IL-6 in diabetes and cardiovascular complications.
IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that participates in normal functions of the immune system, haematopoiesis, metabolism, as well as in the pathogenesis of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Both pro- and anti-inflammatory roles of IL-6 have been described, which are distinguished by different cascades of signalling transduction, namely classic and trans-signalling. The present review summarizes the basic principles of IL-6 signalling and discusses its roles in diabetes and associated cardiovascular complications, with emphasis on the different outcomes mediated by the two modes of IL-6 signalling and the value of developing therapeutic strategies to specifically target the deleterious trans-signalling of IL-6.
Institute of Vascular Medicine, Shenzhen Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Dan
D
Qu
Jian
J
Liu
Chi Wai
CW
Lau
Yu
Y
Huang
D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D015850:Interleukin-6
cardiovascular diseases; diabetes; inflammation; interleukin-6