The ibuprofen inhibits the sweet taste and glucose detection in humans, which implies an additional mechanism for reducing the risk of metabolic diseases, according to a study conducted by Researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center and Rutgers University in New Jersey (USA).
However, what seems like a drawback is actually an advantage for the body, as it could potentially become a new way to reduce the risk of metabolic diseases by inhibiting the sweet taste receptor throughout the body. The reason for this, as published in the ‘British Journal of Pharmacology’, is that they may have positive effects on glucose metabolism by inhibiting the sweet taste receptors (TAS1R2-TAS1R3).
Previous studies have shown that the human sweet taste receptor transmits the perception of sweetness in the mouth and can help regulate glucose metabolism throughout the body. At the same time, anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen are structurally similar to sweet taste receptor inhibitors and have been associated with metabolic benefits.
«How ibuprofen inhibits sweet taste receptors»
«What we discovered is that ibuprofen and naproxen inhibit the activation of the sweet taste receptor in individuals, as well as in human cells,» said the lead author and Monell member, Dr. Paul AS Breslin. He explains that «if ibuprofen and naproxen inhibit the sweet taste by inhibiting the response of the taste receptors TAS1R2-TAS1R3 to sugars, this could affect glucose metabolism.»
In cellular studies by the team, ibuprofen reduced the molecular signaling of sucrose and sucralose in human kidney cells engineered to express the sweet taste receptor. Additionally, to mimic the internal physiology of the mouth, low concentrations of ibuprofen, approximately equivalent to human plasma levels after a typical dose taken at home, inhibited sweet taste and oral glucose detection at concentrations similar to postprandial glucose levels.
In experiments with humans by the team, for example, when a participant rinses their mouth with ibuprofen, the sweetness perception of various sugars and sweeteners is reduced. Evidence from other studies has also shown that ibuprofen and the reduction of chronic diseases are closely related.
«Implications of the study for metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases»
The most obvious scenario, according to Breslin, is type 2 diabetes: if there is a high level of blood sugar and a lot of ibuprofen is taken, it decreases. The second is a decrease in the risk of diseases that affect glucose metabolism in specific tissues, such as Alzheimer’s and some types of cancer.
«Our study connects the two functions of TAS1R receptors: as regulators of sugar intake and as modulators of glucose metabolism,» says Breslin, also a professor of Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers University.
In this article, it has been shown that ibuprofen not only modulates inflammation but also inhibits TAS1R2-TAS1R3, a receptor present in most tissues and organs that regulate metabolism. There is ample evidence from previous studies that inhibiting TAS1R2-TAS1R3 receptors can alter metabolism.
«Our work is connecting the dots. We are trying to say that when thinking about these inflammatory and metabolic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes, if we manipulate the taste receptors present throughout the body, this could be important for reducing glucose and thus decreasing the risk of diseases,» concludes the researcher.
FUENTE