Wendorf M, Goldfine I D
Archaeological Research Facility, University of California, Berkeley.
Diabetes. 1991 Feb;40(2):161-5. doi: 10.2337/diab.40.2.161.
Since the 1940s, numerous cases of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) have been observed in certain American Indian populations. Extremely high prevalence rates of NIDDM occur most strikingly in several tribes of Paleo-Indians, whose ancestors migrated to North America greater than 11,000 yr ago. Archaeological evidence from that period indicates that certain groups of Paleo-Indians maintained an arctic-like hunter-gatherer life-style in an area in temperate North America ranging from Wyoming to Arizona. This life-style featured a reliance on unpredictable big game species as a major food source. However, at this time, big game species were becoming extinct. It is hypothesized that those Paleo-Indians who relied on big game as a food source developed a "thrifty" genotype that allowed a selective advantage during the periods of fasting that occurred between big game kills. It also is hypothesized that this thrifty genotype in these Indians may contribute to NIDDM when a sedentary life-style is adopted and food sources are constant. Because insulin resistance in muscle is a major feature of NIDDM, it is possible that insulin resistance per se is the phenotypic expression of the thrifty genotype.
自20世纪40年代以来，在美国某些印第安人群体中观察到了大量非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病（NIDDM）病例。NIDDM的极高患病率在古印第安人的几个部落中最为显著，这些部落的祖先在11000多年前就迁移到了北美。那个时期的考古证据表明，某些古印第安人群体在北美温带地区（从怀俄明州到亚利桑那州）维持着类似北极地区的狩猎采集生活方式。这种生活方式的特点是依赖不可预测的大型猎物作为主要食物来源。然而，在这个时候，大型猎物物种正在灭绝。据推测，那些依赖大型猎物作为食物来源的古印第安人形成了一种“节俭”基因型，这种基因型在大型猎物捕杀之间的禁食期提供了一种选择优势。还有人推测，当这些印第安人采用久坐不动的生活方式且食物来源稳定时，这种节俭基因型可能会导致NIDDM。由于肌肉中的胰岛素抵抗是NIDDM的一个主要特征，胰岛素抵抗本身有可能是节俭基因型的表型表达。
