How Diabetes Mice Can Survive Without Insulin

Potassium may be found as a substitute for insulin

09/04/2013

People with diabetes depend on injecting insulin on a regular basis, otherwise their blood will over-sugar (hyperglycaemia). A study by Swiss researchers at the University of Geneva on diabetes mice had shown that another substance could be used as an alternative in the future. The so-called leptin should have fewer side effects and also act better as an antagonist of glucagon, which raises blood sugar levels.

Leptin versus insulin in diabetes
The hormone insulin breaks down sugar in the body, so that the blood sugar level drops. However, people with diabetes either suffer from insulin deficiency, insulin resistance, or both. This leads to the unwanted increase in blood sugar levels, which can lead to the hyperglycemic coma in the worst case. Therefore, the rule has been that diabetes patients can not live without artificially applied insulin.

Swiss scientists led by Roberto Coppari from the University of Geneva conducted research on mice with diabetes, in which researchers may have discovered a possible alternative for insulin. They injected the substance leptin directly into the brain of the diabetes mice, in order to identify the brain cells, which are responsible for the hypoglycemic effect of leptin. In addition, the scientists were able to identify the tissues that were able to absorb blood sugar through the leptin. These included the liver, certain muscles and fat-burning brown adipose tissue. A statement from the University of Geneva states that these tissues could be specifically addressed in the future for therapies. There is an alternative for insulin, according to Coppari.

Although insulin is an effective way to lower blood sugar levels, diabetics must expect certain side effects. Thus, a wrong dosage can cause low blood sugar and thus unconsciousness. In addition, insulin raises blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Cardiovascular diseases can be the result. Leptin does not seem to cause any of these side effects. It even turned out to be a more effective antagonist of glucagon, which is responsible for raising blood sugar levels, as it acts more precisely on the sugar in the blood. Apart from the fact that leptin can not cause hypoglycaemia, it inhibits appetite and leads to the breakdown of fat stores. The researchers published their findings in the journal „Cell metabolism“.

Diabetes is becoming a widespread disease
Diabetes is increasingly becoming a widespread disease in industrialized countries. Many children and adolescents are also affected. Just a few decades ago, type 2 diabetes almost exclusively occurred in older people, which is why the disease was also known as „adult-onset diabetes“ was designated. Today, however, adolescents are increasingly suffering from the metabolic disorder. A study of the University of Ulm, in the journal „Pediatric diabetes“ has been published, shows that especially children and adolescents with a migrant background are affected by the disease. The cause was to be sought primarily in socio-economic reasons, reported the study author Dr. Wendy Awa. (Ag)

Image: Henrik Gerold Vogel