Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
CNR Institute of Neuroscience, 35127 Padova, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 8;19(24):16489. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416489.
The exposure to different substances present in the environment can affect the ability of the human body to maintain glucose homeostasis. Some review studies summarized the current evidence about the relationships between environment and insulin resistance or beta-cell dysfunction. Instead, no reviews focused on the relationships between the environment and the alpha cell, although in recent years clear indications have emerged for the pivotal role of the alpha cell in glucose regulation. Thus, the aim of this review was to analyze the studies about the effects of chemical, biological, and physical environmental factors on the alpha cell. Notably, we found studies focusing on the effects of different categories of compounds, including air pollutants, compounds of known toxicity present in common objects, pharmacological agents, and compounds possibly present in food, plus studies on the effects of physical factors (mainly heat exposure). However, the overall number of relevant studies was limited, especially when compared to studies related to the environment and insulin sensitivity or beta-cell function. In our opinion, this was likely due to the underestimation of the alpha-cell role in glucose homeostasis, but since such a role has recently emerged with increasing strength, we expect several new studies about the environment and alpha-cell in the near future.
暴露于环境中存在的不同物质会影响人体维持葡萄糖内稳态的能力。一些综述研究总结了目前关于环境与胰岛素抵抗或β细胞功能障碍之间关系的证据。然而，没有综述专门关注环境与α细胞之间的关系，尽管近年来α细胞在葡萄糖调节中的关键作用已经得到明确证实。因此，本综述的目的是分析关于化学、生物和物理环境因素对α细胞影响的研究。值得注意的是，我们发现了一些研究聚焦于不同类别的化合物的影响，包括空气污染物、常见物品中已知有毒的化合物、药理学制剂以及可能存在于食物中的化合物，以及关于物理因素（主要是热暴露）影响的研究。然而，相关研究的总数有限，特别是与环境和胰岛素敏感性或β细胞功能相关的研究相比。我们认为，这可能是由于对α细胞在葡萄糖内稳态中的作用的低估，但由于这种作用最近越来越受到重视，我们预计在不久的将来会有更多关于环境与α细胞的研究。
