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Intra-Omental Islet Transplantation Using h-Omental Matrix Islet filliNG hOMING
Published on: March 14, 2019
Is zinc an intra-islet regulator of glucagon secretion?
Hisamitsu Ishihara1, Claes B Wollheim2
11Division of Diabetes and Metabolism, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamicho, Itabashi, Tokyo 173-8610 Japan.
Abstract:
More than a decade ago, zinc was suggested to have a role as an intra-islet regulator of glucagon secretion. Several lines of experimental evidence have since provided support for this hypothesis, though contradictory observations have also been reported. Meanwhile, Slc30A/ZnT8, a zinc transporter expressed in insulin and glucagon secretory granules, was identified. Furthermore, genome wide association analyses revealed it to be a candidate causative gene for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recent progress in gene manipulation in animals yielded considerable information on the role of zinc in islet cells. In this mini-review, data pertaining the roles played by zinc in islet hormone secretion are summarized and discussed.
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