Overconsumption of fat can lead to obesity and to insulin resistance, a condition that can also develop with age and often precedes diabetes. Investigators at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles) and University of California Los Angeles recently reported that the effects of a high-fat diet could be ameliorated by treatment with a newlyContinueContinue reading “A mitochondrial gene product regulates metabolism”
Tag Archives: metabolism
Round-the-clock eating influences metabolism
New research directed by Satchidananda Panda (Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA) shows that limiting food intake to a period of 9–12 hours instead of allowing round-the-clock consumption prevented and even reversed metabolic diseases in mice. Lab Anim. (NY) 44, 5 (2015). view full text (login required)
Is caloric restriction a ‘fountain of youth’ for primates?
Since European explorers first probed the New World’s resources, humans have sought a simple but universally effective defense against aging and death. Countless experiments have evaluated the life-extending effects of myriad molecules and manipulations, be they genetic or lifestyle, in animal models. When studies in species from flies to worms to rodents suggested that reducedContinueContinue reading “Is caloric restriction a ‘fountain of youth’ for primates?”
Ad lib feeding confounds toxicology studies
In many experimental protocols, rodents are given unlimited access to food. This allows the animals to overeat, resulting in substantial changes in their metabolism and physiology. Past studies have reported elevated levels of triglycerides and cholesterol; diet-induced obesity; kidney and heart dysfunction; and greater risks of pituitary, pancreatic, adrenal and thyroid tumors in association withContinueContinue reading “Ad lib feeding confounds toxicology studies”
Fructokinase isoforms face off in metabolic syndrome
Dietary intake of fructose is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in humans, and fructose intake can induce metabolic syndrome in rats and in humans. These effects seem to be independent of excessive energy consumption and increased body weight. To investigate the mechanism linking fructose intake with metabolic syndrome, a researchContinueContinue reading “Fructokinase isoforms face off in metabolic syndrome”
Alternate energy pathway, longer life
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is commonly used in research on longevity because of its relative simplicity and amenability to genetic manipulation. Worms carrying certain genetic mutations, called Mit mutants, have compromised energy pathways but surprisingly long lifespans. Jeffrey A. Butler (University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio) and colleagues have proposed that MitContinueContinue reading “Alternate energy pathway, longer life”
Fruit flies and milk sugar
Galactosemia is an inherited metabolic disorder that occurs in roughly 1 of 60,000 babies. It is caused by enzymatic defects in the pathway that processes galactose, a sugar common in dairy products. Affected babies seem healthy at birth but quickly develop acute symptoms when exposed to milk and often die unless the condition is diagnosed.ContinueContinue reading “Fruit flies and milk sugar”
Fluent in Science 