The Role of Zinc Homeostasis in the Prevention of Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for human health and is involved in various biological functions, such as growth, metabolism, and immune function. In recent years, research on intracellular zinc dynamics has progressed, and it has become clear that zinc transporters strictly control intracellular zinc localization, zinc regulates the functions of various proteins and signal transduction pathways as a second messenger similar to calcium ions, and intracellular zinc dyshomeostasis is associated with impaired insulin synthesis, secretion, sensitivity, lipid metabolism, and vascular function. Numerous animal and human studies have shown that zinc deficiency may be associated with the risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and zinc administration might be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Therefore, an understanding of zinc biology may help the establishment of novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and CVDs. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the role of zinc homeostasis in the pathogenesis of diabetes and atherosclerosis and will discuss the potential of zinc in the prevention of these diseases.in the skin and liver, and the remaining 2%-3% is in all the other tissues, including blood and blood vessels. Zinc deficiency is well known to be involved in various disorders in the whole-body, such as growth failure, immune disorders, and dysgeusia 5) . Furthermore, zinc deficiency also increases the risk for diabetes and CVDs 6, 7) . Recent findings have shown that intracellular zinc homeostasis regulated by zinc transporters is involved in the regulation of insulin synthesis, secretion, sensitivity, and vascular function 6,8) . This review will discuss the role of impaired intracellular zinc homeostasis in the pathogenesis of diabetes and atherosclerosis and whether zinc supplementation is beneficial for the prevention of these diseases. Intracellular Zinc HomeostasisZinc is a divalent cation and can bind to ~10% of all proteins found in the human body and functionsCopyright©2021 Japan Atherosclerosis Society This article is distributed under the terms of the latest version of CC BY-NC-SA defined by the Creative Commons Attribution License.

Interplay between Zn2+ Homeostasis and Mitochondrial Functions in Cardiovascular Diseases and Heart Ageing

“…Additionally, mitochondria were proved to be another crucial intracellular Zn 2+ -pool in cardiomyocytes, thus, further connecting mitochondria as a major cellular ROS producer, Zn 2+ -mediated alterations in mitochondria ultrastructure and their role in the pathogenesis of many cardiovascular diseases [13,14]. The role of Zn 2+ homeostasis in diabetes mellitus and obesity-induced cardiac inflammation, remodelling, dysfunction and other cardiovascular diseases and complications was thoroughly covered in several recent excellent reviews [9,15,16]. Therefore, those topics will be excluded from our review.…”

The Role of Mitochondrial Abnormalities in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

“…Mitochondria coordinate [Ca 2+ ] i and [Zn 2+ ] i homeostasis, which affect cellular ROS production, mitochondria ultrastructure and efficiency [106,107]. The role of Zn 2+ homeostasis in DM and obesity-induced cardiac remodelling, inflammation, dysfunction and other cardiovascular diseases and complications was covered in several recent reviews [108][109][110]. Here, we wish to describe several recent randomised trials designed to investigate the effect of zinc supplementation on DM progression.…”

Consequences of zinc deficiency in selected diseases - literature review

“…[2] Zinc deficiency affects glucose metabolism and the action of insulin in insulin-sensitive cells such as muscle, adipose tissue and liver. [5] Zinc supplementation has had a beneficial effect in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, but its effect on type 1 diabetes is still unknown. [5][19] It is known, however, that in both type 2 and type 1 diabetes, hypercincuria and symptoms of zinc malabsorption have been observed.…”

“…Zinc deficiency is manifested by disorders of the central nervous system, digestive, skeletal, reproductive, immune and skin barrier systems. [2,7] There are studies confirming its involvement in the metabolism of lipids and glucose, and thus its association with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases [5].…”