U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/>
For Immediate Release: Monday, November 16, 2015
CONTACT: NHLBI Engagement and Media Relations Branch, 301-496-4236, <e-mail:nhlbi_news@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
NIH RESEARCHERS FIND POTENTIAL TARGET FOR REDUCING OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION
Study sheds light on preventing or reversing certain obesity-associated diseases
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have identified a potential molecular target for reducing obesity-related inflammation. Researchers have known that overeating (that is, excess calorie consumption) by individuals with obesity often triggers inflammation, which has been linked to such diseases as asthma and Type 2 diabetes. In their study, published recently in The Journal of Clinical Investigation (Nov. 3, 2015, online version http://www.jci.org/articles/view/83260), the investigators found that a protein called SIRT3 provides resistance to this inflammatory response and could potentially prevent or reverse obesity-associated diseases of inflammation.
Lead researcher Michael N. Sack, M.D., Ph.D., a senior investigator at NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, explained that he and his team identified the role of SIRT3 through an investigation involving 19 healthy volunteers who fasted for a 24-hour period.
"Previous research has shown that intermittent fasting or intermittent calorie restriction -- by way of eating fewer calories for a few days a month -- reduces inflammation," said Dr. Sack. "We found through our study that this effect is mediated, in part, on a molecular level when SIRT3 blocks the activity of another molecule known as the NLRP3 inflammasome." He explained that NLRP3 inflammasomes are components of an intracelluar immune response triggered when mitochondria undergo stress, such as from excess calorie intake.
By using cultured cells from a group of eight volunteers who did not fast, Dr. Sack and his team found evidence suggesting that SIRT3 can be activated not only through fasting, but also through the use of nicotinamide riboside, a vitamin B derivative. "Taken together, these early results point to a potential mechanism for addressing obesity-related inflammation, and thus diseases linked to this type of inflammation, such as asthma, Type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis -- conditions associated with a reduced quality of life and/or premature death," Dr. Sack said.
Obesity remains a substantial health problem for the nation, affecting more than a third of adults and 17 percent of children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Efforts to manage weight, however, can be hindered by the effects of obesity-related diseases. "It is a vicious cycle," said Dr. Sack. "Take asthma for example. An increase in obesity incidence has been associated with an increase in asthma incidence, but asthma makes it difficult for some to be physically active enough to lose weight."
Dr. Sack and colleagues -- who include researchers from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and Weill Cornell Medical College -- are conducting a follow-up study at the NIH Clinical Center to determine whether the vitamin B derivative nicotinamide riboside can specifically reduce bronchial inflammation in individuals with asthma. If the results of the study are promising, Dr. Sack and colleagues will aim to conduct larger clinical trials to validate the findings and potentially inform treatment of obesity-related inflammation in asthma.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at <www.nhlbi.nih.gov>.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit <www.nih.gov>.
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