A scientist hypothesizes that dysregulated insulin signaling is responsible for the development of excess body fat in metabolic syndrome patients. Based on the data, which of these, if true, would BEST support this hypothesis?
Use the passage to answer the question.
A)
Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of various conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat, high serum triglycerides, and low high-density lipoproteins. Scientists studying metabolic syndrome cultured fibroblast cells from a metabolic syndrome patient and a healthy volunteer and challenged the cells to 100 nM insulin. Ten minutes after the stimulus was applied, they used a protein immunoblot to measure the amount of phosphorylated insulin receptor in
the cultures.
Phosphorylated insulin receptor decreases the use of free energy in fibroblasts.
Phosphorylated Insulin receptor increases the use of free energy in fibroblasts.
Phosphorylated insulin receptor decreases the production of insulin in fibroblasts.
Phosphorylated insulin receptor increases the production of insulin in fibroblasts.
(1 point)
Metabolic Syndrome
0
100
Healthy 0
Insulin (nM) Insulin Receptor
Phosphorylated Insulin Receptor
B) Phosphorylated insulin receptor decreases the use of free energy in fibroblasts.
This supports the hypothesis that dysregulated insulin signaling is responsible for the development of excess body fat in metabolic syndrome patients, as decreased energy use in fibroblasts may lead to excess energy storage in the form of body fat.