Insulin-like Protein Points to New Diabetes Drugs

Visfatin, a adipocytokine protein that shares properties with insulin may lead to the development of a new diabetes drug.

Visfatin is produced in abdominal visceral fat of both humans and mice. The blood level of the protein "increases during the development of obesity."

"Surprisingly," Dr. Iichiro Shimomura, from Osaka University and colleagues write, "visfatin binds to and activates the insulin receptor."

There are, however, "important differences" between visfatin and insulin, the team notes. For example, visfatin levels do not change markedly with fasting or feeding, as is the case with insulin.

It’s known that obesity, and specifically the accumulation of fat in the abdomen around the visceral organs, is linked to the development of insulin resistance that can lead to overt diabetes. Shimomura explained how visfatin may play into this scenario.
Chronically high levels of visfatin resulting from visceral fat obesity, he said, "may underlie insulin resistance by continuously stimulating insulin receptors."

Alternatively, "as visfatin activates insulin receptor in a different manner from insulin, visfatin may be useful to treat insulin resistance," the researcher commented.

Indeed, the researchers found that visfatin displays beneficial insulin-like effects in mice. High doses of synthetic visfatin lowered blood glucose levels in insulin-resistant or insulin-deficient animals.

But as the two authors of a related editorial point out, much remains to be discovered about how visfatin, insulin and glucose are related.

Science, online December 16, 2004.
==============================

Professional CE
Pharmacists learn how you can help patients with hyperlipidemia we now have 2, 1 hour ACPE approved credits for you. Please visit Defining the Role of the Pharmacist in Cholesterol Monitoring https://ce.rxschool.com/cholesterol_monitoring.cfm and The Role of Cholesterol and Hyperlipidemia in the Pathophysiology of Cardiovascular Disease
https://ce.rxschool.com/cholesterol_hyperlipidemia.cfm