Researchers from the University of Southampton have been able to develop a molecule that "mimics" the way an exercise works for the body, news.com.au has learned. The study can potentially help with the development of new weight loss pills crucial for those battling obesity or type 2 diabetes.
Documented in Chemistry and Biology, the researchers developed "compound 14," a molecule that works the same way as the body goes through the motions of exercise. According to news.com.au, the molecule essentially "tricks" the body to activate its AMPK cells, which trigger effects in glucose and metabolism that otherwise happens during exercises.
The researchers conducted their study on mice with two types of control groups. One group was fed a high-fat diet to induce obesity while the other group was given a normal diet. Both groups were treated with the compound molecule.
The results showed that the group with the normal diet kept their weight and blood glucose at normal levels. The group under the high-fat diet, on the other hand, exhibited significant lowering of their blood glucose levels. The mice also lost at least five percent of their body weight within seven days of administering compound 14, the study reveals.
"Current treatments for type 2 diabetes centers on elevating circulating insulin levels or improving the insulin sensitivity of an individual," said Dr. Felino Cagampang, one of the study's authors in a press statement published by the University of South Hampton. "The issue is that established drugs do not successfully enable patients with type 2 diabetes to achieve glycemic control and some can even result in weight gain, a leading factor driving the diabetes epidemic. In contrast, this new molecule seems to reduce glucose levels and at the same time decrease body weight, but only if the subject is obese," he added.
News.com.au further states that for now, it is still unsure whether the compound is safe for human consumption. But after the mice study, the researchers are hoping to do clinical tests on the molecule's effects for long-term treatment and how it impacts body weight and glucose tolerance further, according to Mail Online.
If the results will be favorable, drug companies can then use this compound for developing weight loss pills to help people with diabetes and those struggling with obesity.
As it is, obesity has more than doubled since the '80s around the world, according to the World Health Organization. Diabetes, on the other hand, have also become "increasingly global," the health agency said in their latest report.
