"These findings may lead to new strategies in the fight against type 2 diabetes," said Coppari. "By knowing that the brain mediates resveratrol's anti-diabetic actions, industry can now focus on developing sirtuin activators that directly target the brain. When orally-delivered, these drugs will likely improve diabetes without affecting the other organs in which activation of sirtuins may not always be beneficial."

Other researchers working on the study include Giorgio Ramadori, Laurent Gautron, Teppei Fujikawa, Claudia Vianna and Joel Elmquist of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Tex.The article, "Central administration of resveratrol improves diet-induced diabetes," will appear in the December 2009 issue of Endocrinology.

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