University of Alberta professor Richard Lehner unveiled a possible key to reducing fat in obese Albertans yesterday.
Lehner and his colleagues in the U of A’s faculty of medicine and dentistry found that low amounts of the enzyme triacylglycerol hydrolase (TGH) results in less fat in blood.
TGH helps to export lipids from the liver and fat tissue into blood. Technicians can now identify TGH and deactivate this active protein in mice.
Tests showed that mice not carrying the enzyme were more active and burned fat faster than others that had the active TGH.
Lehner hopes that someday TGH might help treat complications of obesity.
