PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

The internal clock and feeding rhythm set the pace of the liver

2014-01-15
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Sarah Perrin
sarah.perrin@epfl.ch
41-216-932-107
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
The internal clock and feeding rhythm set the pace of the liver Living organisms have adapted to the day-night cycle and, in most cases, they have evolved a "circadian clock". Its effects are not completely known yet but its functioning has been shown to have important metabolic consequences for the body. Disruption of normal circadian rhythms can have deleterious effects on health; for example lack of sleep is linked with obesity, and the time of feeding was shown to affect the ability to control body weight.

Scientists from the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) and the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), supported by a 2012 grant from the Swiss Leenaards Foundation originally awarded to the Université de Lausanne, have found that in the case of the liver, the rhythm of protein production and release is dictated by both the organisms' feeding behaviors and their internal clock. The current study was published last week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA (PNAS).

The researchers, under the direction of Frédéric Gachon (NIHS) and Felix Naef (EPFL), analyzed liver proteins with mass spectrometry, one of the new analytical tools currently available that allow a closer inspection of the real impact of this clock on some biological processes, in particular at a level of temporal protein abundance. They measured the concentration of more than 5000 different proteins – whereas previous techniques only allowed the identification a few hundreds at best.

The results suggest that the circadian clock does not only influence the production of proteins by the genes, but also the way the liver regulated the storage and release of proteins into the body. "Our experiments seem to prove that the pace set by feeding patterns takes precedence over the circadian rhythm. However, it appears that the strongest effect takes place when these two rhythms overlap", said Frédéric Gachon.

As a next step, this research will attempt to translate some of these results to humans. "Our work will help develop strategies focused on diet to help treat patients suffering from disorders associated to circadian dysfunctions" said Felix Naef.

### This project is fully aligned with the mission of NIHS, which is to better define health in order to prevent disease through targeted nutrition. Studying circadian mechanisms is one avenue that NIHS is exploring to better understand metabolic homeostasis in relation to obesity and diabetes. The ultimate goal of the Institute is to develop knowledge for the creation of science-based targeted nutritional solutions to maintain health, to prevent diseases or manage chronic conditions, and to promote healthy ageing.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

IU study: Copycats pave the way to problem-solving success

2014-01-15
IU study: Copycats pave the way to problem-solving success BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It is often better to be surrounded by copycats than innovators, according to a new Indiana University study. By creating a virtual problem landscape, IU cognitive scientists explored ...

Gold nanoparticles help to develop a new method for tracking viruses

2014-01-15
Gold nanoparticles help to develop a new method for tracking viruses Researchers at the Nanoscience Center (NSC) of University of Jyväskylä in Finland have developed a novel method to study enterovirus structures and their functions. The method will help ...

Easier said than done

2014-01-15
Easier said than done In moral behavior, (virtual) reality is something else altogether The brakes of your car fail suddenly and on your path are five people who will certainly be hit and killed. You can steer, but if you do another ...

New study shows: Large landmasses existed 2.7 billion years ago

2014-01-15
New study shows: Large landmasses existed 2.7 billion years ago A Cologne working group involving Prof. Carsten Münker and Dr. Elis Hoffmann and their student Sebastian Viehmann (working with Prof. Michael Bau from the Jacobs University Bremen) have managed for the ...

Genes and calls reveal 5-fold greater diversity of Amazon frog species

2014-01-15
Genes and calls reveal 5-fold greater diversity of Amazon frog species Amazonian biodiversity has been studied for hundreds of years. Early explorers of Amazonian plants and animals included renowned naturalists of the stature of Alexander von Humboldt and A. R. Wallace. ...

Multihormone reverses metabolic damage of high calorie diet

2014-01-15
Multihormone reverses metabolic damage of high calorie diet Importantly, the scientists found out that treatment of obese mice with this GLP-1/Glucagon co-agonist improves metabolism ...

An international study allows a better prediction of the risk of hereditary cancer

2014-01-15
An international study allows a better prediction of the risk of hereditary cancer An international study has developed a refined method to identify people at risk for certain inherited cancer as a result of Lynch syndrome. The study, published ...

Scientists warn: Conservation work in zoos is too random

2014-01-15
Scientists warn: Conservation work in zoos is too random The world's zoos work hard and spend enormous resources on the conservation of endangered species, but the resources are not always optimally spent. One big problem is international legislation and the need of more ...

Ramularia and the 4 Rs

2014-01-15
Ramularia and the 4 Rs Resistance gene causes susceptibility to second disease The gene that has provided spring barley with resistance to powdery mildew for over 30 years increases susceptibility to newly-important disease Ramularia leaf spot. Scientists ...

Women with a high economic status claim to have better sex

2014-01-15
Women with a high economic status claim to have better sex A higher socioeconomic status has been associated with a more satisfying sex life An analysis based on the first Spanish National Sexual Health Survey, carried out in 2009, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

The Lancet: Tens of thousands of children aged under five suffering acute malnutrition in Gaza, recent estimates suggest

Prostate testing may not target those most likely to benefit, warn experts

Global analysis shows hidden damage from men’s alcohol use

DRI recognizes Ashley Cornish as the 2025 Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award Winner for Women in Atmospheric Sciences

Unlocking the blueprint for a powerful plant-based drug

Bringing modern science to vitamin biology: Isha Jain wins NIH Transformative Research Award

University of Houston scientists learn that rare bacterium ‘plays dead’ to survive

Introduced animals change how island plants spread, new global study finds

Mayo Clinic researchers discover ‘traffic controller’ protein that protects DNA, and may help kill cancer cells

Protein sidekick exhibits dual roles in stress granule assembly and disassembly

New hope for MS

Kennesaw State professor receives grant to study cancer origins

Pain and antidepressant drug combo linked to increased seizure risk in older adults

Cancer researchers shape new strategies for immunotherapy

Physical exercise can ‘train’ the immune system

Calm red brocket deer can learn to "Come" and other commands - but the flightiest, most restless individuals struggle

China, the world's largest tea producer, is predicted to experience increases in land suitable for tea-growing under climate change, with the overall range shifting northwards, per AI modeling study

Composing crews for Mars missions

Early humans butchered elephants using small tools and made big tools from their bones

1,000-year-old gut microbiome revealed for young man who lived in pre-Hispanic Mexico

Bears and pandas in captivity develop significantly different gut microbiomes compared to their wild counterparts, and giant pandas in particular have less diverse microbiomes than their wild counterp

Prenatal and postnatal support apps might not work

Dancing dust devils trace raging winds on Mars

Raging winds on Mars

Real-time biopsies uncover hidden response to glioblastoma therapy

Repeated brain tumor sampling uncovers treatment response in patients with glioblastoma

Novel immunotherapy combination destroys colorectal liver metastases

Farmed totoaba could curb poaching

Avalanches: user-carried safety device increases survival time fivefold

It’s all in your head: Select neurons in the brainstem may hold the key to treating chronic pain

[Press-News.org] The internal clock and feeding rhythm set the pace of the liver