CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov 5, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A French study using mice
suggests an experimental drug can protect against obesity and metabolic diseases
associated with a high-fat diet.
The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, suggests the synthetic
SIRT1 activator -- called SRT1720 -- boosts metabolism, improves glucose
tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and enhances exercise endurance.
The new chemical entity was used by researchers to activate the SIRT1 gene
pathway in mice, boosting their metabolic levels.
"These results show that new synthetic SIRT1 activators can reproduce the
positive metabolic effects that were previously demonstrated using resveratrol,
a naturally occurring SIRT1 activator found in red wine," Dr. Johan Auwerx of
France's Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire said
Wednesday in a statement. "But unlike resveratrol, these new chemical entities
target only the SIRT1 pathway, making them more selective and potent for
achieving these metabolic benefits."
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