June 9, 2008 - KineMed, Inc. and Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. announced that researchers have discovered a key difference in bile acid metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes which may suggest a newly identified underlying disorder. It has long been known that bile acids help the body absorb fat and cholesterol. In the last decade, we learned that bile acids are important signaling molecules that regulate the metabolism of glucose, fat, and energy. And until now, there has been only preliminary data suggesting alterations in bile acid metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes. Now new data highlight crucial alterations in bile acid metabolism in this population. Researchers reported results from the first controlled study addressing this issue, which they hope will lead to a better understanding of how bile acid metabolism is impacted in people with type 2 diabetes.
The study found that the most important bile acid, cholic acid (CA), had a significantly higher synthesis rate in people with type 2 diabetes than in patients with normal glucose levels. Researchers also learned that the rate at which deoxycholic acid (DCA) was recycled back into the liver (i.e. DCA input rate) was almost twice as great in those with type 2 diabetes as in the healthy subjects. In addition, the total amount of bile acid synthesized by the liver was elevated, although not statistically significantly, in people who have type 2 diabetes as compared to the healthy control group... [PDF] Daiichi Sankyo's Press Release -
