Issue 118 Item 9 Insulin Sensitivity And Weight Gene Identified

The molecule fetuin may play a significant role in the regulation of postprandial glucose disposal, insulin sensitivity, weight gain and fat accumulation. That, according to researchers at Wayne State University in the August issue of Diabetes. Fetuin also "may be a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other insulin-resistant conditions," they write.

Dr. Suresh T. Mathews and colleagues discovered that knockout mice, which carry two null alleles for the gene that encodes fetuin, "demonstrate increased basal and insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of insulin receptor" as well as enhanced glucose clearance and enhanced insulin sensitivity.

The investigators fed the fetuin-null mice a high-fat diet and found that the animals were resistant to weight gain and exhibited low body fat and relatively high insulin sensitivity. Altered lipid metabolism or increased energy expenditure could account for the decreased fat stores in these animals, they write.

The authors conclude that "this study provides the first direct evidence that fetuin plays a critical role in clearance/uptake of glucose from blood and in modulating insulin sensitivity." Diabetes 2002;51:2450-2458.