Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0948265 (metabolic syndrome)
 24,271 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The recent Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) study, enrolling subjects who had previously experienced a myocardial infarction, has provided strong evidence that intravenous chelation therapy can markedly reduce risk for mortality and vascular events in diabetics, whereas no discernible benefit was observed in non-diabetics. It has plausibly been suggested that this reflects a role for transition metal ions--iron or copper--in the genesis of advanced glycation end products, key mediators of diabetic complications that can destabilize plaque. Since phlebotomy therapy fails to prevent vascular events in diabetics, we hypothesize that labile copper may be the chief culprit whose removal by chelation mediated the benefit observed in TACT. If so, strategies less time and labor intensive than chelation therapy might provide comparable benefit. A number of recent studies report that the copper-specific orally-active chelator trientine can reduce risk for range of diabetic complications in rodents; a clinical trial with this agent demonstrated some decrease in left ventricular mass in diabetics with ventricular hypertrophy. However, until this agent becomes less expensive, supplementation with high-dose zinc may represent a more feasible alternative. Zinc opposes the absorption and redox activity of copper via induction of the antioxidant protein metallothionein, which binds copper tightly. A great many studies demonstrate that increased expression of metallothionein decreases risk for tissue damage in diabetic rodents, and in some of these studies metallothionein expression was boosted by supplemental zinc. Zinc supplementation also modestly improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetics, and might reduce risk for diabetes by protecting pancreatic beta cells from oxidative stress. A long term study assessing the impact of supplementing diabetics with high-dose zinc, assessing risk for mortality, vascular events, and diabetic complications, may be warranted. Histidine, which readily forms complexes with copper that possess superoxide dismutase activity, also has potential for alleviating the contribution of loosely bound copper to AGE formation; moreover, in a recent clinical study, supplemental histidine improved insulin sensitivity and exerted anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in women with metabolic syndrome. Since ascorbate can reduce labile copper and thereby enhance its pathogenicity, the impact of high-dose ascorbate supplementation on cardiovascular risk in diabetics should receive further study.
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PMID:The protection conferred by chelation therapy in post-MI diabetics might be replicated by high-dose zinc supplementation. 2568 88

Histidine is an essential amino acid (EAA) in mammals, fish, and poultry. We aim to give an overview of the metabolism and physiological effects of histidine in humans and different animal species through a systematic review following the guidelines of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). In humans, dietary histidine may be associated with factors that improve metabolic syndrome and has an effect on ion absorption. In rats, histidine supplementation increases food intake. It also provides neuroprotection at an early stage and could protect against epileptic seizures. In chickens, histidine is particularly important as a limiting factor for carnosine synthesis, which has strong anti-oxidant effects. In fish, dietary histidine may be one of the most important factors in preventing cataracts. In ruminants, histidine is a limiting factor for milk protein synthesis and could be the first limiting AA for growth. In excess, histidine supplementation can be responsible for eating and memory disorders in humans and can induce growth retardation and metabolic dysfunction in most species. To conclude, the requirements for histidine, like for other EAA, have been derived from growth and AA composition in tissues and also have specific metabolic roles depending on species and dietary levels.
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PMID:Histidine: A Systematic Review on Metabolism and Physiological Effects in Human and Different Animal Species. 3242 10