Obesity and diabetes both happen as a result of malfunction of glucose balance regulation. EU researchers have targeted what may be viewed as the crux of the problem, nerve cells that respond as glucose levels rise.
Research has suggested that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in the hypothalamus in response to rising blood glucose levels play a key role in homeostasis. Moreover, high-glucose-excited (HGE) neurons increase their activity as glucose levels increase. However, the channel in HGE neurons that is sensitive to glucose remains unknown.
The NEUROSENS (Reactive oxygen species and hypothalamic glucose sensitive neurons: A new mechanism in glucose homeostasis) project has characterised the channel involved in HGE neurons glucose sensitivity. This could lead to determination of their physiological role in the control of glucose homeostasis.
HGE neurons from the hypothalamus showed decreased glucose response on inhibition of ROS production. Looking specifically at the transient-receptor potential cation (TRPC) channel super family that shows a non-selective cationic conductance as do HE neurons, TRPC3 channels play a critical role in HE neurons' glucose response.
Significantly, researchers found that HE neurons from rats fed a high-fat and sucrose diet present an impaired response to glucose. These rats show an alteration of centrally controlled glucose homeostasis. This confirms that HE neurons are involved in the control of glucose homeostasis and infers the discovery of a new signalling pathway and a novel drug and research target, hypothalamic TRPC3 channels.
NEUROSENS research is original and has been disseminated through many channels, including national or international meetings through poster or oral communications. The project is waiting for final data before submitting articles to high-ranking journals.
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