Scientists have long pondered the brain’s role in blood sugar regulation. It is known that maintaining the body’s blood glucose level within a certain range is crucial for overall health.
An imbalance could lead to conditions such as diabetes or, in severe cases, fainting or even death.
In a recent study, Dr. Yong Xu, a professor at Baylor, and his colleagues have shed light on the role of certain neurons in the brain in maintaining blood glucose balance. This work has been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Two Kinds of Neurons
According to Xu, glucose-sensing neurons can be divided into two groups: glucose-excited (GE) neurons and glucose-inhibited (GI) neurons. GE neurons are activated when the glucose level around them is higher.
On the other hand, GI neurons are inhibited when glucose levels are higher and activated when glucose levels are lower. This latter behavior puzzled researchers, who would have expected the opposite.
Zooming in on GI Neurons
In this study, Xu’s team focused on the less-studied GI neurons. Located in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) in the mouse brain, these neurons were studied to understand the mechanism that triggers their activity under low glucose levels.
They found that an ion channel called anoctamin 4 (ano4) is required for the activation of GI neurons in response to low glucose.
New Insights into Diabetes Regulation
In a mouse model of type 1 diabetes, where insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells are absent, the researchers manipulated the ano4 gene in the GI neurons located in the VMH.
They found that by genetically eliminating this gene in the GI neurons, they could substantially normalize blood sugar levels.
Xu states that their findings highlight the importance of glucose-sensing neurons in the brain for whole-body glucose regulation.
Specifically, they found that GI neurons play an important role during diabetes, when pancreatic beta cells are not producing insulin to control blood sugar levels.
Looking to the Future
The study suggests that blood glucose levels can be manipulated quite effectively in the mouse model by knocking out a single gene in GI neurons.
Next, the researchers aim to determine whether pharmacological inhibition of ano4 would also help control blood glucose levels in models of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
This could open up new avenues for therapeutic interventions to manage diabetes in the future.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Omega-3 fats and carotenoid supplements could improve memory.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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