Diagram explaining the postulated hypothesis given to explain the specific effects of fructose and glucose on the overall function of liver and skeletal muscle cells after ingestion of/incubation with these sugars.

<p>Following this hypothesis, peri-portal hepatocytes respond to glucose or fructose in a specific manner, depending on the sugar-specific changes that intracellular G 6P and ATP levels undergo in these cells and, perhaps, other unknown signalling mechanisms. The response of these cells is communicated to other hepatic cells and the liver as a whole signals peripheral tissues; this signalling, which is probably based on the presence or absence of micromolar concentrations of fructose in circulating blood, in addition to other putative, unknown signalling mechanisms, indicates that the circulating metabolites derive from either glucose or fructose. Peripheral tissues, like skeletal muscle, would then respond in a specific manner to these signals by changing the phospho-dephosphorylation levels of several key proteins, thus inducing an alteration in the physiology of these cells.