Nrf2: Therapeutic target of islet function protection in diabetes and islet transplantation

Butian Wei; Xin Zhang; Jiwei Qian; Zhe Tang; Bo Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115463

Nrf2: Therapeutic target of islet function protection in diabetes and islet transplantation

Biomed Pharmacother. 2023 Nov:167:115463. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115463. Epub 2023 Sep 11.

Authors

Butian Wei¹, Xin Zhang¹, Jiwei Qian¹, Zhe Tang¹, Bo Zhang²

Affiliations

¹ Department of general Surgery, The Fourth affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang university School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China.
² Department of general Surgery, The Second affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang university School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China. Electronic address: jjs10@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 37703659
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115463

Abstract

Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has been reported as a major intracellular regulator of antioxidant stress, notably in islet β cells with low antioxidant enzyme content. Nrf2 is capable of regulating antioxidant function, while it can also regulate insulin secretion, proliferation, and differentiation of β cells, ER stress, as well as mitochondrial function. Thus, Nrf2 pharmacological activators have been employed in the laboratory for the treatment of diabetic mice. Islet cells are exposed to oxidative environment when islet is being transplanted. Accordingly, less than 50% of islet cells are well transplanted, and their normal function is maintained. The pharmacological activation of Nrf2 has been confirmed to protect islet cells at different stages of transplantation stages during experiments for islet transplantation.

Keywords: Nrf2; Secretion of insulin; beta cell; diabetes mellitus; islet transplantation; oxidative stress.

Publication types

Review