Nature: It's not just your diet that affects blood sugar!

diabetes.

On August 11, a new study published online in the journal Nature by the Grossman School of Medicine of New York University found that the sharp ripples of the hippocampus steadily decreased following the decrease in blood glucose levels in rats within a few minutes

A metabolic function of the hippocampal sharp wave-ripple.

This correlation does not depend on circadian rhythms, super-rhythms, or diet-triggered fluctuations.

The results of this study indicate that one of the functions of sharp waves is to regulate peripheral glucose balance and provide a mechanism for the connection between sleep disruption and blood glucose imbalance in patients with type 2 diabetes

Although the details have yet to be confirmed, the results of the study indicate that ripples may regulate the release of hormones from the pancreas and liver, which may include insulin and other hormones released by the pituitary gland

The research revolves around brain cells called neurons, which "fire" (produce electrical impulses) to transmit information

As we all know, insulin can keep blood sugar at a normal level.

The research team’s previous work has shown that sharp ripples are involved in the permanent storage of daily memories during NREM sleep.

Ripple extension improves memory

Long-duration hippocampal sharp wave ripples improve memory.

In other words, animals could have first developed a system to control the release of hormones in the rhythmic cycle, and then applied the same mechanism to memory when they later developed more complex brains

Research data also shows that the hippocampal spike wave signal is transmitted to the hypothalamus.

According to this theory, as seen during NREM sleep, short-term ripples of more than 30 times per minute cause peripheral blood glucose levels to drop several times larger than isolated ripples

To confirm that the hippocampal discharge pattern causes the glucose level to drop, the team used a technique called optogenetics to artificially induce ripples by redesigning hippocampal cells to include light-sensitive channels
.
Irradiating light on these cells through glass fibers causes ripples that are not related to the behavior of the rat or the state of the brain (such as resting or waking up)
.
Similar to their natural counterparts, synthetic ripples reduce the sugar content
.

Looking ahead, the research team will seek to expand its theory that several hormones may be affected by sharp ripples at night, including through studies on human patients
.
Future research may also reveal devices or treatments that can adjust ripples to lower blood sugar and improve memory
.

Reference materials:

1.
A metabolic function of the hippocampal sharp wave-ripple.
Nature (2021).
https://doi.
org/10.
1038/s41586-021-03811-w

2.
Long-duration hippocampal sharp wave ripples improve memory.
Science 14 Jun 2019.
DOI: 10.
1126/science.
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