Sometimes it's difficult to lose weight; for some, it's harder than others. Genetics can play a huge role since some people burn calories less efficiently and less quickly than others. Now, though, scientists have discovered a genetic "switch" that can accelerate a person's basal metabolic rate, which could potentially lead to a dramatic reduction in the risk of obesity and diabetes.
The researchers discovered a particular enzyme in the fat and liver of mice that could play a role in this particular switch. The enzyme is known as nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), according to HealthDay. It seems to regulate the ability of cells to burn energy efficiently.
"We found an enzyme in fat that appears to be elevated in people with obesity and diabetes," said Barbara Kahn, one of the researchers, in an interview with WBUR. "And if we inhibit it in mice, we can increase the amount of energy that the animal burns, and thereby decrease the maount of calories that are stored in fat."
In this case, the researchers looked at NNMT in relation to metabolism after studying a major sugar transporter called GLUT4 in the fat cells of mice. They found that the mice that produced large amounts of GLUT4 were insulin sensitive and protected against diabetes, according to Fox News. In contrast, mice with no GLUT4 were at risk for diabetes.
When the researchers turned off the NNMT gene in mice on high-fat diets, the mice didn't gain as much weight compared to when the NNMT gene was functioning normally, according to Fox News. It turns out that NNMT solely affected the mice's metabolic rates.
The findings may reveal a new way to combat obesity and the risk of diabetes in people with slow metabolisms. That said, it will be quite some time before this technique can be actually used in people. Yet it does provide an important stepping stone for future research, and may lead to treatments in the future.
The findings were published in the journal Nature.
