AsianScientist (Oct. 31, 2013) – Researchers in Japan have discovered a small molecule that improves the health and prolongs the lifespan of obese diabetic mice.
The orally active small molecule, described by Toshimasa Yamauchi and colleagues at the University of Tokyo, Japan, is published this week in the journal Nature.
Called AdipoRon, the small molecule has very similar effects to adiponectin in the muscle and liver, and works by acting on two adiponectin receptors. Adiponectin is a fat-derived hormone that exerts anti-diabetic effects, and levels of this hormone are decreased in obesity, insulin resistance and type II diabetes.
The researchers showed that AdipoRon ameliorated insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in mice fed a high-fat diet and in genetically obese mice. The small molecule also extended the shortened lifespan of genetically obese mice fed a high-fat diet.
Taken together, these findings show that AdipoRon not only shifts the physiological profile of mice fed excess calories towards that of mice on a standard diet, but also modulates longevity pathways to prolong lifespan in mice.
If these results can be extrapolated to humans, the work may represent a promising new approach to treat obesity-related diseases such as type II diabetes, the authors say.
The article can be found at: Okada-Iwabu M et al. (2013) A small-molecule AdipoR agonist for type 2 diabetes and short life in obesity.
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Source: NPG; Photo: Pazit Polak/Flickr/CC.
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