New Delhi, Feb 6: An analysis has found that the liver releases proteins into the bloodstream in timed waves, in line with the body clock — findings point to how working in shifts and irregular eating habits can affect liver function and disrupt its circadian rhythm, researchers said.
“These are important findings, because they challenge the idea that the liver releases proteins into the blood at a consistent pace,” author Meltem Weger, from the University of Queensland in Australia, said.
“This means disruptions to daily routines such as shift work or irregular eating can affect liver function,” she said.
Weger said the liver operates its own body clock, releasing proteins in a 24-hour rhythm, with disruptions to the cycle linked to chronic conditions such as obesity.
The study, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, uncovers a liver metabolic process as a body clock-linked regulator of protein secretion, the authors said.
The researchers used proteomics — a comprehensive analysis of proteins, including structures, functions and interactions — of the liver to understand processes that govern protein secretion.
The liver is important for the body’s functioning, producing and exporting most major proteins circulating in the blood, Weger said.
This is critical to varied body functions, including regulating metabolism, inflammation and energy balance, but these liver proteins aren’t released at the same levels all the time, she said.
The researchers found that timing of food intake is critical to maintaining the natural rhythm of the liver in secreting proteins — people eating regular meals were seen to maintain healthy rhythms, but those who sipped nutritional drinks every hour lost the rhythms.
“Having a greater understanding of the liver’s body clock could reshape our knowledge about nutrition, shift work, and disease prevention,” Weger said.
Author Benjamin Weger from the University of Queensland said the research is an important step towards understanding how the liver’s body clock might be linked to obesity.
The study is the first to “describe rhythms in protein secretion and explain how they form at the molecular level, helping us understand how they are affected by daily routines,” he said. (Agencies)
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