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Scientists discover why fat causes diabetes

Date published: 30/12/2005

US scientists say they have pinpointed why a high-fat, western-style diet can increase risk from type two diabetes. A team from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute found in studies on mice that fatty foods disrupt an enzyme which is crucial in the production of insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels.

The team, who published the findings in the journal Cell, say it could lead to new ways to prevent and treat the condition. The scientists say that a single gene controls the key enzyme GnT-4a, which is responsible for insulin production. They found in studies on mice that fat can disrupt insulin production by suppressing the activity of the gene.

Lead author of the study, Professor Jamey Marth, said: "If you could somehow stimulate production of this enzyme, you might be able to render animals, and perhaps humans, resistant to high-fat diet-induced diabetes. "If our findings can be applied to humans, they should give us important insights into how type two diabetes may be prevented and treated," he said.

Over two million people in the UK have diabetes. Around 1.7 million have type two diabetes, which is most commonly associated with obesity and unhealthy lifestyle choices.

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