Disruption of the internal clock causes diabetes

Diabetes Research: If the biological clock of the pancreas is no longer in tact, diabetes is triggered.

(20.06.2010) The internal biological clock of the pancreas is fundamental to the production of the hormone insulin. If this is disturbed, diabetes is triggered. At any rate, scientists from Northwestern University in Chicago have established this through scientific research.

The biological clock of the pancreas regulates the production of the body's own hormone insulin. If this gets out of step, a diabetes disease develops. Type II diabetes has long since developed into a "widespread disease" in Western industrialized countries. In the US alone, well over 23 million people have diabetes, while in Germany, according to the latest estimates, there are around 5 million diabetes sufferers.

In scientific research animal experiments were done with mice. In the process, the genes of the animals responsible for the biological clock of the production of the hormone insulin were switched off. The biological clock regulates the storage of energy and its utilization in a so-called "cyclic rhythm". In doing so, the body orients itself to external events such as day and night. In industrialized countries, it is becoming more and more out of step, for example due to the increase in shift work or artificial light in offices. The "internal clock" is regulated in the human brain by the "suprachiasmatic nucleus". However, such "clocks" are not only found in the brain, but can also be found in other parts of the human body. Thus, biological clocks also exist in the organs such as the liver, lungs, heart and just in the pancreas.

The US researchers have now been able to prove for the first time that an internal clock of the pancreas regulates the secretion of insulin. Insulin is responsible for lowering blood sugar levels when humans have carbohydrate-rich diets. However, the release of the hormone is also carried out in a certain rhythm, which is independent of the food supply. Named "clock", the system regulates the rhythmic interaction of genes and proteins associated with the regulation of the hormone insulin. Now this system is disturbed, the distribution of insulin is disturbed. In the laboratory tests, the scientists were able to observe a very low insulin level when this rhythmic system is disturbed. After a short time, the mice became ill with diabetes. "This is the first time that a connection has been established between the internal biological clock and the development of diabetes." so study leader Joseph Bass from Northwestern University. The results will help to better understand the regulation of the hormone. But many more researches would have to be done to better understand "the causes of sugar budget dysfunctions," Dr. Bass. All results of the study will be published in the scientific journal "Nature". The pre-publication has been published under "doi: 10.1038 / nature09253". (Sb)

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Marco Barnebeck / pixelio.de.