Your diet changes the activity of your genes
Specialists of the Merck research department have developed a new method of DNA analysis, thanks to which they have established that the mechanism of development of obesity and concomitant pathologies is much more complex than previously thought.
In experiments on mice, the authors identified a complex that includes hundreds of genes whose functioning is disrupted when animals eat a diet with a high fat content.
After that, they analyzed 1,000 blood samples and almost 700 samples of adipose tissue from the inhabitants of Iceland, whose population is considered the most homogeneous population in the world, and found that a person has a similar set of genes.
According to the results obtained, the adipose tissue of people with a high body mass index, considered an indicator of obesity, is characterized by gene expression profiles not observed in the DNA of blood cells. This suggests that the genetic causes of obesity and related diseases are very complex and cannot be identified using simple genetic tests.
Some people have a combination of genes that provides a predisposition to developing diabetes with significant weight gain. In other individuals, in similar conditions, the level of cholesterol in the blood increases, and atherosclerotic plaques appear on the walls of the arteries. Certain gene complexes indicate a predisposition to the so-called metabolic syndrome, the main symptoms of which are high blood sugar, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. At the same time, there are a few lucky people who can gain weight almost without harm to their health.
The identified gene complex includes a large number of genes associated with the functioning of macrophages. Based on this, the authors suggested that the development of obesity-associated diseases is based on disorders in the immune system.
According to Dr. Eric Schadt, executive director of the Department of Genetic Research at Merck, scientists working under his leadership plan to study in detail the identified gene complexes and identify the most important genes that can later be used as targets for new anti-obesity drugs.
It is also possible to create genetic tests to determine the individual risks of developing various diseases associated with obesity, and the selection of optimal nutrition and exercise regimes.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru based on ABC materials
21.03.2008