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Tissue Scarring - A link between Obesity and Diabetes

A team of researchers, found that people classified as obese and those with pre-diabetes have raised levels of a protein called SPARC, that can cause tissue scarring. The study revealed that an increase in insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar levels) and leptin (a hormone that regulates appetite) can trigger an increase in SPARC, which can prevent the proper storage of fat in fat tissue cells.

It is contemplated that leptin, in an attempt to balance energy levels in the body, could trigger SPARC to limit the storage of fat. SPARC can do this by increasing the formation of scars in fat tissue, which can prevent fat being stored safely in the body. Researchers found that this process could predispose obese patients to type II diabetes.

A researcher explained that after testing fat tissue of patients at the University Hospital they found that an increase in leptin also increased SPARC levels, which reduced the safe storage of fat through the development of abnormal tissue scarring. Scarring of fat tissue is known to increase as we gain weight it was found that this was exacerbated by leptin, as well as an increase in insulin, produced by the pancreas.

Another lead author of the research added that leptin is produced in fat cells to regulate appetite, but the body becomes resistant to the effects of appetite reduction in obese patients. Leptin continues to increase in response to overall fat mass and promotes scarring through increased SPARC levels. Once scarring occurs, the excess nutritional energy from fat cannot be taken up by fat cells and so remains in the blood and begins to gather around organs. As a result, fat cells of people classified as obese, may not henceforth fulfill their natural purpose to store fat.

Diabetes is caused by the inability of cells' to respond to insulin, which would normally enable uptake of sugar from the blood. To compensate, the pancreas creates more insulin to clear blood sugar from the circulation. The pancreas becomes exhausted and is unable to produce sufficient insulin to keep up with the demands of the body. This results in the development of type II diabetes, which can cause problems such as lack of energy to the cells and, over time, damage to the eyes, kidneys and heart.

Another team of researchers found that weight gain, induced by more than doubling calorie intake through eating 'junk food', caused SPARC levels to increase by 33%. In a further study, scientists concluded that a reduced calorie diet can decrease SPARC levels and the stimulus for tissue scarring.

Researchers are now investigating why some people are more prone to fat tissue scarring than others and how further understanding of SPARC could contribute to future treatments for diabetes.