Research led by the University of Leeds reveals that increased levels of blood fats in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity are more harmful than previously thought. Scientists have discovered that these stressed-out cells give off a signal which can be passed on to other cells. The signals, known as ceramides, may have a protective benefit in the short term because they are part of a mechanism designed to reduce stress in the cell.
In patients with metabolic diseases, elevated fat levels in the blood create stress in muscle cells, which is a reaction chain outside the cell that damages their structure and function. However, in metabolic diseases, which are long-term conditions, the signals can kill the cells, make symptoms more severe, and worsen the illness.
Research supervisor Lee Roberts, Professor of Molecular Physiology and Metabolism at the University of Leeds's School of Medicine, said, “Although this research is at an early stage, our discovery may form the basis of new therapies or therapeutic approaches to prevent the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as diabetes in people with elevated blood fats in obesity.”
Increased fat in the blood has long been known to damage tissues and organs, contributing to the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes. The research team replicated the blood fat levels observed in humans with metabolic disease by exposing skeletal muscle cells to a fatty acid called palmitate. The cells began to transmit the ceramide signal.
Professor Roberts said, “This research gives us a novel perspective on how stress develops in the cells of individuals with obesity and provides new pathways to consider when looking to develop new treatments for metabolic diseases.”
“With obesity an ever-increasing epidemic, the burden of associated chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes necessitates new treatments. We hope the results of our research here open a new avenue for research to help address this growing concern,” he concluded.
