Kynurenines and Vitamin B6: Link Between Diabetes and Depression.
Journal Title: Journal of Bioinformatics And Diabetes - Year 2013, Vol 1, Issue 1
Abstract
The increased association between depression and diabetes mellitus is generally acknowledged. Recent studies suggest that depression leads to diabetes.However, the underlying molecular mechanisms for this association remain unclear.Literature and our data indicate that inflammatory and/or stress factors in depression up-regulate tryptophan (TRP) conversion into kynurenine (KYN), a substrate for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) biosynthesis. Deficiency of vitamin B6, a co-factor of the key enzymes of KYN – NAD pathway, shunts KYN metabolism from formation of NAD towards production of xanthurenic (XA) and kynurenic (KYNA) acids. Human and experimental studies reveal that XA, KYNA and their metabolites interfere with production, release and biological activity of insulin. We propose that inflammation- and/or stress-induced up-regulation of TRP – KYN metabolism in combination with vitamin B6 deficiency is one of the mechanisms mediating increased risk of diabetes in depression. Consequently, monitoring formation of diabetogenic KYN derivatives might help to identify subjects-at-risk for the development of diabetes. Pharmacological down-regulation of the TRP – KYN – NAD pathway and maintenance of adequate vitamin B6 status might help to prevent the development of diabetes in depression and other conditions associated with inflammation/stress–induced excessive production of KYN and vitamin B6 deficiency, e.g., obesity, cardiovascular diseases, aging, menopause, pregnancy, and hepatitis C virus infection.
Authors and Affiliations
Gregory Oxenkrug, Rebecca Ratner, Paul Summergrad
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP425685
- DOI 10.14302/issn.2374-9431.jbd-13-218
- Views 135
- Downloads 0
Association of Risk Factors in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus among Pregnant Mothers Attending at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh
Objective: To observe association of risk factors with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: Risk factors of GDM were evaluated in pregnant subjects (n=38...
Computational STAT4 rSNP Analysis, Transcriptional Factor Binding Sites and Disease
Purpose Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 4 (STAT4) is important for signaling by interleukins (IL-12 and IL-23) and type 1 interferons and has been found to have several simple nucleotide polymorphisms (S...
Bioinformatic Resources for Diabetic Nephropathy
The number of individuals with diabetes is increasing worldwide and a large subset of those affected will develop diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, has serious he...
Kynurenines and Vitamin B6: Link Between Diabetes and Depression.
The increased association between depression and diabetes mellitus is generally acknowledged. Recent studies suggest that depression leads to diabetes.However, the underlying molecular mechanisms for this association rem...
Development of a Model-Based Noninvasive Glucose Monitoring Device for Non-Insulin Dependent People
Continuous-time glucose monitoring (CGM) effectively improves glucose control, as oppose to infrequent glucose measurements (i.e. using Lancet Meters), by providing frequent blood glucose concentration (BGC) to better as...