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A study has revealed how a resistance to insulin in dolphins can be switched on and off, a discovery which researchers hope could help treat type 2 diabetes in humans.

Scientists from the US National Marine Mammal Foundation took blood samples from trained bottlenose dolphins that fed continuously during the day and fasted overnight, according to a report on the BBC website. In the morning when they fed again, it was discovered that the dolphins reverted to a non-fasting state. The overnight changes in their blood chemistry mean that insulin, which reduces the level of glucose in the blood, has no effect on dolphins when they stop eating.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where it was revealed that the researchers hoped to find, and possibly even control, a human equivalent 'off switch'.

Dr Stephanie Venn-Watson, director of veterinary medicine at the Foundation, commented: 'Bottlenose dolphins have large brains that need sugar. Since their diet is very low in sugar, it works to their advantage to have a condition that keeps blood sugar in the body.'

Since both the human genome and the dolphin genome have been sequenced, Venn-Watson hopes to work with medical researchers to find a treatment for humans.

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