Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered why excess weight leads to low-grade inflammation, which hampers the body's ability to use insulin. They found that the "master switch" of this inflammation is activated in the liver by weight gain. And they showed it can be turned off by salicylates, a class of drugs that includes aspirin.
"We zeroed in on a factor called NF-kB," said principal investigator Dr. Steven E. Shoelson, head of the Section on Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Joslin.
"When we activated this factor in the liver of laboratory animals, it stimulated a cascade of inflammatory responses. The result was dramatic--including insulin resistance consistent with type 2 diabetes.
"Until now, we didn't know fat in the liver could orchestrate the entire inflammatory process that results in insulin resistance, both locally and throughout the body."
The Joslin team also found that the salicylate family of drugs--among the safest drugs known--can do a surprisingly good job of toning down this inflammation.
"But more studies need to be done before we can make recommendations to patients," Dr. Shoelson cautions. "For now, the best advice for preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes is to shed those extra pounds, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly."
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