我国干细胞治疗糖尿病的基础与临床研究

胰岛β细胞功能衰竭和胰岛素抵抗是导致糖尿病发生发展的主要机制,目前的抗糖尿病药物没有针对糖尿病发病的关键环节,只能解除或缓解症状,延缓疾病进展,不能从根本上治愈该疾病.干细胞通过促进胰岛β细胞原位再生,提高胰岛β细胞自噬能力、调节胰岛巨噬细胞功能修复受损的胰岛β细胞以改善胰岛β细胞功能;通过多种途径活化骨骼肌、脂肪和肝脏IRS(1)-AKT-GLUT4信号通路改善外周组织胰岛素抵抗,为糖尿病的精准治疗提供了新的方向.我国研究者针对不同来源的干细胞使用不同输注方式治疗1型糖尿病和2型糖尿病开展了系列研究,取得了良好的临床疗效,且未发生严重不良反应,为干细胞治疗糖尿病的临床应用奠定了基础.     

FoxO1在胰岛β细胞代谢灵活性受损及失代偿进程中的作用

葡萄糖及脂肪酸是胰岛β细胞的关键代谢底物,葡萄糖刺激胰岛β细胞分泌胰岛素是维持机体血糖稳态平衡的关键。胰岛素抵抗发生时,β细胞对能量代谢底物的选择失调,加速胰岛β细胞由代偿到胰岛β细胞失代偿的进程,是肥胖胰岛素抵抗最终发展为2型糖尿病的始动因素。核转录因子FoxO1属于Fox家族成员,在胰腺内广泛表达,在β细胞的代谢,发育,增殖过程中发挥着重要的调节作用。鉴于FoxO1在维持胰岛β细胞功能中的关键作用,现着重对FoxO1在胰岛β细胞代谢灵活性受损及失代偿过程发生中的作用调节进行阐述。为其作为调控胰岛β细胞功能的关键靶点提供参考。     

白细胞介素-1β信号与β细胞功能

由胰岛β细胞功能失调,导致胰岛素分泌的相对或绝对的缺失,进而出现高血糖症状,是糖尿病的重要发病机制.目前认为糖尿病的发病与机体的炎症过程密切相关.作为炎症过程的重要调节因子白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β),通过激活MAPK、NFkB、PKC等信号通路,最终导致b细胞功能失调是糖尿病发生发展的重要原因.IL-1β在介导糖尿病的b细胞功能失调中发挥核心作用.     

氧化应激与2型糖尿病的研究进展

氧化应激与2型糖尿病(T2DM)的发生、发展密切相关.胰岛素抵搞(Insulin Resistance,IR)、胰岛β细胞功能受损是2型糖尿病的主要病因.而氧化应激可以直接及间接激活细胞内的一系列应激信号通路,如核因子κ-B(Nuclear factor-KappaB,NF-κB)、c-Jun氨基端激酶(NH-terminal Jun kinase,JNK)、蛋白激酶C(protein kinase C,PKC)、p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(Mitogen-activated protein kinase,MAPK)等.这些应激通路的激活可以产生以下结果:(1)阻断胰岛素作用通路,导致胰岛素抵抗;(2)降低胰岛素基因表达水平,致胰岛素合成和分泌减少;(3)促进胰岛β细胞凋亡等.本文针对氧化应激诱导胰岛素抵抗和胰岛β细胞功能受损等机制加以综述,以便进一步阐明2型糖尿病的发病机制.     

胰岛β细胞炎症与2型糖尿病

2型糖尿病属于代谢性疾病,它的发生发展受环境因素和多种基因的共同调控.近年来研究认为2型糖尿病属于代谢性炎症,可能是由细胞因子介导的一种慢性炎症反应性疾病.胰岛作为胰岛素的分泌器官,它的异常是2型糖尿病发病进程中的一个重要病理基础.长期的高糖,高脂及巨噬细胞浸润等因素都会刺激细胞因子的大量生成,造成胰岛β细胞的炎症反应,对胰岛β细胞分泌胰岛素的功能和细胞活力产生不同程度的损伤,导致其功能障碍和凋亡,进而促使2型糖尿病的发生发展.本文根据国内外近几年的研究进展,进一步了探讨胰岛β细胞炎症与2型糖尿病的关系.这种代谢性炎症的研究,进一步阐明了炎症的发生,引起胰岛素抵抗、功能障碍的具体机制,革新了对2型糖尿病发病机理的认识,并为2型糖尿病的防治提供了新的方向.     

氧化应激与2型糖尿病

胰岛素抵抗、胰岛β细胞功能受损是2型糖尿病的主要病因。高血糖、高血脂导致在代谢过程中,线粒体产生大量活性氧,其可损坏线粒体功能,引起氧化应激反应。氧化应激可以激活细胞内的一系列应激信号通路,如JNK／SAPK、p38MAPK、IKKβ／NF-kβ和氨基己醣通路等。这些应激通路的激活可以产生以下结果：（1）阻断胰岛素作用通路,导致胰岛素抵抗;（2）降低胰岛素基因表达水平;（3）抑制胰岛素分泌;（4）促进β细胞凋亡等。本文主要针对活性氧的产生、氧化应激诱导胰岛素抵抗和胰岛β细胞功能受损等机制加以综述,以便进一步阐明2型糖尿病的发病机理。     

营养水平快速提升对糖代谢的影响

中国疾病预防控制中心调查显示,2013年我国成年人2型糖尿病患病率达10.9%,比20世纪80年代初提高了20倍.我国近二十年来糖尿病发病率显著上升与国民营养水平快速提升所致的追赶生长现象有关.现有研究已揭示追赶生长可引起机体产热抑制、脂肪组织功能失调、骨骼肌脂质沉积、肝脏炎症、肠-胰轴功能受损及胰岛β细胞损伤等改变,这些改变可造成内脏脂肪堆积和胰岛素抵抗,从而增加了2型糖尿病发病风险.因此,深入探究追赶生长这一现象的发生机制并寻找有效干预策略对我国2型糖尿病防治具有重要意义.     

ATP合成下降在β细胞胰岛素分泌障碍中的作用

胰岛β细胞胰岛素分泌过程是受多种因素协调精确控制的,ATP合成酶在这一调控网络中起着重要作用.高糖、高脂及炎症细胞因子,通过不同的信号通路,引起线粒体膜电位改变及/或ATP合成酶核心亚基表达下降,导致ATP合成速率下降,是β胰岛素分泌障碍发生的共同核心环节,在2型糖尿病病理生理过程中起了关键性作用.糖尿病动物胰岛β细胞内的ATP含量较正常β细胞明显降低,而上调2型糖尿病患者胰岛细胞ATP合成酶β亚基表达能提高ATP合成速率,增加细胞ATP含量并逆转损伤的胰岛素分泌功能.目前的研究提示,亮氨酸、肠抑素(enterostatin)及过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ(PPAR-γ)能通过调控ATP合成酶β亚基表达或活性提高细胞ATP合成速率,这为改善β细胞功能障碍提供了新的思路和信息.     

内质网应激与胰岛β细胞凋亡的研究进展

胰岛β细胞具有高度发达的内质网,对内质网应激(endoplasmic reticulum stress,ERS)非常敏感。多种因素可以打破内质网稳态,引起蛋白质折叠障碍或错误折叠以及Ca2+代谢紊乱,进一步触发内质网应激。适度的内质网应激有利于细胞内环境的恢复,过度的内质网应激可会导致内质网功能受损,诱导胰岛β细胞凋亡,从而介导糖尿病的发生、发展。本文就内质网应激与胰岛β细胞凋亡的研究进展做一综述。     

NLRP3炎症小体与2型糖尿病的研究进展

NLRP3炎症小体作为固有免疫系统的重要组成部分,在2型糖尿病的发病过程中起着重要作用,而白细胞介素1β(IL-1β)是介导其发挥作用的关键因子。核糖体蛋白质合成、嘌呤受体P2X7、活性氧敏感的硫氧还原蛋白相互作用蛋白(TXNIP)与NLRP3炎症小体激活密切相关。肥胖时胰岛素作用的靶组织中NLRP3、IL-1β表达均增高,其介导的炎症反应在胰岛β细胞功能障碍、凋亡以及胰岛素抵抗发生过程中起关键作用。NLRP3炎症小体被多种途径激活,从而上调胰岛和脂肪组织中IL-1β的表达,促进胰岛β细胞凋亡及胰岛素抵抗的发生发展,导致糖尿病的产生。     

Beta-cell ABCA1 influences insulin secretion, glucose homeostasis and response to thiazolidinedione treatment

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by both peripheral insulin resistance and reduced insulin secretion by beta-cells. The reasons for beta-cell dysfunction in this disease are incompletely understood but may include the accumulation of toxic lipids within this cell type. We examined the role of Abca1, a cellular cholesterol transporter, in cholesterol homeostasis and insulin secretion in beta-cells. Mice with specific inactivation of Abca1 in beta-cells had markedly impaired glucose tolerance and defective insulin secretion but normal insulin sensitivity. Islets isolated from these mice showed altered cholesterol homeostasis and impaired insulin secretion in vitro. We found that rosiglitazone, an activator of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, which upregulates Abca1 in beta-cells, requires beta-cell Abca1 for its beneficial effects on glucose tolerance. These experiments establish a new role for Abca1 in beta-cell cholesterol homeostasis and insulin secretion, and suggest that cholesterol accumulation may contribute to beta-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.     

Dietary and genetic control of glucose transporter 2 glycosylation promotes insulin secretion in suppressing diabetes

Pancreatic beta cell-surface expression of glucose transporter 2 (Glut-2) is essential for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, thereby controlling blood glucose homeostasis in response to dietary intake. We show that the murine GlcNAcT-IVa glycosyltransferase is required for Glut-2 residency on the beta cell surface by constructing a cell-type- and glycoprotein-specific N-glycan ligand for pancreatic lectin receptors. Loss of GlcNAcT-IVa, or the addition of glycan-ligand mimetics, attenuates Glut-2 cell-surface half-life, provoking endocytosis with redistribution into endosomes and lysosomes. The ensuing impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion leads to metabolic dysfunction diagnostic of type 2 diabetes. Remarkably, the induction of diabetes by chronic ingestion of a high-fat diet is associated with reduced GlcNAcT-IV expression and attenuated Glut-2 glycosylation coincident with Glut-2 endocytosis. We infer that beta cell glucose-transporter glycosylation mediates a link between diet and insulin production that typically suppresses the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.     

Type 2 diabetes, insulin secretion and beta-cell mass

In nondiabetic subjects, insulin secretion is sufficiently increased as a compensatory adaptation to insulin resistance whereas in subjects with type 2 diabetes, the adaptation is insufficient. Evidences for the islet dysfunction in type 2 diabetes are a)impaired insulin response to various challenges such as glucose, arginine and isoproterenol, b)defective dynamic of insulin secretion resulting in preferential reduction on first phase insulin secretion and irregular oscillations of plasma insulin and c)defective conversion of proinsulin to insulin leading to elevated proinsulin to insulin ratio. In addition, recent studies have also presented evidence of a reduced beta cell mass in diabetes, caused predominantly by enhanced islet apoptosis, although this needs to be confirmed in more studies. These defects may be caused by primary beta cell defects, such as seen in the monogenic diabetes forms of MODY, or by secondary beta cell defects, caused by glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity or islet amyloid aggregation. The defects may also be secondary to defective beta cell stimulation by incretin hormones or the autonomic nerves. The appreciation of islet dysfunction as a key factor underlying the progression from an insulin resistant state into type 2 diabetes has therapeutic implications, since besides improvement of insulin sensitivity, treatment should also aim at improving the islet compensation. This may possibly be achieved by stimulating insulin secretion, supporting islet stimulating mechanisms, removing toxic beta-cell insults and inhibiting beta cell apoptosis.     

High glucose induces dysfunction in insulin secretory cells by different pathways: a proteomic approach

Chronic hyperglycemia is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes and can contribute to progressive beta cell dysfunction and death. The aim of the present study was to identify pathways mediating high glucose-induced beta cell demise by a proteomic approach. INS-1E cells were exposed to 25 mM glucose for a sustained period of 24 h. Protein profiling of INS-1E cells was done by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis, covering the pH ranges 4-7 and 6-9 (n = 4). Differentially expressed proteins (P < 0.05) were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF and proteomic results were confirmed by functional assays. High glucose levels impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and decreased insulin content. 2D-DIGE analysis revealed 100 differentially expressed proteins that were involved in different pathways. Chaperone proteins were down-regulated, protein biosynthesis and ubiquitin-related proteasomal degradation were attenuated and perturbations in intracellular trafficking and vesicle transport and secretion could be observed. Moreover, several pathways were confirmed by functional assays and a direct role for eEF2 in insulin biosynthesis was demonstrated. The present findings provide new insights in glucotoxicity and identify key target proteins for the prevention and treatment of beta cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.     

Inhibition of Renal Glucose Reabsorption: A Novel Strategy for Achieving Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

ObjectiveTo review the renal handling of glucose and the role of inhibition of a sodium-glucose transporter (SGLT2) in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsWe review the published data about (1) the filtration and reabsorption of glucose by the kidneys in normal subjects and patients with diabetes; (2) the deleterious effects of long-term elevation of plasma glucose levels on muscle and hepatic insulin sensitivity and beta cell function (that is, glucotoxicity); (3) the effect of inhibiting the SGLT2 transporter on the induction of glycosuria, glycemic control, insulin resistance, and beta cell dysfunction in animals and humans with diabetes; and (4) the safety of SGLT2 inhibition as a therapeutic modality to treat human T2DM.ResultsStudies in animal models of diabetes document the efficacy of the SGLT2 inhibitors in inducing glycosuria, decreasing both fasting and postprandial glucose levels, augmenting beta cell function, and enhancing hepatic and muscle insulin sensitivity. In human T2DM, short-term studies with dapagliflozin (12 weeks) and sergliflozin (2 weeks) have confirmed the efficacy of these agents in improving glycemic control. Excessive urinary electrolyte or water loss, plasma electrolyte disturbances, and hypoglycemia were not observed.ConclusionSGLT2 inhibitors represent a promising approach to the treatment of T2DM. They have the potential to be used as monotherapy, as well as in combination with all approved antidiabetic agents. Because their mechanism of action is independent of the severity of beta cell dysfunction or insulin resistance, efficacy should not decline with progressive beta cell failure or in the presence of severe insulin resistance. (Endocr Pract. 2008;14:782-790)     

BMP4-BMPR1A signaling in beta cells is required for and augments glucose-stimulated insulin secretion

Impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and perturbed proinsulin processing are hallmarks of beta cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. Signals that can preserve and/or enhance beta cell function are therefore of great therapeutic interest. Here we show that bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) and its high-affinity receptor, Bmpr1a, are expressed in beta cells. Mice with attenuated BMPR1A signaling in beta cells show decreased expression of key genes involved in insulin gene expression, proinsulin processing, glucose sensing, secretion stimulus coupling, incretin signaling, and insulin exocytosis and develop diabetes due to impaired insulin secretion. We also show that transgenic expression of Bmp4 in beta cells enhances GSIS and glucose clearance and that systemic administration of BMP4 protein to adult mice significantly stimulates GSIS and ameliorates glucose tolerance in a mouse model of glucose intolerance. Thus, BMP4-BMPR1A signaling in beta cells plays a key role in GSIS.