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A New Protein Controls Blood Sugar in Mice

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

A protein that extends lifespan in yeast, worms and flies keeps blood sugar under control in mice, scientists reported Tuesday.

Researchers said the finding suggests therapeutic interventions for the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, which frequently arise with age.

The team said mice with an excess of the protein Sirt1 in their pancreas have improved glucose tolerance and enhanced insulin secretion in response to glucose. Glucose is the principal circulating sugar in the blood and the body's major energy source.

Mice with an increased amount of Sirt1 show a better response to high blood glucose levels that regularly occur after eating sweets, said Shin-ichiro Imai of the Washington University School of Medicine. The mice respond fast to high glucose by raising insulin levels, clearing the blood of the circulating sugar.

He noted under normal feeding conditions -- when glucose levels are lower -- the mice with elevated Sirt1 appeared normal. He said that finding suggests therapies designed to manipulate the amount of Sirt1 to improve insulin response in type-2 diabetics without causing other problems."

The study appears in the August issue of Cell Metabolism.

Source: United Press International

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