in three days is enough to signal interference, the disabled, and making it impossible for other agencies reported lower blood glucose levels.

This work has been published as an article called "The fat in the intestine gut-brain axis formation-liver has the ability to regulate glucose production" in the online edition of the international specialized scientific sites Nature .

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

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

Currently, people with diabetes to reduce glucose levels by diet, exercise, oral antidiabetics and insulin injections (usually several times a day) and to monitor glucose levels in Regular blood. High glucose levels 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 scrambling to find alternative measures can effectively lower glucose levels because of the serious consequences due to the excess sugar in the blood cause.

Dr. Lam emphasized, "We know the brain and liver can adjust the amount of glucose in the blood, but the question here is how can a therapist in these two agencies which do not suffer the side effects ? We can find a way to bypass this problem by showing that the gut is the initial target. Very close with a remote control device, the gut is able to deliver signals to the brain and brain turn signals the liver to lower glucose production. If these medicines can be developed to enable recognition mechanisms in the gut, we can get an effective method to inhibit the production of sugar by the body, which can reduce blood glucose levels of people with diabetes. "

Dr. emphasizes that it will take years of testing to determine whether this approach is effective and safe for people with diabetes.

More than two million Canadians suffer from diabetes. According to Dr. Gary Lewis, Head of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of energy Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, and is a lecturer Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Toronto, the "Diabetes is a disease now Translation in Canada and around the world with the number of patients increased to alarming levels, consume a lot of resources valuable health care. We have evidence from clinical trials showed that lowering blood sugar to normal levels in people with diabetes will have a significant impact on the prevention of serious consequences. So we understand how to control the content of an effective and less vulnerability great importance. The work of Dr. Lam has unveiled a new round of conditioning showed targets and new areas to lower blood sugar in people with diabetes and obesity. "

Dr. Richard Weisel, Director of General Studies Institute Toronto (TGRI), Professor and Chairman of the Department of Heart Surgery at the University of Toronto, said he welcomes any potential interventions that may help reduce blood sugar, "The work has demonstrated that the levels of glucose in the blood are more likely to die from heart disease, so anything that can help lower the amount of sugar will help reduce process and the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. "

Dr. Diane Finegood, Scientific Director of the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes Energy, part of the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) said, "The discovery of Tony is an exciting breakthrough could lead to new treatment for diabetes. I am pleased that CIHR played an important role in the financing of this project. "

Mice, Dr. Lam and colleagues designed and performed a series of experiments showed that the first small fat enters the small intestine generate afferent nerve signals to the brain, the brain then passes signal to the liver to reduce the production of glucose and glucose in the blood by little every 15 minutes. This decline does not occur when the nerve between the gut and the brain or between the brain and liver were removed or blocked. The process reduces glucose also deactivated when mice were fed a high-fat diet for three days prior to the experiment, the findings show that people who consume more fat loss signal transmission This benefit.