The speed at which the liver responds to the food has been uncovered by Salk researchers. Liver cells store up pre-RNA molecules involved in glucose and fat metabolism.
"The switch from fasting to feeding is a very quick switch and our physiology has to adapt to it in the right time frame," says Satchidananda Panda, a professor in the Salk Institute's Regulatory Biology Laboratory and lead author of the paper, published February 6, 2018 in Cell Metabolism. "Now we know how our body quickly handles that extra rush of sugar."
Fatty Liver Disease: A Growing Health Problem in India
Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of liver dysfunction worldwide and is a rapidly growing health problem in India.
Advertisement
‘Researchers discover how liver responds so quickly to food. The new finding could help better understand metabolism and some forms of diabetes.’
Tweet it Now
It was known that a RNA-binding protein called NONO was implicated in regulating daily ("circadian") rhythms in the body. But Panda, along with first author Giorgia Benegiamo, a former graduate student in the Panda lab, and their collaborators wondered whether NONO had a specific role in the liver. They analyzed levels of NONO in response to feeding and fasting in mice. After the animals ate, speckled clumps of NONO suddenly appeared in their liver cells, newly attached to RNA molecules. Within half an hour, the levels of corresponding proteins--those encoded by the NONO-bound RNA--increased.
"After mice eat, it looks as if NONO brings all these RNAs together and processes them so they can be used to make proteins," says Panda.
When mice lacked NONO, it took more than three hours for levels of the same proteins, involved in processing glucose, to increase. During that time lag, blood glucose levels shot up to unhealthy levels. Since blood glucose levels are also heightened in diabetes, the researchers think that the mice without NONO may act as a model to study some forms of the disease.
![Test Your Knowledge on Liver Cancer]( "Test Your Knowledge on Liver Cancer")
Primary hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that starts in the liver. The liver is the largest organ in the body situated in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The liver is also a common site for cancer deposits (metastases) from other organs. This is referred to as secondary liver cancer and is more common than primary liver cancer.
"Understanding how glucose storage and fat burning are regulated at the molecular level will be important for the development of new therapies against obesity and diabetes," says Benegiamo.
Questions still remain about how exactly NONO is triggered to attach to the pre-RNA molecules after a meal. And Panda is hoping to assemble a more complete list of all the pre-RNAs that NONO binds to--in both the liver and other parts of the body. NONO has been found at high levels in the brain and muscle cells, so the researchers are planning studies to see whether is reacts similarly in those organs to food.
Source: Eurekalert
When mice lacked NONO, it took more than three hours for levels of the same proteins, involved in processing glucose, to increase. During that time lag, blood glucose levels shot up to unhealthy levels. Since blood glucose levels are also heightened in diabetes, the researchers think that the mice without NONO may act as a model to study some forms of the disease.
Test Your Knowledge on Liver Cancer
Primary hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that starts in the liver. The liver is the largest organ in the body situated in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The liver is also a common site for cancer deposits (metastases) from other organs. This is referred to as secondary liver cancer and is more common than primary liver cancer.
Advertisement
"Understanding how glucose storage and fat burning are regulated at the molecular level will be important for the development of new therapies against obesity and diabetes," says Benegiamo.
Questions still remain about how exactly NONO is triggered to attach to the pre-RNA molecules after a meal. And Panda is hoping to assemble a more complete list of all the pre-RNAs that NONO binds to--in both the liver and other parts of the body. NONO has been found at high levels in the brain and muscle cells, so the researchers are planning studies to see whether is reacts similarly in those organs to food.
Source: Eurekalert
Chemicals That Prevent Food Spoilage Cause Bowel Diseases
Food preservatives used in processed food and antibiotics are the two main causes for the increasing incidence of bowel diseases in India.
Advertisement
 It is Better to Choose Healthy Food Than to Try to Eat LessChoosing healthy, lower-calorie-dense foods is more effective and more sustainable than just trying to resist large portions of higher calorie options. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Research News
Electrical stimulation improves Alzheimer's patients' cognitive function and correlates with restored cortical plasticity.
South Korea's total fertility rate, averaging the number of children a woman aged 15-49 has in her lifetime, dropped to 0.81.
Scientists identified mechanisms governing immune cells, selectively removing troublemakers to reshape skin immunity. Benefits those with psoriasis, vitiligo.
By 2050, an anticipated increase from 494 million cases in 2020 to 1.06 billion people with musculoskeletal disabilities is expected.
Experts consulted by GlobalData anticipate a significant overhaul in the Gaucher disease scenario because of forthcoming gene therapies in development.