Relationship between the molecule in the brain and obesity and diabetes discovered

The hypothalamus in the brain plays a key role in one of their main complications - type 2 diabetes and obesity.Nerve cells in the hypothalamus detect nutrients and hormones that circulate in the blood and then coordinate a complex series of physiological responses and behaviors to maintain a balance between the consumption of calories and calories burned. Obesity and diabetes can result when this regulatory mechanism is going wrong.

Now, post-doctoral studies for clemency Blouet, Ph.d. and Gary Schwartz, Ph.d., Professor at the Dominick p. Purpura Department of Neurosciences and medicine at the Faculty of medicine, Albert Einstein, Yeshiva University, revealed a molecule in the brain that may contribute to problems of santéqu' they are reached epidemic proportions. A study of 2008 in the journal of obesity predicts that 86% of American adults will be overweight or are obese by 2030 if current trends continue. And in October found that the prevalence of diabetes among American adults can increase in centres from 1 to 10 becoming current prevention and control of diseases of the United States as 1 of every 3 by 2050.

Working with models of obesity and diabetes, doctors Blouet and Schwartz indicated that the excessive availability of nutrients leads to an overabundance of a protein found in the detection of nutrients to nerve cells in the hypothalamus. They came to the conclusion that levels of this protein, called protein interacting thioredoxin or TXNIP, contribute to the emergence of obesity and the control of deterioration in the levels of sugar in the characteristic of blood of type 2 diabetes. Their findings were published in the Online Edition, on April 20, in the journal of neuroscience.

"Our study indicates that TXNIP in nerve cells of the hypothalamus provides a crucial link between the detection of the nutrients in the brain and the mass of the weight and fat leading to increase, obesity and diabetes," said Dr. Schwartz. "- Pathologically high blood glucose - hyperglycemia causes an excess of the hypothalamus neurons TXNIP, which in turn, can contribute in various ways for a break - in energy homeostasis, the balance between calories in and calories burned." For example, we found that TXNIP high in nerve cells contributes to obesity by reducing energy expenditure, as evidenced by the decline in physical activity and the rate of combustion of fat for energy. "In addition to increasing fat mass, the hypothalamus TXNIP glut also damage glucose insulin and the tolerance of sensitivity - two of the characteristics of diabetes."

Dr. Schwartz notes that these TXNIP findings could eventually lead to therapies. He said "Interventions which may suppress the production of TXNIP or disable selective protein may help prevent weight gain and obesity and diabetes that it implies,".

The title of the book is "detection of the hypothalamic nutrients TXNIP elements links imbalance nutrient excess energy in mice.". The research was funded by the Skirball Institute for the detection of nutrients and the national institutes of health by Albert Einstein for diabetes research and training centre and Obesity Research Center in New York. Albert Einstein College of Medicine is actively seeking interested partners licences to continue the clinical application of this patent pending technology.