Zebrafish Used to Study Fat Storage Gene

A study involving zebrafish has led to discoveries in understanding certain components of fat storage in relation to humans. The gene, Plexin-D1, plays an important role in controlling the shape of fat cells and their method of storage. Earlier studies hypothesized this gene’s involvement with fat storage, but were unable to determine the exact mechanism behind how it was capable of working.

A team of researchers at Duke University in North Carolina first examined the Plexin-D1 gene in mice, but the project came to a halt when all the mice lacking the gene died. The team was able to continue the experiment using zebrafish, with the added advantage of the zebrafish being partially transparent. This allowed the researchers to visually study fat distribution. Some zebrafish were genetically engineered to lack the Plexin-D1 gene. These genetically modified fish had less overall visceral fat and smaller fat cells than the control group, fish with the Plexin-D1 gene. These fish also did not exhibit insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes consistent with a diet high in fat.

This research identified a new molecular pathway that affects metabolic health by determining how fat is stored in the body. Researchers believe this gene is responsible for building blood vessels and setting up structures to house fat cells. Now researchers may be able to farther study this pathway to address these concerns in humans as potential targets for the build-up of visceral fat. Though many genes play a role in metabolism and body type, analysis of the Plexin-D1 gene will play an integral part in determining methods of fat accumulation in humans.

Genetic condition that attacks the heart, brain, and nerves diagnosed using new MRI technique

Lysosome with sphingolipids 

Fabry Disease

What was once classified as a rare disease, is now becoming an epidemic in 1 in 1500 to 3000 people of Alberta, Canada. This disease is called Fabry disease. According to the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, “Fabry disease is a genetic metabolic condition that destroys the enzyme involved in fat metabolism.” When fat deposits accumulate in the body, it affects the heart, kidneys, and brain. Gavin Oudit had stated, “heart disease is the number one cause of death for patients with Fabry disease.” When you use an MRI or ultrasound to detect whether or not your body has been affected from the disease, sometimes this condition could look like other diseases. Richard Thompson and Kelvin Chow have developed a new system that better detects the damages and changes in early stages. This new MRI technique is called T1 mapping. The difference between T1 mapping and MRI/ultrasound is the scans can detect both the disease and severity of damage to the heart. This new technique can easily be programmed into MRI systems around the world and hopefully provide other advancements to detect other disease conditions.

(Article) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/266976.php

http://www.geneticdiseasefoundation.org/genetic-diseases/fabry-disease/?_kk=fabry%20disease&_kt=accdb0de-692e-4bce-8e8d-02be219b6310&gclid=CL6M95jSgLoCFYOk4Aod8QwAUQ

A surgery that helps with weight loss and your genes.

Fox News shares the new discovery that weight-loss surgery can also help your genes. A study in a journal showed that when people had gastric bypass surgery and lost weight their genes expressions changed more. The study showed the genes would change to improve the body’s way of burning fat, storing sugars better, and lowering their risk for diabetes.

A study was done on eight obese women that were to undergo gastric by surgery and sixteen women of normal weight. The study was to provide insight that lifestyle or environmental changes can influence the chemical modifications on genes. Researchers studied two genes that regulates glucose and fat metabolism, PGC-1alpha and PDK4, and found out that before the surgery the obese women had chemical markers that did not allow these two genes to function properly. When the surgery was over the women lost weight and did not have the chemical markers anymore when they were more obese.

The study author mentioned to Fox News that obesity increases lipids in t he blood and cytokines which are markers of inflammation. Those markers are what affects the functions of the body, and can change the chemical markings on DNA, and that makes the muscles burn fat and store sugars incorrectly. When people lose weight, the inflammation and lipids in the blood decrease to allow the muscles to reprogram themselves in order to operate correctly and improve metabolic health. If the women that are obese loose the weight before producing children they can avoid passing on the obese like gene traits to their children.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/259033.php