How insulin calms brain activity
Insulin has long been known as the hormone which controls the body鈥檚 sugar levels: humans who lack or are insensitive to insulin develop diabetes. Although insulin is also made and released in the brain, its effects there have remained unclear.
Now, researchers at 91社区 have discovered a new role for this metabolic hormone. 鈥淲e discovered that insulin controls the activity of the brain鈥檚听鈥榖rakes鈥�, which are called inhibitory GABA-A receptors, says Dr. Derek Bowie, a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine鈥檚 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 听鈥淚nsulin prevents the brain from getting overexcited by calling upon a subtype of GABA-A receptors--a discovery which may lead to new treatments for epilepsy and other central nervous system conditions.鈥�
An alternative to psychoactive drugs?
鈥淕ABA-A receptors are targeted by many psychoactive听drugs such as benzodiazepines (e.g. valium) which are used to treat anxiety, induce听anesthesia in surgery and relieve chronic pain,鈥� says Bowie who is also the Scientific Director of the FRQS-funded research group, G脡PROM. 鈥淎lthough beneficial, these drugs often have unwanted side-effects. We found that regulating the听brain's own chemistry using insulin brings about the same beneficial effect of these drugs, suggesting new routes for drug therapies that may have fewer side-effects."
The findings are published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
DOI:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0513-15.2015
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