Effects of proinsulin C-peptide on oxygen transport, uptake and utilization in insulinopenic diabetic subjects--a review.
Exogenous C-peptide administration has beneficial effects in many of the tissues commonly affected by diabetic complications. Diabetes-induced circulatory impairments such as decreased blood flow are prevented by C-peptide, possibly via Ca2+-mediated effects on nitric oxide release. C-peptide also improves diabetes-induced erythrocyte deformability, which likely improves oxygen availability and uptake in affected tissues. Furthermore, C-peptide prevents diabetic neuropathy via improvements of endoneural blood flow and by preventing axonal swelling. In the kidney, C-peptide normalizes the diabetes-induced increase in oxygen consumption via inhibition of the Na+/K+-ATPase. Surprisingly, C-peptide has also been shown to prevent complications in patients with type II diabetes. Taken together, these results may indicate that C-peptide treatment has the potential to reduce the prevalence of diabetic complications. In this paper, the current knowledge regarding these beneficial effects of C-peptide administered to diabetic subjects will be reviewed briefly.
Nordquist
Lina
L
Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, BMC, PO 571, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
Stridh
Sara
S
D000818:Animals; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*
D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010100:Oxygen