The lack of NEGR1 may cause pre-diabetes in mainly male mice
.
Obesity and diabetes are increasingly serious international problems in recent years
.
Researchers at the University of Tartu recently published a paper showing that the lack of a special protein, NEGR1, may lead to pre-diabetes in male mice.
This led us to hypothesize that the lack of this protein is more important.
It may cause men to also develop diabetes
.
In 2019, 463 million people worldwide were diagnosed with diabetes, and 374 million people were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes
.
Generally speaking, patients with type 2 diabetes are mostly elderly, but the number of patients with children, adolescents and young people has increased significantly recently
.
Poor life>
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Researchers suspect that the gene that causes diabetes is Negr1
.
The gene is expressed as NEGR1 protein, which is mainly related to depression and schizophrenia
.
Recent studies have found that it can also affect weight, appetite, and promote metabolic disorders
.
This is why researchers in the Department of Science of the University of Tartu, under the leadership of Marie-Anne Phillips, have been studying the NEGR1 protein for some time
.
In a recently published study, Maria Kaare, a doctoral student in the department, paid attention to the effect of this protein from a weight perspective
.
It has been confirmed that NEGR1 is related to metabolic disorders, and its role is gender-specific, indicating the important significance of sex hormones in the pathogenesis of diabetes
.
In the experiment, mice of both sexes were used, which has never been done in previous similar studies
.
Half of them expressed the NEGR1 protein, while the rest did not
.
The mice were fed high-fat food, and then their body weight, blood sugar and metabolites (including amino acids and fatty acids) were measured
.
The results showed that compared with mice containing Negr1, mice that did not consume Negr1 gained more weight and increased blood sugar more even though the former ate less
.
Therefore, weight gain has nothing to do with increased food intake
.
This is more pronounced in male mice
.
The difference between women is not so significant
.
In the glucose tolerance test, the glucose tolerance of mice without Negr1 was much lower than that of mice with Negr1, and they reached a pre-diabetic state
.
This effect is more pronounced in male mice
.
Similarly, male mice without Negr1 have more fat in their livers
.
Their muscle fibers are also significantly smaller, which indicates that more muscle fibers are being metabolized
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Maria Kaare explained that negr1-deficient mice use protein as a source of energy instead of fat, so when protein is broken down, fat is stored in the body
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The conclusion is that NEGR1 is necessary to have a functional fat and blood sugar balance to avoid glucose tolerance and excessive weight gain
.
Since Negr1 promotes depression and schizophrenia, its effect on body weight has so far been considered a side effect of mental disorders
.
However, this gene was also suspected of promoting diabetes in the past
.
The study showed that NEGR1 protein can cause metabolic changes independently of mental disorders, confirming that NEGR1 protein has a specific role in affecting systemic metabolism.
The strong correlation between this gene and body mass index is not due to behavioral changes
.
The fact that Negr1 deficiency mainly affects male mice indicates that sex hormones play an important role in the development of diabetes
.
According to Kaare, these findings are consistent with previous human studies that show that the development of diabetes is different in men and women
.
There is still no reason to despair
.
Mary-Anne Phillips, associate professor of human physiology, pointed out that the impact of the Negr1 gene is only apparent when environmental factors-unhealthy foods (45% of high-fat diets or "Western diets")-are added
.
Therefore, this study shows that by eating healthy low-fat foods, it is possible to prevent diabetes even if the genes are not favorable
.
Once people start to eat unhealthy foods, it can be seen who expresses the Negr1 gene and who does not
.
Although all mice that ate high-fat foods had metabolic problems, only mice that did not contain NEGR1 protein developed diabetes or glucose intolerance
.
In summary, it can be said that NEGR1 protein affects body weight, appetite and mental health, including the development of diabetes and mental illness
.
Sex hormones can affect the role of NEGR1 protein.
In the future, when diagnosing or preventing any diseases related to NEGR1, it is worth considering this protein and its role
.
Original search:
High-Fat Diet Induces Pre-Diabetes and Distinct Sex-Specific Metabolic Alterations in Negr1-Deficient Mice
