Oxidative stress, type 2 diabetes and vitamin D: past, present and future

Abstract

Oxidative stress refers to an imbalance between potentially harmful free radicals and the body's mechanisms to efficiently detoxify them in favor of the free radicals. Consequently, excess free radicals can attack and damage a wide range of biomolecules including proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Antioxidant mechanisms of the body are under the influence of genetic and environmental (including dietary) factors. Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders around the world. A huge body of evidence indicates a role for oxidative stress in development of many human diseases including diabetes. In this article, the latest information on the possible links of oxidative stress with diabetes development, control and complications as well as the newest results of antioxidant supplementation trials is reviewed. In addition, the possible role of vitamin D, as a newly recognized antioxidant in diabetes is discussed. Finally, concluding remarks on pivotal issues and future studies are presented.

Antioxidants and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

“…Diabetes is a significant cardiovascular risk factor and, at the same time, CVD is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in type 1 diabetes mellitus [64]. There is increasing evidence for the role of oxidative stress in the development of both types of diabetes, although the causative role of redox imbalance in the development and/or progression of the disease remains unclear [65]. Oxidative stress would seem to be a key factor in diabetic complications, including CVD, and it is also closely associated with insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, resulting in the development of the disease [66].…”

“…It should be noted that diabetes is often accompanied by micronutrient deficiencies including antioxidants such as vitamin D, whose antioxidant property is rather newly recognized and less studied. In experimental models, vitamin D supplementation inhibits lipid peroxidation but did not carry additional benefit over insulin injection alone to decrease oxidative stress [70] while its beneficial effects on glycemic control have been shown in some recent clinical studies [65]. Clinical findings on antioxidant functions of vitamin D in diabetes are scarce [71], though promising results emerged from a study on the antioxidant effects of daily supplementation with fruits in diabetic subjects [72].…”

Pre‐conditioning with near infrared photobiomodulation reduces inflammatory cytokines and markers of oxidative stress in cochlear hair cells

“…Efforts to mitigate oxidative stress using antioxidants have shown promising results against NIHL in animal models, as these compounds can cross the blood-labyrinth barrier in limited amounts to control oxidative stress [20,21] and prevent cochlear hair cell loss [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. However in humans, otoprotection by antioxidants has not been fully realized and exploration of alternative non-invasive solutions are necessary.…”

Effects of Ganoderma Lucidum on Biochemical Dysfunctions of the Rabbit Urinary Bladder using an In-Vitro Model of Ischemia / Reperfusion

“…Oxidative stress (free radical damage) has been found to be a major factor in a number of major human health problems including heart disease [1][2][3], diabetes [4,5], intestinal diseases [6][7][8], liver disease [9], renal disease [10,11] and obstructive bladder dysfunction [12][13][14][15]. In virtually all of these oxidative stress-linked dysfunctions, antioxidants have proven to be very valuable in their treatment [13,[16][17][18][19].…”