health blog info 13

"For years we have known that NPs control blood pressure and can promote the conversion of energy-storing 'bad' white fat into energy-burning 'good' brown fat, says Sheila Collins, Ph.D., professor in the Integrative Metabolism Program at SBP Lake Nona and senior author on the paper. "What we discovered in this study is the important role for NPs in managing metabolism and resisting the deleterious effects of a high-fat diet." Made in the heart, atrial and B-type natriuretic peptides (NPs) are hormones that were originally discovered to modulate salt and water to control blood pressure. These peptides transmit their signals through natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA). Meanwhile, natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPRC) removes NPs from circulation. "We wanted to explore the difference between elevated levels of NPs in adipose tissue compared to skeletal muscle tissue. Understanding the distinctions can help us devise strategies and treatments to...

"Obesity is increasing dramatically worldwide, and is now also recognized as one of the major risk factors for cancer, with 16 different types of cancer linked to obesity," Ulrich said. "We urgently need to identify the specific mechanisms that link obesity to cancer." Ulrich explained that previous research has shown several ways that fat contributes to carcinogenesis. For example, obesity increases the risk of inflammation, which has long been associated with cancer. Also, obesity is believed to affect cancer cell metabolism and immune clearance, all of which can contribute to the growth and spread of tumors, she said. The relationship between fat and carcinogenesis also depends upon "crosstalk," or the ways cells react when the same signal is shared by more than one signaling pathway in two different cell types, Ulrich explained. Identifying ways to interrupt the crosstalk could help researchers identify new cancer prevention strategies. How th...