Excessive caloric intake may increase susceptibility to chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The research supported by the Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology of the National Research Council (IEOS-CNR) in Naples, led by Giuseppe Matarese, in collaboration with national structures like the University of Napoli Federico II and as the international’ University of Los Angeles and Yale University in the U.S..
As stated in the title, for reasons still unknown, in advanced societies there is an increase in the frequency of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, often disabling. The research team, whose findings were published in the journal ‘Immunity’, has focused its attention on a cell factor called mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), “responsible for monitoring the uptake of nutrients (eg amino acids and glucose), and intracellular energy levels. ”
Experts have found that mTOR plays a decisive role in the growth of a particular group of cells called regulatory T, that are particularly important in the protection against autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The factor mTOR exerts its control function through the ‘oscillations’, that is “changing the time of activity.”
Block, therefore, these oscillations lead to a malfunction of mTOR. The excess calories and nutrition seems indeed responsible for constantly high activation of mTOR and thereby block the oscillations. “This would explain at least in part – Matarese says – why, where there is a presence of overweight and obesity, a chronic stimulation of mTOR caused by excessive caloric intake and nutrition lead to failure and reduction of lymphocytes ‘regulatory T’ and a consequent greater susceptibility to chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. “
