Type 2 diabetes mellitus: Role of melatonin and oxidative stress

Type 2 diabetes mellitus caused by transfer of susceptible immortal gene from parent to progeny in individuals prone, and/or in contribution of factors such as obesity and physical inactivity results in chronic extracellular hyperglycemia due to insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance. Hyperglycemia leads to increased production of superoxide radical in mitochondrial electron transport chain, consequently, inhibit glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, increase the flux of substrates that direct the expression of genes responsible for activation of polyol, hexosamine, advanced glycation end products and protein kinase-C pathways enzymes. Simultaneously, these pathways add-up free radicals in the body, hamper cell redox state, alter genes of insulin sensitivity and are responsible for the diabetic complications like retinopathy, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, nephropathy and neuropathy. Experimental evidence suggests that the indoleamine hormone melatonin is capable of influencing in development of diabetic complications by neutralizing the unnecessary production of ROS, protection of beta cells, as they possess low antioxidant potential and normalize redox state in the cell. However, studies reported the beneficial effects of pharmacological supplementation of melatonin in humans but it has not been extensively studied in a multicountric, multicentric which should include all ethnic population. (C) 2014 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.