February 19th, 2010

Dolphin Diabetes Switch Could Aid Type 2 Patients.  Dolphins are well-loved by everyone, and it could be that they are more than just entertaining.  Flipper may just be able to give scientists clues about diabetes, which could result in life saving breakthroughs.

Dolphins have the ability to “turn on” diabetic-like tendencies, thus sustaining higher blood glucose levels during overnight fasting.  This ability helps dolphins to keep their brains well fed.

The dolphin diet is rich in protein and doesn’t typically include a lot of glucose-laden carbs.  This is opposite of the diets of many Americans.

So what does the diabetic “switch” that is apparent in dolphins have to do with humans and diabetes? Well, if scientists can isolate what’s causing the switch to occur, and then synthesize a drug that repeats that switch in humans, then perhaps treatment will be available for the many Americans struggling with Type 2 diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes, there’s an insulin resistance that causes people to not respond to their own insulin. This results in high glucose levels. In dolphins, the high glucose levels that appear to be dangerous could really be helping to fuel the brains of the creatures between breakfast and dinner.

There’s still a lot of work to be done in this study; however, it wouldn’t be surprising if scientists can learn more about diabetes through the further study of dolphins.

Source:

USNews.com