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Two sugar substitutes, also known as non-nutritive sweeteners, can disrupt the function of proteins that play an important role in liver detoxification and the metabolism of certain drugs, including antihypertensives and antidepressants, new research suggestion.
According to nutrition experts, these sweeteners are commonly used in foods and even some medicines to impart sweetness while providing a nearly calorie-free alternative to sugar.
“About 40 percent of Americans regularly consume non-nutritive sweeteners, so it’s important to understand how they affect the body,” Laura Danner, a doctoral student at the Medical College of Wisconsin, said in the statement.
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Danner presented the new research at the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Meet The statement in Philadelphia this week also said, “In fact, many people are unaware that these sweeteners are present in light or unsweetened yogurts and snacks, and even in non-food items such as liquid medicines. There are also cosmetic product. ”
The authors explained in a press release that the non-nutritive sweeteners acesulfame potassium and sucralose were analyzed using hepatocyte and cell-free assays, allowing the study of cellular processes such as transport.
These Diet Coke flavors, which hit shelves in 2018, contain the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium, or “Ace-K,” a high-intensity sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar. Ace-K is commonly used in diet sodas, alcohol, tabletop sweeteners, dairy products, jellies, desserts, pastries, toothpaste and mouthwashes.
(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for NYCWFF)
Researchers have found that acesulfame potassium and sucralose inhibit the activity of a protein in the body called P-glycoprotein (PGP). According to health experts, PGP pumps many foreign substances out of cells and is part of a group of transporters that help remove drugs, toxins and drug metabolites from the body.
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“We observed that sweeteners affected PGP activity in liver cells at concentrations well below the FDA-recommended maximum limit,” Stephanie Olivier said in the release. “To our knowledge, we are the first team to decipher the molecular mechanisms by which non-nutritive sweeteners affect liver detoxification. »
Splenda, a popular tabletop sweetener, is a sucralose product. Sucralose, a no-calorie artificial sweetener, may contribute to diabetes, an increased risk of Crohn’s disease, and weight gain.
(Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Based on the team’s work, the study also suggests that the sweetener stimulates transport activity and may bind to PGP. This competes with and inhibits transport of other substrates, such as xenobiotics, drugs and their metabolites, short-chain lipids and bile acids, the statement said.According to Danner, this may leave other PGP substrates, such as certain drugs, in the cell, leading to hepatotoxicity.
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This can be problematic if a person is taking blood pressure medications, antidepressants and antibiotics that rely on PGP as a major detox transporter, the researchers said in the statement.
Non-nutritive sweeteners (NSNs) consumed in the diet enter the liver from the blood. The researchers found that in hepatocytes, the detoxifying p-glycoprotein (PGP) transporter preferentially exports NNS to several known substrate compounds. In a physiological setting, this may allow other PGP substrates, such as certain drugs, to remain in cells, potentially leading to hepatotoxicity.
(Image credit: LAURA DANNER, Medical College of Wisconsin. Created by BIORENDER.COM)
The researchers recommend confirming the results through preclinical and clinical studies, as their study is preliminary.
“If future research confirms that non-nutritive sweeteners impair the body’s detoxification processes, it will be essential to investigate potential interactions and determine safe consumption levels in at-risk groups,” Danner said in the statement, adding Said: “It may also be important to include specific amounts of non-nutritive sweeteners on food labels so that people can better track their intake. »
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PGP also plays a role in maintaining the blood-brain barrier, so it is important to explore how inhibition of this protein interferes with cellular function in organs other than the liver, the researchers noted in a press release.
The researchers plan to continue studying the two sweeteners using more sophisticated models of drug transport, and plan to study mixtures of these sweeteners, since that’s how they are typically found in foods.