Scientists identify 2 hormones that burn fat faster, prevent and reverse diabetes in mice

FINDINGSUCLA geneticists have created a technique to hunt for hormones that influence how organs and tissues communicate with each other. The method enabled them to find naturally occurring molecules that play major roles in Type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.In particular, they discovered:Two hormones called “notum” and “lipocalin-5” that speed up the body’s ability to burn fat.Lipocalin-5 protected mice from developing diabetes — or cured the disease after they developed it.Lipocalin-5 also enhanced muscle tissue ’s ability to metabolize and absorb dietary nutrients, reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes.The findings could deepen scientists ’ understanding of the mechanisms behind obesity and common risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.BACKGROUNDDiseases such as obesity and diabetes disrupt how individual tissues and organs communicate with one another. The technique developed by the UCLA researchers reverses this disruption by pursuing alternate routes of tissue-to-tissue communication.METHODThe researchers developed a data-driven approach to unravel the wide array of functions for hormones that circulate in the bloodstream. They initially identified and studied the hormonal networks in mice. Next they tested whether the functions they assigned to the hormones remained consistent in humans.  The team discovered a strong overlap between these hormones’ functions in mice and humans. By studying how hormonal functions change in ...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news