US scientists believe they have discovered why a fatty diet may trigger the onset of type-2 diabetes.
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) say that high levels of dietary fat switch off production of a key enzyme that promotes glucose sensing in pancreatic beta cells, called GnT-4a glycosyltransferase.
This malfunction in pancreatic beta cells appears to play a significant role in the onset and severity of type-2 diabetes.
When the researchers gave a high-fat diet to healthy mice, the animals' beta cells lost the ability to sense and respond to blood glucose.
However, even obese mice in which GnT-4a function was preserved did not develop diabetes, according to a report of the study in the journal Nature Medicine.
Lead researcher Dr Jamey Marth said: 'The identification of the molecular players in this pathway to diabetes suggests new therapeutic targets and approaches towards developing an effective preventative or perhaps curative treatment.'
The scientist, who leads the Centre for Nanomedicine, a collaboration between UCSB and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, added that this may be possible via beta call gene therapy or drugs that interfere with the pathway and help to maintain normal beta cell function.
Dr Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, said the research was of 'great interest'.
source: netdoctor
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