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REVIEW article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Diabetes: Molecular Mechanisms
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1541809
The Role of Metal Ion Metabolism in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes and Associated Complications
Provisionally accepted
Siyuan Liu 1,2 Xuzhuo Chen 1,2 Xinrui Qi 1 Jiahao Bai 3 Bin Tong 1
Deju Zhang 4*
Xiaoping Yin 5*
Peng Yu 1,6*- 1 Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- 2 The Second Clinical Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, China
- 3 Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- 4 Food and Nutritional Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- 5 Department of Neurology, Jiujiang University Affiliated Hospital, Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China
- 6 Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
Diabetes is a growing health concern, accompanied by significant complications like cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and retinopathy. Metal ions, including iron, zinc, and copper, play a crucial role in maintaining human health through their balance within the body. Disruptions in metal ion balance can intensify diabetic conditions. For instance, iron overload induces oxidative stress, which harms islet β cells and impacts vascular complications of diabetes. Abnormal copper levels heighten insulin resistance, and zinc deficiency has a strong connection with type 1 diabetes. Future in -depth exploration of the association between metal metabolism and diabetes holds the potential to uncover novel treatment avenues, enhancing both the quality of life and health prognosis for patients.
Keywords: diabetes, Metal ion, Metabolism, Iron ion, Copper ion, complications
Received: 08 Dec 2024; Accepted: 14 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Chen, Qi, Bai, Tong, Zhang, Yin and Yu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Deju Zhang, Food and Nutritional Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Xiaoping Yin, Department of Neurology, Jiujiang University Affiliated Hospital, Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China
Peng Yu, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.