title: Anti-diabetic functions of soy isoflavone genistein: mechanisms underlying its effects on pancreatic β-cell function.
abstract: Type 2 diabetes is a result of chronic insulin resistance and loss of functional pancreatic β-cell mass. Strategies to preserve β-cell mass and a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying β-cell turnover are needed to prevent and treat this devastating disease. Genistein, a naturally occurring soy isoflavone, is reported to have numerous health benefits attributed to multiple biological functions. Over the past 10 years, numerous studies have demonstrated that genistein has anti-diabetic effects, in particular, direct effects on β-cell proliferation, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and protection against apoptosis, independent of its functions as an estrogen receptor agonist, antioxidant, or tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Effects are structure-specific and not common to all flavonoids. While there are limited data on the effects of genistein consumption in humans with diabetes, there are a plethora of animal and cell-culture studies that demonstrate a direct effect of genistein on β-cells at physiologically relevant concentrations (<10 μM). The effects appear to involve cAMP/PKA signaling and there are some studies that suggest an effect on epigenetic regulation of gene expression. This review focuses on the anti-diabetic effects of genistein in both in vitro and in vivo models and potential mechanisms underlying its direct effects on β-cells.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Dongmin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D019833:Genistein / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019833:Genistein