NEWS UPDATE:CONTROLLED GLUCOSE DELIVERY BENIFITS DIABETICS

TYPE 2 DIABETES AND GLUCOSE

Type-2 diabetes is the condition in which the blood glucose level is elevated due to insufficient secretion of insulin from the pancreatic beta isle cells.

A recent study has revealed sweet news that administering controlled pulses of glucose has the power to restore normal insulin production and prevent the development of type-2 diabetes.

The study has been conducted by Dr.Joseph McKenna, from Florida State University and colleagues, and published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.

We all know that insulin is secreted by the Langerhans Islets(beta islets) of the pancreas. For a full study of diabetes please refer the post-1 in this blog.

In healthy individuals, beta islets release insulin in a pulsatile manner whenever glucose enters into the blood. Glucose enters the system with two sources. The first source is food that is absorbed from the digestive system. Another source is glucose that is generated and secreted from the liver which is endogenous.

The pulses of insulin released from the islets of pancreas restrict the amount of glucose released from the liver as well as regulate the absorption of glucose by our body tissues.

However, in people with diabetes, this regulation is impaired and the islets of the pancreas are no more responding to glucose secretion either from liver or from the digestive system. This eventually leads to hyperglycemia an elevated glucose level in the blood which is known as diabetes mellitus.
High levels of glucose or splash entry of glucose may cause over-stimulation of the islets and may cause damages or blunt their sensitivity.
A newer study has revealed a controlled entry of glucose into the system may repair the islets of the pancreas and can make them more responsive to secret sufficient insulin.
A daily intake of 15gms of glucose may be healthy for a type-2 diabetic patient.

ROLE OF mRNA IN DM

A new study in mice has been revealed that micro RNA may be useful in treating type-2 diabetes in humans. A report from Xiaolin Lin of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China has been revealed in PLOS Genetics.

The study found that the serum of type 2 diabetic patients had lower levels of mRNA (miR-155) than healthy people. This suggests that this miR-155 might be involved in blood sugar control and diabetes.

The study shows that the miR-155 dampening some molecules which are interfering with the ability of insulin to respond to the higher glucose levels. Hence it is concluded that a lower level of this type of mRNA causes unresponsiveness of insulin to sugar level.