Diabetes is linked to various health problems including a decline in muscle mass.
In a recent study at Kobe University, researchers found that elevation of blood sugar levels leads to muscle atrophy and that two proteins, WWP1 and KLF15, play key roles in this phenomenon.
The study is published in JCI Insight. One author is Professor Wataru Ogawa.
Muscle mass decline linked to aging impairs our physical activity, making us susceptible to a variety of health problems and thus leading to shortened lifespans.
Age-dependent muscle mass decline and the consequent impairment of physical activity is known as “sarcopenia,” a serious health burden in aging societies.
Previous studies have found that patients with diabetes are prone to muscle loss as they age, but an underlining mechanism for this phenomenon remains unclear.
Diabetes is a disease caused by insufficient action of the hormone insulin.
Insulin not only lowers blood sugar levels but promotes the growth and proliferation of cells; insufficient action of insulin has been thought to result in the suppression of growth and proliferation of muscle cells, which in turn contribute to the decline in skeletal muscle mass.
In the study, the team made the surprising discovery that a rise in blood sugar levels triggers the decline in muscle mass, and they uncovered the important roles of two proteins in this phenomenon.
They showed for the first time that elevation of blood sugar levels triggers muscle mass decline and that the two proteins WWP1 and KLF15 contribute to diabetes-induced muscle mass decline.
The team says if doctors can develop a drug that strengthens the function of WWP1 or weakens the function of KLF15, it would lead to a groundbreaking new treatment.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about this eating habit may protect against type 2 diabetes and findings of this breakfast could benefit people with type 2 diabetes.
For more information about diabetes prevention and treatment, please see recent studies about this common food ingredient may raise risk for obesity and diabetes and results showing that switching to this diabetes drug is linked to major complications.
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