Living at high altitudes can lower your body temperature diabetes riskAnd scientists believe they have finally figured out why.
A new study by the Gladstone Institute in San Francisco investigated how red blood cells behave in a hypoxic environment. The findings, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, revealed that at high altitudes, red blood cells begin to absorb large amounts of glucose from the bloodstream, acting as sugar “sponges.”
When oxygen levels drop, these cells change their metabolism and deliver oxygen More efficiently.
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This change also lowers circulating blood sugar levels, which the researchers say explains the lower diabetes risk seen in people living in mountainous areas.
A previous study of more than 285,000 U.S. adults found that people living at high altitudes (1,500 to 3,500 meters) were significantly less likely to develop diabetes than those living at sea level. Factors such as dietage and ethnicity.
“Red blood cells represent a previously unappreciated hidden compartment of glucose metabolism,” lead author Isha Jain, a researcher at Gladstone University and professor of biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a press release. “This discovery could open up a whole new way of thinking about blood sugar control.”
Formerly Jane’s team conducted an experiment To better understand hypoxia, a decrease in oxygen levels in the blood, we conducted experiments on mice.
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Mice exposed to thin air removed sugar from their bloodstream almost instantly after eating, a property typically associated with a lower risk of diabetes. But at first, researchers couldn’t figure out where the sugar was going.
“We looked at all the usual suspects: muscle, brain, liver, but we couldn’t explain what was happening to these organs,” said Yolanda Martí Mateos, a postdoctoral fellow in Jain’s lab and lead author of the study.
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The research team found the answer using a different imaging method. It turns out that the red blood cells themselves are the missing “glucose sink.”
By using a different type of imaging, the research team discovered that red blood cells retain glucose.
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In hypoxic conditions, the mice produced more red blood cells, and each cell absorbed significantly more glucose than under normal conditions.
Researchers have also developed a drug called HypoxyStat that mimics this high-altitude effect. In clinical examination, medicine Completely reversed hyperglycemia in diabetic mice.
The researchers acknowledged that the study had some limitations. The study focused on one particular mouse strain known for its sensitivity to blood sugar. Similar results have been shown in humans, but testing other strains will confirm that the results are universal.
To ensure consistent results, the team studied only young male mice. Because age and gender have a significant impact on how red blood cells are produced, further research is needed to determine whether these findings apply to women and older populations.
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“This is just the beginning,” Jain said.
“There is still much to learn about how the whole body adapts to changes in oxygen and how these mechanisms can be exploited to treat disease. Range of conditions. ”
