Dual Opposing Roles of Metallothionein Overexpression in C57BL/6J Mouse Pancreatic β-Cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Growing evidence indicates that oxidative stress (OS), a persistent state of excess amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) along with reactive nitrogen species (RNS), plays an important role in insulin resistance, diabetic complications, and dysfunction of pancreatic β-cells. Pancreatic β-cells contain exceptionally low levels of antioxidant enzymes, rendering them susceptible to ROS-induced damage. Induction of antioxidants has been proposed to be a way for protecting β-cells against oxidative stress. Compared to other antioxidants that act against particular β-cell damages, metallothionein (MT) is the most effective in protecting β-cells from several oxidative stressors including nitric oxide, peroxynitrite, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide and streptozotocin (STZ). We

SUBMITTER: Chen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4559390 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature