At high altitudes, red blood cells act like “glucose sponges,” potentially aiding in the regulation of blood sugar levels. A recent study highlights this fascinating discovery, with researchers aiming to develop innovative treatments for diabetes. They’ve even created a drug that replicates these effects in mice.
Research indicates that individuals living at high elevations, where oxygen is scarce, experience lower incidences of diabetes. In the United States, residents at altitudes of 1,500 meters (4,920 feet) are 12% less likely to develop diabetes compared to those living below 500 meters (1,640 feet).
The exact reasons for this phenomenon remain somewhat elusive, but a new publication in Cell Metabolism hints that red blood cells might be key, as our bodies produce an increased number of these cells under low oxygen levels.
To test this theory, researchers placed mice in a hypoxic environment, effectively lowering their blood oxygen levels. They observed that glucose from the blood was being absorbed by the red blood cells, which were now oxygen-deprived.
These red blood cells converted glucose into molecules that can release oxygen more readily.
Dr. Yolanda Martí Mateos, a postdoctoral fellow at the Gladstone Institute and lead author of the study, explained, “This enables red blood cells to effectively release the limited oxygen they carry to our tissues, essential for survival during hypoxia.” BBC Science Focus.
According to Dr. Martí Mateos, “Red blood cells produced in hypoxic conditions are unique and contain more glucose transporters than their normal counterparts.”
The research team aspires to use their findings as a “proof of concept” to inspire new approaches to diabetes treatment.
“We’re excited about a small molecule from our lab called HypoxyStat, which simulates the effects of hypoxia without reducing the oxygen we inhale,” Dr. Isha Jain, also from the Gladstone Institute, shared with BBC Science Focus.
In mice, the drug effectively reversed high blood sugar levels, demonstrating effectiveness far superior to existing treatments.
“There’s much work ahead before this reaches patients, but the biological insights are promising,” Jain noted.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
