Gut Bacteria Linked to Diabetes and Liver Disease Risk
- A Canadian research team has identified a novel pathway connecting gut microbes, a specific type of lactate (D-lactate), and the advancement of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes...
- Published: September 11, 2024 (Updated as new information becomes available)
- The research builds upon decades of understanding of lactate metabolism, an area recognized with the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
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New Research Links gut Bacteria, D-Lactate, and Metabolic Disease
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A Canadian research team has identified a novel pathway connecting gut microbes, a specific type of lactate (D-lactate), and the advancement of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. Thier findings, published recently, offer a potential new therapeutic target by intercepting a microbial fuel source before it can contribute to illness.
Published: September 11, 2024 (Updated as new information becomes available)
The Lactate Connection: A Nobel-Recognized Foundation
The research builds upon decades of understanding of lactate metabolism, an area recognized with the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. That prize honored the work demonstrating how muscles generate L-lactate, which fuels the liver to produce blood glucose, creating a cycle of fuel exchange between muscle and liver. This established understanding focused on L-lactate, the form typically produced by muscles.
D-Lactate: The Unexpected Culprit
The McMaster University team,led by Dr. J. Evan Schertzer, discovered that obese mice – and, importantly, people with obesity – exhibit elevated levels of D-lactate in their blood. Unlike L-lactate,D-lactate is primarily produced by gut microbes. Their research showed that D-lactate more aggressively raises blood sugar and promotes the accumulation of fat in the liver. McMaster University News reported on these findings.
“we’ve known for a long time that lactate is a key energy source, but we didn’t appreciate the role of this different form, D-lactate, and its origin in the gut,” explains Dr. Schertzer in the McMaster University news release.
A “Gut Substrate Trap” Offers Hope
To address the issue, the researchers developed a “gut substrate trap” – a safe, biodegradable polymer designed to bind to D-lactate within the gut, preventing its absorption into the bloodstream. In mice,this trap led to notable improvements: lower blood glucose levels,reduced insulin resistance,and decreased liver inflammation and fibrosis. Notably, these benefits were achieved *without* any changes to the mice’s diet or body weight.
Implications for Treatment and the Microbiome
“This is a wholly new way to think about treating metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease,” says dr. Schertzer, a member of the Center for Metabolism, Obesity, and Diabetes Research (MODR) and Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster. MODR at McMaster University is a leading research centre in this field. “Rather of targeting hormones or the liver directly, we’re intercepting a microbial fuel source before it can do harm.”
The research, funded by the canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), underscores the increasingly recognized importance of the gut microbiome in chronic disease development. This study adds to a growing body of evidence demonstrating the complex interplay between gut bacteria, metabolism, and overall health.