Modulating activity of the alga Chlorella in glucose intolerant and Type-2 diabetic patients

• Grant number: 14/10634-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2016
• End date: January 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Applied Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Mary Luci de Souza Queiroz
• Grantee: Mary Luci de Souza Queiroz
• Host Institution: Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia (HEMOCENTRO). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The alga Chorella (CV) is considered to be a biological response modifier, as demonstrated by its modulating activity in face of different diseases in humans and experimental animals.Recent studies from our laboratory, pioneer in the literature, demonstrated that the capacity of CV to prevent insulin resistance in obese animals is in part due to improvementsin the insulin signaling pathway in the liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, by increasing the phosphorylation levels of proteins, such as IR, IRS-1 and Akt and reducing phosphorylation of IRS-1ser307. In addition, treatment with CV restored to normal the increased levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, cholesterol fractions and the concentration of free fatty acids observed in obese animals. Insulin resistance is an important pathophysiological mechanism that indicates the progression to type 2 diabetes (T2D),aswell as the additional complications observed in this disease. Although pharmacological treatment of T2D has someefficacy, it has several side effects. Therefore, the search for natural agents that minimize these undesirable effects, while maintaining the effectiveness in regulating the disturbances observed in T2D,is receiving increasing attention from the scientific community. In this context, the alga Chlorellaarises as an alternative for the treatment of complications related to this disease. Therefore, we consider promising the purpose of this study to investigate the effects of the treatment with CV in patients with glucose intolerance and with T2D. (AU)