Division of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Nutrition, Kobe Gakuin University.
J Atheroscler Thromb. 2021 Nov 1;28(11):1109-1122. doi: 10.5551/jat.RV17057. Epub 2021 Jun 19.
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.
锌是人体健康所必需的微量元素，参与多种生物学功能，如生长、代谢和免疫功能。近年来，细胞内锌动态的研究进展表明，锌转运体严格控制细胞内锌的定位，锌作为类似于钙离子的第二信使调节各种蛋白质和信号转导途径的功能，细胞内锌动态平衡与胰岛素合成、分泌、敏感性、脂代谢和血管功能受损有关。大量的动物和人体研究表明，锌缺乏可能与糖尿病和心血管疾病（CVDs）的危险因素有关，锌的补充可能有益于这些疾病的预防和治疗。因此，对锌生物学的理解可能有助于为糖尿病和 CVDs 的预防和治疗建立新的策略。本综述将总结锌稳态在糖尿病和动脉粥样硬化发病机制中的作用的现有知识，并讨论锌在预防这些疾病中的潜力。
