MONDAY, Jan. 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Scientists say they’ve identified an enzyme in rats that might dampen the toxic effects of excess sugar on cells and may someday point to treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans.
At issue: Can scientists manipulate the fuel processing system inside body cells? As diabetes specialist Dr. John Wilding explained, cells try to maintain a balance between two types of fuel — glucose (sugar) and lipids (fat).
“If glucose levels are high, then the cell will use glucose as a fuel. But this switches to fat if fat levels are high,” said Wilding, who had no role in the study.
If levels of both fat and sugar are high, diseases such as type 2 diabetes can develop, said Wilding, a professor of medicine at University Hospital Aintree in Liverpool, England.
In the new study, Canadian researchers said they’ve discovered an enzyme in liver and pancreas cells in rats that they call glycerol 3-phosphate phosphatase.
“We show that this enzyme controls glucose, fat and energy metabolism,” said study co-author Marc Prentki, professor of nutrition and biochemistry at Montreal Diabetes Research Center, referring to the way the body processes fuel.
The research also shows that the enzyme has the potential to prevent cell poisoning from excess consumption of sugar and fats, said co-author S.R. Murthy Madiraju, a senior scientist at Montreal University Health Center.
This means the enzyme might have the potential to combat obesity and diabetes, he said.
Although the laboratory results are preliminary, experts sound cautiously optimistic.
“The research doesn’t only help us better understand why people develop obesity and diabetes,” said Dr. Joel Zonszein, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at University Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York City. “It can also eventually be helpful in designing new medications for the prevention and treatment of these common disorders,” said Zonszein, who wasn’t involved in the study.
But hopefulness aside, whether it could actually translate to new treatments for conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of abnormalities linked to heart disease and diabetes — isn’t known.
“The relevance to human health and disease is uncertain,” said Wilding. He also added that the research comes with many caveats.
It could be difficult to replicate the enzyme’s effects through a medication, he said. When researchers have tried to make this kind of approach work, he added, there’s either no effect or side effects.
Also, the research is in rat cells, not whole rats or people. “There is always a risk in trying to translate work done in cells to whole [animals], and an even greater step to go from rat cells to human treatments,” Wilding said. Research with animals often fails to provide similar results in humans.
The study appears in the Jan. 11 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For more about monitoring blood sugar levels, see the American Diabetes Association.
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Wanasayansi wanasema wamegundua enzyme katika panya ambayo inaweza kupunguza athari za sumu za sukari ya ziada kwenye seli na inaweza siku moja kuelekeza kwa matibabu ya unene wa kupita kiasi na aina ya kisukari cha 2 kwa wanadamu. Swali: Je, wanasayansi wanaweza kudhibiti mfumo wa kuchanganua mafuta ndani ya chembe za mwili? Kama alivyoeleza Dakt. John Wilding, mtaalamu wa ugonjwa wa kisukari, chembe hujaribu kudumisha usawaziko kati ya aina mbili za mafuta - glukosi (sukari) na lipidi (mafuta). <unk>Ikiwa viwango vya glukosi ni vya juu, basi chembe itatumia glukosi kama mafuta. Lakini hii hubadilika kuwa mafuta ikiwa viwango vya mafuta ni vya juu, "alisema Wilding, ambaye hakuwa na jukumu katika utafiti huo. "Ikiwa viwango vya mafuta na sukari ni vya juu, magonjwa kama vile ugonjwa wa kisukari wa aina ya 2 yanaweza kutokea, ""alisema Wilding, profesa wa dawa katika Hospitali ya Chuo Kikuu cha Aintree huko Liverpool, Uingereza." Watafiti wa Canada wamegundua enzyme katika chembe za ini na kongosho katika panya inayoitwa glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase. "Tunaonyesha kwamba enzyme hii inadhibiti glucose, mafuta na nishati metabolism, "alisema utafiti mwandishi Marc Prentki, profesa wa lishe na biochemistry katika Montreal Diabetes Research Center, akirejelea njia mwili mchakato mafuta. """ Utafiti huo pia unaonyesha kwamba enzyme hiyo ina uwezo wa kuzuia sumu ya seli kutokana na matumizi ya ziada ya sukari na mafuta, alisema mwandishi mwenza S.R. Murthy Madirou, mwanasayansi mwandamizi katika Kituo cha Afya cha Chuo Kikuu cha Montreal. Hii inamaanisha kwamba enzyme hiyo inaweza kuwa na uwezo wa kupambana na unene wa kupita kiasi na ugonjwa wa kisukari, alisema. Ingawa matokeo ya maabara ni ya awali, wataalamu wana maoni yenye kutumainiwa. "Utafiti huu hautusaidia tu kuelewa vizuri kwa nini watu wanakuwa wanene kupita kiasi na wanapatwa na ugonjwa wa kisukari,"" alisema Daktari Joel Zonszein, mkurugenzi wa Kituo cha Ugonjwa wa Kisukari cha Chuo Kikuu cha Hospitali, Chuo cha Tiba cha Albert Einstein, New York City." "Hata hivyo inaweza hatimaye kuwa na manufaa katika kubuni dawa mpya kwa ajili ya kuzuia na matibabu ya matatizo haya ya kawaida", alisema Zonszein, ambaye hakuwa na kushiriki katika utafiti. Lakini, ikiwa inaweza kutafsiriwa kuwa matibabu mapya kwa hali kama vile ugonjwa wa kisukari wa aina ya 2, unene wa kupita kiasi na ugonjwa wa metabolic - kundi la kasoro zinazohusiana na ugonjwa wa moyo na kisukari - haijulikani. "Uhusiano na afya ya binadamu na ugonjwa ni uhakika", alisema Wilding. Pia aliongeza kwamba utafiti huo unakuja na maonyo mengi. Inaweza kuwa vigumu kuiga athari za enzyme kupitia dawa, alisema. Wakati watafiti wamejaribu kufanya aina hii ya mbinu kazi, aliongeza, kuna ama hakuna athari au athari za upande. Pia, utafiti huo unafanywa kwenye chembe za panya, si panya au watu wote. "Kila wakati kuna hatari ya kujaribu kutafsiri kazi iliyofanywa katika seli kwa [ wanyama] wote, na hatua kubwa zaidi ya kwenda kutoka seli za panya hadi matibabu ya binadamu, "Wilding alisema. Mara nyingi utafiti uliofanywa kwa wanyama haupati matokeo kama hayo kwa wanadamu. Utafiti huo umechapishwa katika toleo la Januari 11 la Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Kwa habari zaidi kuhusu kufuatilia viwango vya sukari ya damu, ona Shirika la Amerika la Kisukari. Copyright © 2020 HealthDay Haki zote zimehifadhiwa.