Scientists believe they may have uncovered a key reason why being obese can increase your risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, according to a new study in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Researchers at the Monash University in Australia and the US have carried out research on a protein called pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) which is secreted by fat cells. The scientists suggest that blocking some of this protein’s action may reverse some conditions associated with obesity if new drug treatments could be developed.
According to the researchers, obese people have higher levels of PEDF in their bloodstream, this is because it is produced by fat cells, which they have more of. The protein is said to send a signal to other tissues in the body, triggering the development of insulin resistance which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
They have also linked raised PEDF levels to a release of fats into the bloodstream, raising the risk of other conditions such as heart disease.
Tests carried out on obese mice showed that treatments designed to block the action of PEDF lowered the animals’ blood fat level and reversed some of their insulin resistance.
In this study researchers focused on PEDF because it was already known that levels of protein were raised in people with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome – a condition which is associated with too much abdominal fat, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
The researchers showed that PEDF levels fell in obese mice when they lost weight. Also that when obese mice were given treatment to neutralise PEDF, their sensitivity to insulin improved, reducing their risk of diabetes, and the level of fats in their bloodstream also fell.
The researchers have said that new drugs developed on the back of this research for humans are a distance away though.