脑硫脂与糖尿病

Relationships between sulfatide and diabetes

脑硫脂是一种酸性鞘糖脂,主要表达于神经组织。近年研究发现,脑硫脂还表达于β细胞并与胰岛素的合成、储存和释放过程关系密切。新诊1型糖尿病患者血清中存在抗脑硫脂抗体,而且脑硫脂可以减少非肥胖糖尿病大鼠糖尿病的发生。另外,低血清脑硫脂浓度和2型糖尿病的发病也相关。ob/ob鼠和db/db鼠表现为β细胞选择性缺乏C16∶0脑硫脂,补充该亚型的脑硫脂可以改善Zucker肥胖大鼠的β细胞功能。脑硫脂还具有抗炎和免疫调节作用。对脑硫脂的研究能够深化人们对β细胞生理功能的认识,并可能为糖尿病的治疗提供新思路。

Sulfatide is a kind of acid glycosphingolipid, mainly locates in nervous system. Resent studies show that sulfatide is also present in pancreatic β cell and involved in the synthesis, storage and release of insulin. There are anti-sulfatide antibodies in the serum of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus patients, and treatment with sulfatide prevents diabetes in non obese diabetic mice. Low serum concentration of sulfatide is associated with type 2 diabetes. The level of C16：0 fatty acid isoform of sulfatide decreased in the pancreas of type 2 diabetic animal models and administration of this isoform of sulfatide improved the β cell function of Zucker fatty rats. The antiinflammatory and immunoregulation effects of sulfatide has also been revealed in animals and human. Further studies on sulfatide will help us to know more about the physiology of β cell, and provide us a new way to treat diabetes.