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G protein-linked cell signaling and cardiovascular functions in diabetes/hyperglycemia

Shehla Hashim1, Yuan Li, Madhu B Anand-Srivastava

  • 1Department of Physiology and Groupe de recherche sur le système nerveux autonome (GRSNA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics
|February 4, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Diabetes complications like impaired vascular function stem from chronic hyperglycemia. This review explores how G protein-linked cell signaling pathways are altered, contributing to these vascular issues in diabetes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Signaling

Background:

  • Vascular complications, including impaired contractility and increased cell proliferation, are common in diabetes.
  • Chronic hyperglycemia is a key contributor to these adverse vascular effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the various G protein-linked cell signaling pathways affected by diabetes and hyperglycemia.
  • To discuss the implications of these signaling pathway alterations on vascular function.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms in diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction.
  • Analysis of signaling pathways including nonenzymatic glycation, protein kinase C (PKC), oxidative stress, and G protein-adenylyl cyclase signaling.

Main Results:

  • Hyperglycemia affects vascular smooth muscle cells via pathways like PKC activation and oxidative stress.
  • G protein-coupled adenylyl cyclase/cAMP and phospholipase C/PKC pathways are implicated in hyperglycemia-induced L-type Ca2+ channel stimulation.
  • Hyperglycemia reduces nitric oxide availability and impairs G protein-adenylyl cyclase signaling.

Conclusions:

  • Dysregulation of G protein-linked cell signaling pathways is a significant factor in diabetes-related vascular complications.
  • Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies to manage diabetic vascular disease.

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