From Harvard Gazette
Natural hormone molds leaner bodies in mice
Scientists find new molecular link between exercise and health benefits
By Richard Saltus, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Communications | June 5, 2014
A natural hormone that is increased by physical exercise and by exposure to cold improves blood sugar control, suppresses inflammation, and burns fat to mold leaner bodies in mice, report scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
The hormone, called meteorin-like protein, or Metrnl, can be made in the laboratory. Its health-promoting properties make it a promising candidate for treating obesity and other metabolic diseases, inflammation, and possibly other disorders, said principal investigator Bruce Spiegelman of Dana-Farber’s Cancer Biology department.
“This might have interesting therapeutic potential for several diseases,” said Spiegelman, the Stanley J. Korsmeyer Professor of Cell Biology and Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Because it targets the immune cells involved in tissue repair it will also be interesting to see if this protein affects muscle repair in certain neuromuscular diseases.”
Reporting in Cell, the researchers said that extra Metrnl injected into mice achieved some of the same effects as exercise. It decreased their body fat by 25 percent and caused them to lose weight even on a high-fat diet. It improved their blood sugar control, stimulated conversion of chemical energy to heat, and turned on anti-inflammatory genes.
The meteorin-like protein had previously been identified, but the new study is the first to reveal its role as a hormone — a biological messenger in blood — involved in metabolism and energy balance, according to the researchers. The study adds Metrnl to an emerging picture of why exercise has many healthful benefits, from weight loss to suppressing inflammation to combating metabolic diseases.
In addition, Metrnl has an important role in dialing up fat-burning to maintain core heat production in mice exposed to cold temperatures, the study revealed. The researchers said this indicates that Metrnl is part of the body’s mechanism for adapting to environmental changes.
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Natural hormone molds leaner bodies in mice
Scientists find new molecular link between exercise and health benefits
By Richard Saltus, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Communications | June 5, 2014
A natural hormone that is increased by physical exercise and by exposure to cold improves blood sugar control, suppresses inflammation, and burns fat to mold leaner bodies in mice, report scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
The hormone, called meteorin-like protein, or Metrnl, can be made in the laboratory. Its health-promoting properties make it a promising candidate for treating obesity and other metabolic diseases, inflammation, and possibly other disorders, said principal investigator Bruce Spiegelman of Dana-Farber’s Cancer Biology department.
“This might have interesting therapeutic potential for several diseases,” said Spiegelman, the Stanley J. Korsmeyer Professor of Cell Biology and Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Because it targets the immune cells involved in tissue repair it will also be interesting to see if this protein affects muscle repair in certain neuromuscular diseases.”
Reporting in Cell, the researchers said that extra Metrnl injected into mice achieved some of the same effects as exercise. It decreased their body fat by 25 percent and caused them to lose weight even on a high-fat diet. It improved their blood sugar control, stimulated conversion of chemical energy to heat, and turned on anti-inflammatory genes.
The meteorin-like protein had previously been identified, but the new study is the first to reveal its role as a hormone — a biological messenger in blood — involved in metabolism and energy balance, according to the researchers. The study adds Metrnl to an emerging picture of why exercise has many healthful benefits, from weight loss to suppressing inflammation to combating metabolic diseases.
In addition, Metrnl has an important role in dialing up fat-burning to maintain core heat production in mice exposed to cold temperatures, the study revealed. The researchers said this indicates that Metrnl is part of the body’s mechanism for adapting to environmental changes.
Read more from Harvard Gazette >>
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