Zinc transporters and insulin resistance: therapeutic implications for type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease

Journal of Biomedical Science

Review

Stephen Myers¹  John Adulcikas¹  Sukhwinder Singh Sohal¹  Shaghayegh Norouzi¹ 

[1] Faculty of Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Newnham Campus, 7250, Launceston, TAS, Australia;

关键词: Zinc ions;    Skeletal muscle;    Cell signaling;    Glycemic control;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12929-017-0394-0

 received in 2017-08-09, accepted in 2017-11-14,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundZinc is a metal ion that is essential for growth and development, immunity, and metabolism, and therefore vital for life. Recent studies have highlighted zinc’s dynamic role as an insulin mimetic and a cellular second messenger that controls many processes associated with insulin signaling and other downstream pathways that are amendable to glycemic control.Main bodyMechanisms that contribute to the decompartmentalization of zinc and dysfunctional zinc transporter mechanisms, including zinc signaling are associated with metabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes. The actions of the proteins involved in the uptake, storage, compartmentalization and distribution of zinc in cells is under intense investigation. Of these, emerging research has highlighted a role for several zinc transporters in the initiation of zinc signaling events in cells that lead to metabolic processes associated with maintaining insulin sensitivity and thus glycemic homeostasis.ConclusionThis raises the possibility that zinc transporters could provide novel utility to be targeted experimentally and in a clinical setting to treat patients with insulin resistance and thus introduce a new class of drug target with utility for diabetes pharmacotherapy.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017