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Query: UMLS:C0011849 (diabetes)
 277,896 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The increased level of the glycosylated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c) in the diabetic patient has proved to be an interesting clue to understanding the biochemical basis of the sequelae of diabetes. This minor hemoglobin, which arises as nonenzymatic postsynthetic addition of glucose to hemoglobin A, acts as an indicator molecule for the glucose environment over a 3-5-wk period prior to measurement. Reasoning that a similar glycosylation reaction could be occurring with other body proteins, we have studied the ocular lens. The lens, like the erythrocyte, is not dependent on insulin for glucose concentration in the extracellular milieu that would be elevated in the diabetic state. These studies have revealed that a high glucose in vivo or an increased glucose or glucose-6-phosphate concentration in vitro leads to the glycosylation of epsilon-amino groups of lysine residues in bovine and rat lens crystallins. This glycosylation imparts an increased susceptibility of the crystallins to sulfhydryl oxidation. Disulfide crosslinks result in the formation of high molecular weight aggregates and an opalescence of the crystallin solutions.
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PMID:Role of nonenzymatic glycosylation in the development of the sequelae of diabetes mellitus. 12 96

The effect of chronic changes in serum glucose concentration on refraction was studied by increasing the dose of insulin or chlorpropamide in 10 diabetic patients who initially had relatively high glucose concentrations. In every case when serum glucose concentration was reduced the vision became less myopic or more hyperopic. To assess acute changes. 10 diabetics (including four with aphakic eyes) were given an intravenous injection of glucose. In patients with intact lenses the vision became more myopic or less hyperopic following the administration of glucose, but in the aphakic eyes hyperopia increased. It is concluded from both the acute and chronic studies that higher levels of serum glucose concentration produce myopia and lower levels produce hyperopia. Furthermore, these changes are related to changes in the optical properties of the crystallin lens.
Diabetes 1976 Jan
PMID:Relationship of serum glucose concentration to changes in refraction. 124 66

Water-soluble crystallins were obtained from clear human lenses of different age (4-81-year-olds) and lenses of individuals showing senile or diabetic cataracts. Levels of early glycation products were high in the high molecular weight material (HM) and the alpha-crystallin fractions, compared with beta- and gamma-crystallins. This difference becomes more prominent upon aging. The content of total early glycation products in HM and alpha-crystallin increases clearly with age, whereas levels remain relatively constant in the beta- and gamma-crystallins. There is an elevation of early products in cataractous lenses from diabetic individuals compared with those suffering from senile cataract. Specific non-tryptophan fluorescence (excitation/emission wavelengths 370/440 nm), used as an indicator for late glycation products, increased dramatically with age and was 2-fold higher in the diabetic subjects. Levels of fluorescence decreased in the order HM > alpha- > beta- > gamma-crystallins. The results suggest an increase in glycation rate in alpha-crystallin as a result of aging and diabetes, while the rate of glycation of beta- and gamma-crystallins remains almost constant.
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PMID:Glycation of crystallins in lenses from aging and diabetic individuals. 145 95

Glycation of crystallins and high molecular weight (HMW) aggregates was followed during aging (16-85 years) and in diabetes (44 and 70 years old). Lens soluble and insoluble fractions were reduced with [3H]NaBH4 and separated by molecular sieve HPLC. The protein content in each HPLC peak was measured by the Lowry method. The tritium incorporation, expressed as cpm mg-1 protein, was taken as a measure of early glycation and specific non-tryptophan fluorescence (Ex: 370 nm; Em: 440 nm), expressed as relative fluorescence U mg-1 protein, was taken as a measure of advanced glycation. The youngest lenses analysed were 16 and 17 years old and these provided the baseline values. The results showed that during aging there was about a three-fold increase in tritium incorporation and fluorescence of alpha-crystallin, while the increases in beta and gamma were only two-fold from the levels seen in 16- and 17-year-old lenses. On the other hand, both the soluble and insoluble HMW aggregate fractions showed up to five-fold increase in tritium incorporation during aging. The fluorescence was about two-fold higher in the insoluble HMW aggregates as compared to the soluble HMW aggregates in 16- and 17-year-old lenses and both showed an increase of about three-fold during aging. Diabetes resulted in an approximately 10-50% increase in tritium incorporation and non-tryptophan fluorescence of various crystallins and HMW aggregates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Glycation of human lens proteins: preferential glycation of alpha A subunits. 152 66

Normal and streptozotocin diabetic female Wistar rats were given normal diets with the following additions: 0, or 12,500 iu/kg food vitamin A (retinyl palmitate). At the end of 6 weeks, the rats were examined for weight gain or loss, general body condition, and cataracts. At sacrifice, blood was collected for measurement of serum glucose. gamma-Crystallin levels were determined in aqueous and vitreous humours using a radioimmunoassay. One lens (the right) was homogenized in 8 M guanidinium chloride for ATP analysis. In normal rats, gamma-crystallin was detected in both aqueous and vitreous humours, with a greater concentration found in the vitreous. Diabetes caused a 4-5 fold increase in gamma-crystallin in both aqueous and vitreous humours. Diabetes also led to a significant loss of body weight, and decrease in lens ATP levels. Addition of vitamin A to the diet resulted in reduction in gamma-crystallin leakage into the aqueous and vitreous humours. Vitamin A at 12,500 iu/kg food resulted in an increase in lens ATP for the diabetic rats. Neither streptozotocin diabetes nor vitamin A in the diet appeared to affect the weight of the lenses after 6 weeks. It is suggested that childhood vitamin A deficiency leading to latent fiber cell damage may be an important factor contributing to the high incidence of cataracts in the third world.
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PMID:Modelling cortical cataractogenesis. XII: Supplemental vitamin A treatment reduces gamma-crystallin leakage from lenses in diabetic rats. 153 87

Crystallin glycation seems to play an important role in the development of diabetic cataract. In order to understand the role of glycation in cataractogenesis, levels of glycation of different crystallins were determined by in vitro glycation of rat lens soluble fraction with 50 mM glucose or glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) for up to 5 days and in streptozotocin-diabetic rats during various stages of cataract development. All samples were reduced with [3H]NaBH4 and the tritium incorporation was taken as a measure of glycation. Proteins were routinely separated by molecular sieve HPLC. In vitro studies with glucose showed that gamma-crystallin was readily glycated and reached a plateau by 3 days, while alpha- and beta-crystallins were glycated slowly initially up to 3 days followed by a steep increase as seen on the fifth day. Incubation with 50 mM G6P resulted in an approximately two fold increase in glycation compared to glucose of all crystallins. In the diabetic animals also gamma-crystallin glycation increased approximately twofold within 15 days after the onset of diabetes and an additional threefold within the next 45 days followed by a slight decrease during the following 90-120 days. Increase in glycation, on the contrary, was very slow up to 30 days for alpha-crystallin and up to 60 days for beta-crystallin, followed by a steep increase during the remainder of the experimental period. The high molecular weight (HMW) aggregates had higher levels of glycation than other proteins; the insoluble HMW aggregates contained higher levels of glycation than the soluble HMW aggregates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Differential glycation of rat alpha-, beta- and gamma-crystallins. 203 22

To study the transforming activity of the dbl oncogene and its effect on normal development in vivo, we linked dbl cDNA to promoters with different cell type specificities and used the constructs to generate transgenic mice. The promoters included the mouse alpha A-crystallin promoter, the rat insulin II promoter, and a mouse metallothionein promoter. We also generated transgenic mice carrying a recombinant cosmid clone that contains the entire dbl gene. Mice with the crystallin promoter construct developed cataracts and expressed the dbl protein in their lenses. The architecture of the lenses suggested a block to the normal pattern of differentiation and elongation of the secondary fiber cells. Mice with the insulin II promoter expressed dbl protein in the pancreas but showed no evidence of diabetes and no apparent pancreatic beta-cell defects. Similarly, mice with the metallothionein promoter expressed dbl protein in heart and testes, but showed no pathologic abnormalities in these tissues even after treatment with heavy metals. However, one family of mice carrying the metallothionein promoter construct showed cataracts and a dramatic fibroblastic dysplasia of the lens. One family with the cosmid-dbl gene showed a nearly identical lenticular dysplasia, but with a slower developmental time course. Thus, although the dbl oncogene did not induce neoplasia in any of the mice studied, it is apparently capable of interfering with the ability of the lens epithelial cells to differentiate into lens fiber cells, and of inducing metaplasia of the epithelial cells into fibroblastic cells.
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PMID:Dominant dysplasia of the lens in transgenic mice expressing the dbl oncogene. 206 11

Normal and streptozotocin diabetic female Wistar rats were given vitamin C (VC) at 0.3% or 1.0% (w/w) in the diet: 1% dietary VC resulted, in 12-24 hr, in significant increases in serum ascorbate levels and lens ascorbate concentrations in normal rats. The increase was biphasic, with VC concentrations falling to a lower level which was still significantly elevated compared to controls in the period of 1.7-4 days for serum and 1.7-5 days for lenticular VC. At the end of 10 weeks the rats were examined for weight gain or loss, general body condition and cataracts. At the time of killing, blood was collected for measurement of serum glucose. Alpha-crystallin levels were determined in vitreous and aqueous humours using a radioimmunoassay. One lens from each rat was fixed for either scanning electron microscopy or light microscopy; the other lens was homogenized in 8 M guanidinium chloride for adenosine triphosphate analysis. In normal rats, a small amount of gamma-crystallin was found in the vitreous humour, and an even smaller amount in the aqueous humour. Diabetes caused a five-fold increase in the vitreous humour and a 2.5-fold increase in gamma-crystallin in the aqueous humour. Diabetes also led to a significant worsening in general body condition, loss of body weight, formation of cataracts, and decrease in lens adenosine triphosphate levels. Addition of VC to the diet of diabetic animals resulted in reduction in cataracts and a decrease of gamma-crystallin leakage into the aqueous and vitreous humours. VC had no effect on lens adenosine triphosphate levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Modelling cortical cataractogenesis. XI. Vitamin C reduces gamma-crystallin leakage from lenses in diabetic rats. 240 46

Aldehyde reductase [EC 1.1.1.2] and aldose reductase [EC 1.1.1.21] are monomeric NADPH-dependent oxidoreductases having wide substrate specificities for carbonyl compounds. These enzymes are implicated in the development of diabetic complications by catalyzing the reduction of glucose to sorbitol. Enzyme inhibition as a direct pharmacokinetic approach to the prevention of diabetic complications resulting from the hyperglycemia of diabetes has not been effective because of nonspecificity of the inhibitors and some appreciable side effects. To understand the structural and evolutionary relationship of these enzymes, we cloned and sequenced cDNAs coding for aldose and aldehyde reductases from human liver and placental cDNA libraries. Human placental aldose reductase (open reading frame of 316 amino acids) has a 65% identity (identical plus conservative substitutions) to human liver and placental aldehyde reductase (open reading frame of 325 amino acids). The two sequences have significant identity to 2,5-diketogluconic acid reductase from corynebacterium, frog rho-crystallin, and bovine lung prostaglandin F synthase (reductase). Southern hybridization analysis of human genomic DNA indicates a multigene system for aldose reductase, suggesting the existence of additional proteins. Thus, the aldo-keto reductase superfamily of proteins may have a more significant and hitherto not fully appreciated role in general cellular metabolism.
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PMID:The aldo-keto reductase superfamily. cDNAs and deduced amino acid sequences of human aldehyde and aldose reductases. 249 33

Aldose reductase (AR) is implicated in some of the disabling complications of diabetes, including neuropathy, retinopathy and cataracts. Our studies are aimed at further clarifying the role of AR in diabetes and facilitating the design of new classes of potent, specific AR inhibitors by gaining an understanding of the protein structure of AR. To this end, we have determined the complete protein sequence of rat lens AR using cDNA analysis and primer extension of mRNA. By comparing protein sequences, we have found that the structural relatedness (41% to 57%) among the vertebrate proteins, aldose reductase, aldehyde reductase, prostaglandin F synthase and the frog lens protein rho-crystallin can now be extended to prokaryotes by the inclusion of Corynebacterium 2,5-diketo-D-gluconate reductase. This more distantly related protein shares 30-40% identity with the vertebrate enzymes. Sequence alignments reveal that 18% of the amino acids are completely conserved in all members of the superfamily, many of them in clusters, suggesting that they mark important structural features such as the nucleotide binding site and substrate binding site. rho-Crystallin, which is structurally related to this superfamily of NADPH-dependent reductases, does not appear to reduce PGH2, PGD2, xylose or glyceraldehyde to any appreciable extent. It does, however, bind NADPH.
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PMID:A superfamily of NADPH-dependent reductases in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. 250 40


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