Impotence and diabetes in the same gene
Scientists have uncovered an unusual link between diabetes and impotence
The presence of mutations that increase the chances of developing diabetes makes their owner equally predisposed to acquiring impotence and problems in his personal life. This is written by scientists who published an article in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
"Erection problems affect every fifth man of age, but we know practically nothing about what exactly causes impotence. We confirmed the recent findings of our colleagues who said that it may have a genetic nature," said Anna Murray from the University of Exeter (in a press release Convincing evidence that type 2 diabetes is a cause of erectile dysfunction – VM).
According to scientists today, about every second man aged 40 to 70 suffers from sexual problems, and the probability of their occurrence is rapidly increasing with age. In this respect, if we believe the ancient Roman and medieval chronicles, humanity has changed little over the past few millennia.
The reasons for the development of impotence, as well as possible methods of combating it, are still the subject of controversy among scientists. All scientific research has so far led only to the creation of Viagra, capable of eliminating some of the physical, but not the psychological symptoms of "male" problems.
Until recently, geneticists could not find a single hint of which genes may be associated with their appearance at a relatively early age. This year, they discovered the first such piece of DNA located in the "garbage" part of the genome next to the SIM1 gene, which controls the work of the male genitals.
The same gene, as Murray notes, is associated with another important problem affecting men – obesity and metabolic syndrome. This idea led her team to test whether there was a link between erectile dysfunction, diabetes, and mutations in and around this gene.
To do this, the scientists analyzed data collected by the British Genomic Biobank (UKBB) and a similar project conducted by the health services of Estonia and the University of Tartu. In total, over 223 thousand men participated in them, a small part of whom, about six thousand, suffered from impotence and took Viagra and other drugs.
By comparing their genomes, Murray and her team confirmed that SIM1 was indeed associated with erectile dysfunction. Mutations in the "junk" DNA separating it from the MCHR2 gene, which controls the work of half a dozen other parts of the genome, increased the likelihood of impotence by about 20-23%.
This section of DNA, as shown by subsequent experiments on cell cultures, was especially active in the hypothalamus, the hormonal center of the brain. Apparently, it changes how the brain produces signaling molecules responsible for preparing a man's body for sex, or directly disrupts the work of chains of neurons associated with sexual desire.
Interestingly, the same analysis revealed another curious pattern. The appearance of this mutation in the vicinity of SIM1 and MCHR2 similarly increased the likelihood of getting type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the presence of other "typos" in the genes associated with diabetes increased the chances of getting impotence by 11-13%.
According to Murray, this pattern was not a simple coincidence – recently other scientists have found hints that diabetes contributes to the development of male infertility. Such common roots of these diseases, respectively, suggest that an active fight against diabetes will help men get rid of the two main problems of the stronger sex.
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