The research suggests that manipulating light exposure may be a potential strategy for preventing and treating glucose metabolic disorders.
Light can acutely reduce glucose tolerance in mice by activating intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, implying a potential prevention and treatment strategy for glucose metabolism disorders according to Chinese scientists.
A team led by Xue Tian from China’s University of Science and Technology made the discovery. It was published online in the academic journal Cell (Beijing Time) on Friday.
This research suggests that manipulating light exposure may be a potential strategy for preventing and treating glucose metabolic disorders.
This mechanism has been demonstrated in mice, and the same phenomenon has been observed in humans, indicating that light modulates glucose metabolism in mammals.
The findings in mice and humans, according to Xue, provide one possible explanation for the epidemiologic observations and could reveal a potential prevention and treatment strategy for metabolic disorders.
Glucose metabolism is the process by which the body uses glucose, a simple sugar, as a source of energy. Glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine after a meal and is then transported to cells throughout the body.
Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, regulates the uptake of glucose into cells, mainly muscle and liver cells. In these cells, glucose is converted into energy through a process called cellular respiration, which involves a series of chemical reactions that ultimately produce ATP, the body’s main energy currency.
Glucose metabolic disorders affect the body’s ability to properly metabolize glucose, a type of sugar that is the primary source of energy for the body’s cells. Some examples of glucose metabolic disorders include diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.
These conditions can lead to high blood sugar levels, which can increase the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
In cases of diabetes, the body’s ability to regulate glucose metabolism is disrupted, leading to either high or low blood sugar levels. This can be due to either a lack of insulin production or a resistance to insulin.