Evolutionary mechanism may be driving weight gain
New research by the American Heart Association has revealed a protein within fat tissues in the human body that may be influencing obesity.
The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) molecule has evolved as a protective mechanism -active in metabolically stressful situations, such as in instances of starvation, injury or exposure to extreme conditions- to prevent the body from burning fat.
This ancient mechanism presents a “metabolic brake” that makes it difficult to lose and keep off excess weight. Long-time RAGE researcher, Ann Marie Schmidt, explains that the body associates cellular stress from overeating to that created by starvation, and so halts our ability to burn fat.
The study, demonstrated on mouse models, showed several mice with normal RAGE activity gained 75% more weight than those with their RAGE pathway blocked, despite the same levels of physical activity and caloric consumption. Furthermore, removing and transplanting the inactive RAGE proteins into the fatty tissue of healthy mice similarly decreased the animal’s ability to gain weight even when being fed a high-fat diet.
As blocking RAGE somehow stifles metabolic activity and allows weight gain, further research could potentially lead to human obesity therapy that is well-suited to modern lifestyles.
Schmidt adds, “Because RAGE evolved out of the immune system, blocking it may also reduce the inflammatory signals that contribute to insulin resistance-driven diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.”
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