メディエイゴ

Diabetes(1) patients could benefit from(2) new research at the University of Liverpool that has identified(3) a molecule(4) in the intestine(5) that can 'taste' the sugar content(6) of the diet.

Researchers(7) found that the sweet taste receptor(8) that senses sugar and artificial sweeteners(9) is not only present in the tongue(10), but also in the intestine. The discovery will open new avenues for(11) the treatment of diabetes and obesity(12), as well as suggest reasons for why artificially sweetened(13) foods and beverages(14) sometimes fail to(15) result in(16) weight loss(17).

Scientists have previously(18) shown that the absorption(19) of dietary sugars(20) in the intestine is mediated by(21) a protein(22) ―a sugar transporter(23)― that varies(24) in response to(25) the sugar content of foods.  The intestine uses a glucose sensing system(26) to monitor (27) these variations(28), but until now the nature of this system was unknown.

Professor Soraya Shirazi-Beechey, from the Faculty of Veterinary Science(29), said: “We found that the sweet taste receptor and the taste protein(30), gustducin(31), are present in the taste cells(32) of the gut(33). These sweet sensing proteins allow humans and animals to detect(34) glucose within the intestine. We discovered that mice missing the gene(35) for either of these proteins were unable to process the production of the intestinal(36) sugar and were therefore unable to regulate(37) the intestinal capacity to absorb dietary sugars.

“Surprisingly(38) we also found that the receptor was able to detect artificial sweeteners in foods and drinks resulting in increased capacity of the intestine to absorb dietary sugars, which would explain why these sweeteners are unsuccessful (39) at helping people lose weight.