The researchers had discovered during previous testing that genes encoding secretory proteins are abundantly present in the livers of people with type 2 diabetes. This led the researchers to take an even closer look at how the hormone may be connected to the onset of type 2 diabetes.
The studies in lab mice added support to the theory that the connection between SeP and insulin resistance is causal. When the researchers gave healthy mice SeP, they became insulin resistant and their blood sugar levels rose.
Misu said, “That SeP was known previously as a protein produced mainly in the liver, where it transports the essential trace element selenium from the liver to other parts of the body. But the protein's clinical significance and, more specifically, its role in glucose homeostasis weren't known.”
The researcher team does not believe that SeP acts on its own. It is well known, they explain, that fat tissue is a main contributor to the development of insulin resistance by producing fat-derived hormones called adipokines. The researchers have some they have preliminary evidence for a connection between SeP and adipokine production, which they will study further before making any determinations.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101102130127.htm
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