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

Hormone in fruit flies sheds light on diabetes cure, weight-loss drug for humans

2012-08-09
(Press-News.org) Winston-Salem, N.C. – Manipulating a group of hormone-producing cells in the brain can control blood sugar levels in the body – a discovery that has dramatic potential for research into weight-loss drugs and diabetes treatment.

In a paper published in the October issue of Genetics and available online now, neurobiologists at Wake Forest University examine how fruit flies (Drosophila) react when confronted with a decreased diet.

Reduced diet or starvation normally leads to hyperactivity in fruit flies – a hungry fly buzzes around feverishly, looking for more food. That happens because an enzyme called AMP-activated kinase stimulates the secretion of the adipokinetic hormone, which is the functional equivalent of glucagon. This hormone acts opposite of insulin, as it tells the body to release the sugar, or food, needed to fuel that hyperactivity. The body uses up its energy stores until it finds food.

But when Wake Forest's Erik Johnson, an associate professor of biology, and his research team turned off AMP-activated kinase, the cells decreased sugar release and the hyperactive response stopped almost completely – even in the face of starvation.

"Since fruit flies and humans share 30 percent of the same genes and our brains are essentially wired the same way, it suggests that this discovery could inform metabolic research in general and diabetes research specifically," said Johnson, the study's principal investigator. "The basic biophysical, biochemical makeup is the same. The difference in complexity is in the number of cells. Why flies are so simple is that they have approximately 100,000 neurons versus the approximately 11 billion in humans."

Medical advances as a result of this research might include:

Diabetes research: Adipokinetic hormone is the insect equivalent to the hormone glucagon in the human pancreas. Glucagon raises blood sugar levels; insulin reduces them. However, it is difficult to study glucagon systems because the pancreatic cells are hard to pull apart. Studying how this similar system works in the fruit fly could pave the way to a drug that targets the cells that cause glucagon to tell the body to release sugar into the blood – thus reducing the need for insulin shots in diabetics.

Weight-loss drugs: An "exercise drug" would turn on all AMP-activated kinase in the body and trick the body into thinking it was exercising. "Exercise stimulates AMP-activated kinase, so manipulation of this molecule may lead to getting the benefits of exercise without exercising," Johnson said. In previous research published in the online journal PLoS ONE, Johnson and his colleagues found that, when you turn off AMP-activated kinase, you get fruit flies that "eat a lot more than normal flies, move around a lot less, and end up fatter."

###Johnson's current study is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Co-authors are Jason Braco, Emily Gillespie and Gregory Alberto of Wake Forest, and Jay Brenman of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

"The Self Publishers Guide to Book Marketing: Step By Step Guide for Fiction and Non-Fiction Authors" by Jamie Cawley

2012-08-09
Jamie Cawley, small business owner and author of over 39 books since 1999, has now set her cap at making self-publishers lives easier with her upcoming work "The Self Publishers Guide to Book Marketing: Step By Step Guide for Fiction and Non-Fiction Authors". "Like many self-published authors I found that promoting my books was far more difficult than actually writing them! After reading a colossal number of books and blogs over the years trying to cobble together a marketing plan I was disappointed to find that most guides were either not focused ...

Young Music Mogul Famous Kid Brick Strikes Again With Video Release "I'm On It" and Simmering New Single "Yes Sir"

2012-08-09
Central Florida native son Famous Kid Brick has got to be one of the brightest rays of independent hip hop to glimmer and gleam from the Sunshine State today. With more than 2,500 BDS-registered radio spins of his runaway hit single "Im On It," 15,000 iTunes downloads and sold out shows throughout the Southeast, Hussch Boy Productions flagship artist Famous Kid Brick has been continually holding Florida captive. And he is set to give the rest of the world a dose of the radiant rays that our backyards have been soaking up for months with the release of his ...

West Coast Platinum Production Team: League Of Starz Launches New Website www.LeagueOfStarz.com to Strengthen their Market Position

2012-08-09
According to Artist Revenue Streams, a research project examining how and why musicians' revenue streams are changing, 64 percent of musicians said it's more competitive than ever. The League Of Starz, a West Coast Team of Producers with Platinum Record Production Credits decided to collaborate with Creativity Ainta Side Hustle, a Los Angeles based website design studio to brand their company in the digital sphere and strengthen their market position. Tavon "Pun" Alexander, League Of Starz CEO, "Technology has leveled the playing field for musicians so it's ...

Original Royalty Let's You Take a Peek of a Head Banging Book!

2012-08-09
Today at the website http://www.OriginalRoyalty.com, a branch of Israel United in Christ Inc. is allowing their customers to download the first chapter of the book "Understandest Thou What Thou Readest?" You may claim your download once you subscribe to our website's newsletter. You can find the purple subscription box to the left of the webpage. "In the last days the United States of America is the most powerful super power on Earth; however there is no scriptural mention of them according to the world's Christian leaders. Why? Society as a whole has ...

Lori Leigh Designs to Introduce Earring Chalets at New York Gift Show, August 18-21, 2012. Novel Fashion Organizers Will be Unveiled to the Retail Gift Trade at Stand #5238 at the Javits Center.

2012-08-09
Novel Fashion Organizers Will be Unveiled to the Retail Gift Trade at Stand #5238 at the Javits Center Whittier, CA Lori Leigh Designs Inc. President and Founder Lori Torline announced today that her Fashion Accessory firm will introduce the novel Earring Chalets at the upcoming New York Gift Show at the Javits Center in New York City. This is one of the largest premiere gift industry trade shows in the world. "The Earring Chalets were first introduced at trade shows in Las Vegas and Los Angeles and the retail buyer's response was overwhelming", said Mrs.Torline. ...

The Winner of the Web.com Cox Classic Played a Graphite Design Tour AD Shaft

2012-08-09
Graphite Design, maker of some of the most widely played premium golf shafts on the PGA TOUR, announced today that the winner of the Web.com Cox Classic presented by Lexus of Omaha played a Graphite Design Tour AD DI shafts in his driver. This win marks the 17th professional tour victory in 2012 by players who have used Graphite Design shafts. "This player is making a name for himself on the Web.com Tour by becoming the first player in Tour history to make his first two professional starts victories" said Tak Yamada, President, Graphite Design, "We are ...

Rapid Protect Updates It's Driver Safety And No Texting Apps For Preventing Drivers From Texting While Driving

2012-08-09
Rapid protect (http://www.rapidprotect.com ) updated its "Driver safety and No Texting apps" to support the life safety of a driver. These no texting driver safety apps are provided under the names of "Road Safe Driver", "Driving Control", Speed App", and "Speed Control App",. The apps are available on Android and Blackberry platforms. The use of a cell phone can be a major distraction while driving. Research has shown that countless accidents could have been avoided if the driver was not distracted while driving. There is ...

Reducing the Stress of Divorce on Children: Strategies in Co-Parenting

2012-08-09
Reducing the Stress of Divorce on Children: Strategies in Co-Parenting Children cope with their parents' separation or divorce in different ways, and they work through their related thoughts and emotions differently as they age and mature. According to a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics from the Baylor College of Medicine, children of divorce go through a grieving process that may repeat itself as they continue to adapt and develop towards adulthood. Though there is worry that children of divorce face long-term difficulties in academics, employment, relationships ...

Staging Diva Recommends Avoiding Duplicate Web Content

2012-08-09
It is common for home stagers to use blogs to market their businesses, but not everyone considers the ramifications of posting duplicate content across multiple websites. In an article on the Home Staging Business Report blog, home staging expert Debra Gould provides advice for optimizing web content while maintaining search engine rankings. "We all want to spend less time writing new articles online to support our home staging business, but we also need to be careful about being penalized by Google for duplicate content" Gould writes. "No one truly knows ...

Is an Angel Looking Over Your Shoulder? It Could Happen To You...

2012-08-09
Read what happens when a six-year-old girl meets an angel, and in doing so, discovers her own magical inner world. One night Alessandra asks her mother if she can stay up for "only five more minutes." Then she gets a wonderful surprise: her guardian angel, Angelisse, comes for a visit. The angel looks so much like a child that it is easy for Alessandra to relate to her. The angel explains how very important every person is and teaches Alessandra many other magical things such as the power of visualization. This uplifting story teaches kids that they are ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima

AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk

New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs

MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health

Working together, cells extend their senses

Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution

Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking

Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure

Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage

University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources

Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change

Measuring the quantum W state

Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells

Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging

Funding for training and research in biological complexity

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025

ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research

Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury

Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows

Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior

OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech

Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia

Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults

Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children

Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults

Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults

How interstellar objects similar to 3I/ATLAS could jump-start planet formation around infant stars

Rented e-bicycles more dangerous than e-scooters in cities

Ditches as waterways: Managing ‘ditch-scapes’ to strengthen communities and the environment

In-situ molecular passivation enables pure-blue perovskite LEDs via vacuum thermal evaporation

[Press-News.org] Hormone in fruit flies sheds light on diabetes cure, weight-loss drug for humans