Poster Presentation The Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Diabetes Society and the Australian Diabetes Educators Association 2013

Effect of hyperglycaemia on the endothelial cells and the cytoprotective role of insulin and glutamine on the inflammatory cytokines and the mitohondria (#258)

Gracie Ong 1 , Rajes Qvist 1 , Marzida Mansor
  1. University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, KL, Malaysia

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine  the expression of NF-kB mediated inflammatory cytokines and mitochondrial dysfunction  under hyperglycemic conditions and the relevance of glutamine and insulin. ,in modulating the effects

Materials and methods: In our study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells were subjected to hyperglycemia and the effect of glutamine on the mitochondrial function and the production of inflammatory cytokines were determined using florescence analysis and multiple cytotoxicity assay

Results: our results demonstrate that glutamine maintains the integrity of the mitochondria, by reducing the cell permeability, increasing the mitochondrial potential and reducing the release of cytochromr c  into the cytosol from the mitachondria .Our data further  suggest that glutamine alone or in combination with insulin can modulate the production of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-10, MCP-1, and   MIF which are both inflammatory and proinflammatory and maintain the balance under the oxidative stress induced by hyperglycemia

Conclusion: Our data suggest that glutamine alone or in combination with insulin can modulate the production of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine and maintain the balance under hyperglycemic conditions, producing a cytoprotective effect.  At the same time our data support that glutamine maintains the integrity of the mitochondria, whose dysfunction in the hyperglycemic endothelial cells, may reflect the degree of systemic effect during the development of diabetes

  1. Sekaran M, Rajes Q, Gracie OSY, et al. The oxidative stress of hyperglycemia and the inflammatory process in endothelial cells. The Journal of Medical Investigation 2009; 56:6-10.
  2. Ruchko M, Gorodnya O, LeDoux SP, et al. Mitochondrial DNA damage triggers mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in oxidant-challenged lung endothelial cells. Am J Physio Lung Cell Molecular Physiology, 2005; 288: 530 – 535.