Recent research showed that Apelin, a hormone produced by fat and other tissues, might serve as a promising target for managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Researchers led by Philippe Valet found that our cells are equipped with a second pathway for the assimilation of glucose, which involves "apelin".

Using animal models, researchers found that acute intravenous injections of apelin have a powerful blood sugar-lowering effect. Findings also proved that apelin stimulates muscle and fat tissue to take up glucose from the bloodstream by stimulating a known glucose transport pathway. Specifically, apelin activates a pathway including an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays a pivotal role in the control of skeletal muscle glucose and the metabolism of fatty acids.

Study pointed that apelin treatment restores glucose tolerance and improves glucose intake in mice that are obese and insulin resistant. Isabelle Castan-Laurell of Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale and Universite de Toulouse said they aren't quite sure yet what it means that obese individuals tend to have high apelin levels. It could be that apelin levels don't rise enough to curb rising blood sugar or perhaps insulin resistance without apelin would be even worse. Alternatively, obese animals and humans might grow resistant to the action of apelin just as they do insulin.

Researchers concluded that further research will be done to check the action of this protein in man. Researchers said that they are developing a synthetic molecule that may be used if the tests in man are positive.