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A new mechanism for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Scientists from the University of California at San Diego (USA) argue that neutrophils, the main type of human leukocytes, play a completely unexpected role of modulators in insulin resistance, the main characteristic of type 2 diabetes. This conclusion is made in an article published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Neutrophils are the cells of the immune system, which are the first to respond to inflammation of the tissues; they are able to make it chronic, calling to the scene other white blood cells - macrophages. At the same time, it has been established that minor chronic inflammations occurring in adipose tissue are one of the main causes of systemic insulin resistance.
Scientists led by Jerrold M. Olefsky used in the study the liver and fat cells of mice and humans, as well as live experimental rats. It was found that the enzyme released by neutrophils (neutrophil elastase, NE), violates insulin signaling pathways, encouraging resistance, that is, an unexplained decrease in the affinity of receptors for the presence of insulin is observed.
But the removal of NE in obese patients, but still sitting on a fatty diet of mice, led to an increase in sensitivity to insulin.
Previously it was believed that such "temporary" cells, like neutrophils (living only five days), simply can not maintain a small chronic inflammation. Now I had to admit that neutrophils have a very powerful immunomodulating effect. They use their NE enzyme to activate a signaling pathway that causes pathogen-devouring macrophages to secrete inflammatory molecules-cytokines. However, this same enzyme NE causes degradation of the IRS1 protein, the key protein in the insulin signaling pathway in both the liver and fat cells.
Well, it seems that neutrophils have asked for trouble. The suddenly obvious role in provoking insulin immunity makes them a new target in the fight against type 2 diabetes mellitus. Inhibition of the activity of the immunomodulating enzyme NE is quite capable of reversing (or at least weakening) insulin resistance. Here only a stick, as always, about two ends turns out ...
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