Discovery: blood sugar level depends on the size of mitochondria

Mitochondria are the "power plants" of cells. Scientists from the Medicine School at Yale University have found that changes in the size of mitochondria in brain cells affect blood sugar levels. It is very important for diabetics of the 1st and 2nd types to maintain normal blood sugar concentrations, UPI.com reports.

The scientists have studied DRP1 a specific mitochondrial protein in mice. It was absent or present in different amounts in the brain cells controlling blood sugar levels. The scientists have noticed that the size and shape of mitochondria were changed under the influence of DRP1 according to whether the mice were hungry or not.

Neurons with low DRP1 activity were more sensitive to changes in blood glucose concentrations. Nerve cells run contrregulatory response to hypoglycemia. At the low sugar level the brain sent signals to different bodies in order to start producing more glucose. According to the scientists, apparently this mechanism failure may cause an autonomous regulation disorder associated with hypoglycemia.

Source: UPI.com.