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The β-Cell in Human Type 2 Diabetes

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The Islets of Langerhans

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 654))

Abstract

β-cell dysfunction is central to the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes. Reduced islet number and/or diminished β-cell mass/volume in the pancreas of type 2 diabetic subjects have been reported by many authors, mainly due to increased apoptosis not compensated for by adequate regeneration. In addition, ultrastructural analysis has shown reduced insulin granules and morphological changes in several β-cell organelles, including mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Several quantitative and qualitative defects of β-cell function have been described in human type 2 diabetes using isolated islets, including alterations in early phase, glucose-stimulated insulin release. These survival and functional changes are accompanied by modifications of islet gene and protein expression. The impact of genotype in affecting β-cell function and survival has been addressed in a few studies, and a number of gene variants have been associated with β-cell dysfunction. Among acquired factors, the role of glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity could be of particular importance, due to the potential deleterious impact of elevated levels of glucose and/or free fatty acids in the natural history of β-cell damage. More recently, it has been proposed that inflammation might also play a role in the dysfunction of the β-cell in type 2 diabetes. Encouraging, although preliminary, data show that some of these defects might be directly counteracted, at least in part, by appropriate in vitro pharmacological intervention.

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Acknowledgments

Supported in part by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (PRIN 2007–2008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Cisanello Hospital, via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Piero Marchetti

  2. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Endocrinology and Kidney, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Roberto Lupi, Silvia Del Guerra, Marco Bugliani, Lorella Marselli & Ugo Boggi

Authors
  1. Piero Marchetti
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  2. Roberto Lupi
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  3. Silvia Del Guerra
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  4. Marco Bugliani
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  5. Lorella Marselli
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  6. Ugo Boggi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Piero Marchetti .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Clinical Research & Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 118 83, Sweden

    Md. Shahidul Islam

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Marchetti, P., Lupi, R., Del Guerra, S., Bugliani, M., Marselli, L., Boggi, U. (2010). The β-Cell in Human Type 2 Diabetes. In: Islam, M. (eds) The Islets of Langerhans. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 654. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3271-3_22

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