The correlation between S-nitrosylation and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a review

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a chronic metabolic disorder, constituting over 90% of all diabetes cases. Its primary characteristics include insulin deficiency and insulin resistance. The aetiology of T2DM is complex, which is attributed to a convergence of genetic and environmental factors. Moreover, it can engender various complications such as diabetes retinopathy, diabetes nephropathy, and diabetes neuropathy. T2DM cannot be cured fundamentally, it can only delay the development of the disease by controlling the blood sugar level. If the blood sugar is at a high level for a long time, it will aggravate the disease progress, and even lead to death in serious cases. Therefore, understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes, early detection, and intervention are the main means of treatment. S-nitrosylation (SNO), a post-translational modification of proteins based on redox, possesses the capacity to regulate a variety of physiological and pathological processes, and it is also involved in the occurrence and development of T2DM. However, the relationship between the dysregulation of SNO homeostasis and the occurrence of diabetes is not fully understood. This article reviews the correlation between SNO and T2DM, elucidating the mechanism by which SNO contributes to T2DM, encompassing diminishing insulin secretion, inducing insulin resistance, and affecting glucokinase activity. Understanding the correlation between SNO and T2DM provides a new research direction for the pathogenesis and treatment targets of diabetes.