HONG KONG SAR –\u00a0Media
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Researchers from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Af\ufb01liated Sixth People’s Hospital, Peking University, the Af\ufb01liated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China Academy of
\nOutReach<\/a>\u00a0– 1 April 2021 –\u00a0A series of studies
\nled by researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)<\/a>
\nhave revealed that hyocholic acid and
\nits derivatives<\/b> (collectively known as HCAs), a component of bile
\nacids that facilitate fat
\ndigestion, are a <\/b>promising risk <\/b>indicator of type 2 diabetes<\/b>. The strong
\nefficacy of HCAs in regulating blood glucose levels and protecting against diabetes<\/b> has also been uncovered.
\nThe findings open a window for the development of HCA-based predictive markers
\nas well as anti-diabetic drugs. <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/release.media-outreach.com\/release.php\/Images\/Thumb\/500x0\/138656\/HKBU.jpg#image-138656\")
<\/p>\nProfessor Jia Wei, Chair Professor of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU, has revealed that hyocholic acid and its derivatives are a promising risk indicator of type 2 diabetes.<\/span><\/h5>\n
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\nresearch results have been
\npublished in the international scientific journals\u00a0Cell Metabolism <\/em>and Nature Communications<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nof HCAs protects pigs from diabetes <\/b><\/p>\n
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\nby the traditional Chinese medical book Compendium
\nof Materia Medica,<\/i> which recorded the use of pig bile to treat excessive
\nthirst, a condition known today as diabetes, Professor Jia Wei, Chair Professor
\nof the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU, led research teams to conduct a
\nseries of studies on the role of HCAs in glucose homeostasis and diabetes
\nprevention. <\/p>\n
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\nis characterised by high blood glucose levels. Through a series of tests
\nconducted on 55 humans, 32 mice and 12 pigs, Professor Jia’s team confirmed
\nthat fasting blood glucose levels in pigs are significantly lower than that of
\nhumans and mice. As HCAs constitute nearly 80% of bile acids in pigs, while the
\nproportions in humans and mice are only about 2% and 3% respectively, a negative correlation between HCAs and
\nblood glucose levels was observed<\/b>.<\/p>\n
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\nresult indicates the potential role of HCAs
\nin the maintenance of stable glucose levels<\/b>. This may explain why pigs,
\nunlike humans, seldom suffer from diabetes despite their low physical activity
\nlevels and consumption of a calorie-rich diet.<\/p>\n
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\nwith diabetes
\nand metabolic health<\/b><\/p>\n
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\nanalyse the correlation between the levels of HCAs and the occurrence of
\ndiabetes in humans, data was collected from two large-scale cohort studies, namely
\nthe Shanghai Obesity Study and the Shanghai Diabetes Study. The researchers examined
\nthe serum bile acid profiles of 1,107 participants of the Shanghai Obesity
\nStudy, which was published in 2013. The participants were divided into three
\ngroups: healthy lean, healthy obese and obese with type 2 diabetes. It was
\ndiscovered that the levels of serum HCAs
\nwere significantly lower in the healthy obese and obese with type 2 diabetes
\ngroups<\/b>.<\/p>\n
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\nanother study, the serum bile acids of 132
\nparticipants of the Shanghai Diabetes Study were investigated. They were all
\nhealthy (at baseline) when they were enrolled in the study between 1998 and
\n2001. Ten years later, 86 of them had become metabolically unhealthy, while 46
\nremained healthy. Analysis showed that, compared with those who remained healthy
\nten years later, those who had become
\nmetabolically unhealthy had significantly lower baseline levels of serum HCAs, illustrating
\nthat levels of HCAs are a strong predictor of metabolic syndromes such as
\ndiabetes<\/b>.<\/p>\n
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\nblood glucose levels in animal models<\/b><\/p>\n
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\na series of laboratory experiments, the researchers looked further into the
\nmechanisms that underpin the key role that HCAs play in regulating blood
\nglucose levels. In an animal model experiment, the researchers suppressed the synthesis
\nof HCAs in the livers of a group of pigs by around 30%, and they found that their
\nblood glucose levels increased by 30% when compared with the control group. HCAs were then given to the pigs, after
\nwhich their blood glucose levels eased off<\/b>.<\/p>\n
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\nexperiment conducted by the researchers focused on the effect of HCAs on
\nglucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 is a hormone produced by L-cells, a type
\nof enteroendocrine cell that enhances insulin secretion and decreases blood
\nglucose. In a laboratory setting, different kinds of bile acids, including
\nHCAs, were applied to L-cells, at varying levels of concentration. Results
\nshowed that at a high concentration of 50 micromolar, HCAs were the most
\neffective at stimulating GLP-1 secretion<\/b> when compared with other types of
\nbile acids. The findings also revealed that HCAs regulate blood glucose
\nlevels by stimulating the secretion of GLP-1 and thus insulin production.<\/b><\/p>\n
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\ndiabetes prediction and treatment<\/b><\/p>\n
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\nresults of our studies provide evidence of how HCAs help to regulate blood
\nglucose levels, and they have revealed the mechanism of how it is achieved at a
\ncellular level. HCAs demonstrate promising potential, and they could be developed
\ninto an agent for the prediction and treatment of type 2 diabetes,” said
\nProfessor Jia.<\/p>\n
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\nmetabolism of HCAs, targeting the intestines instead of the pancreas could be a
\nprospective novel strategy for treating diabetes. We will further investigate how
\nto increase the secretion levels of HCAs in diabetic patients by regulating the
\nintestinal bacteria,” he added. <\/p>\n
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\nChinese Medical Sciences, China Agricultural University, Sichuan University and the
\nUniversity of Hawaii were also involved in the studies.<\/p>\n
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