[Deccadick]

Monosaccharide-induced lipogenesis regulates the human hepatic sex hormone–binding globulin gene

David M. Selva,1,2 Kevin N. Hogeveen,2,3 Sheila M. Innis,4 and Geoffrey L. Hammond1,2

1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, and Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 2University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. 3UMR-INSERM U449, Faculté de Médecine RTH Laënnec, Lyon, France. 4Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, and Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The liver produces plasma sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG), which transports sex steroids and regulates their access to tissues.

In overweight children and adults, low plasma SHBG levels are a biomarker of the metabolic syndrome and its associated pathologies.

Here, we showed in transgenic mice and HepG2 hepatoblastoma cells that monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) reduce human SHBG production by hepatocytes. This occurred via a downregulation of hepatocyte nuclear factor–4α (HNF-4α) and replacement of HNF-4α by the chicken OVA upstream promoter–transcription factor 1 at a cis-element within the human SHBG promoter, coincident with repression of its transcriptional activity.

The dose-dependent reduction of HNF-4α levels in HepG2 cells after treatment with glucose or fructose occurred in concert with parallel increases in cellular palmitate levels and could be mimicked by treatment with palmitoyl-CoA. Moreover, inhibition of lipogenesis prevented monosaccharide-induced downregulation of HNF-4α and reduced SHBG expression in HepG2 cells.

Thus, monosaccharide-induced lipogenesis reduced hepatic HNF-4α levels, which in turn attenuated SHBG expression. This provides a biological explanation for why SHBG is a sensitive biomarker of the metabolic syndrome and the metabolic disturbances associated with increased fructose consumption.

Published online, November 2007

J. Clin. Invest. doi:10.1172/JCI32249

What this means:

Recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation showed a high-fructose diet (such as high-fructose corn syrup, present in virtually all processed foods and beverages) decreased levels of sex-hormone-binding globulin in the liver by 80%, resulting in higher levels of circulating estrogen.

This has profound implications for breast cancer, since breast cancer's growth can be fueled by estrogen circulating in our blood.

[MuscleHeadGuy]

I saw some commercial on tv last night, in which a couple is sitting in a rec park and she whips out a popsicle. The guy starts babbling about how high fructose corn syrup is so very harmful to your body, but then the girl snaps back with some statistics and facts about the quality of the corn from which the corn syrup is made and how it's not actually all that bad for you once in a while.

I'm not sure whether to believe the commercial or not.

[Rhyno]

Originally Posted by MuscleHeadGuy

I'm not sure whether to believe the commercial or not.

Don't believe it; high-fructose corn syrup is terrible for you. But then again, if you consume it in small quanities, it wouldn't be the end of the world. The commerical definately minimalizes how bad it is for you. Check out this thread:
High Fructose Corn Syrup is.....

[Deccadick]

It increases hunger like a mofo! THat is why it was introduced into foods.

[dsade]

Lowering SHBG is not a bad thing,...in certain circumstances.

[Nightwanderer]

Originally Posted by Deccadick

It increases hunger like a mofo! THat is why it was introduced into foods.

Being sweeter than sugar to the point where it's cheaper to use has a lot to do with it too.

[Orangepeel]

Originally Posted by MuscleHeadGuy

I saw some commercial on tv last night, in which a couple is sitting in a rec park and she whips out a popsicle. The guy starts babbling about how high fructose corn syrup is so very harmful to your body, but then the girl snaps back with some statistics and facts about the quality of the corn from which the corn syrup is made and how it's not actually all that bad for you once in a while.

I'm not sure whether to believe the commercial or not.

If you watch the end of that commercial you will also see it was paid for by the corn growers association of america, or whatever the F*** there name it. I wonder why they would pay to run a commercial like those?

I actually kinda pisses me off, becuase now all the people in america trying to loose weight but dont know a whole lot about nutrition will probably think they can go pound down some high-fructose corn syrup, leading to an even yet more overweight america.

[Omen]

Originally Posted by Orangepeel

Becuase now all the people in america trying to loose weight but dont know a whole lot about nutrition will probably think they can go pound down some high-fructose corn syrup, leading to an even yet more overweight america.

Probably gonna happen too!