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Metabolism

Gut microbiota modulates diurnal secretion of glucocorticoids

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 9, pages 444–446 (2013)Cite this article

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A new study has identified the sophisticated communication between the gut microbiota and intestinal epithelial cells that controls diurnal variations in the secretion of corticosteroids in mice. The absence of gut bacteria disrupts this communication and contributes to hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance.

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Figure 1: Regulation of corticosterone synthesis by intestinal epithelial cells in normal and germ-free mice.

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Acknowledgements

The author's work is supported in part by a grant (DK-081,879) from the NIH.

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  1. Departments of Cell Biology and Paediatrics, SUNY Downstate Medical Centre, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box 5, New York, 11203, NY, USA

    M. Mahmood Hussain

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  1. M. Mahmood Hussain
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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Hussain, M. Gut microbiota modulates diurnal secretion of glucocorticoids. Nat Rev Endocrinol 9, 444–446 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2013.129

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