New Perspectives on the Role of Hyperglycemia, Free Fatty Acid and Oxidative Stress in B-Cell Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a complex network of biochemical and molecular pathway with fine regulatory mechanisms that control the death event during several pathological situations in multi cellular organisms. It is the part of normal development that occurs in a variety of diseases and is known as aberrant apoptosis. Pancreatic β cell apoptosis is also a pathological feature which is common in both type 1 and type 2diabetes. There are several reasons through which apoptosis can be induced in β-cell. Metabolic abnormalities such as hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia have been cited as critical mediator of cell death and may either trigger β-cell apoptosis. Persistent hyperglycemia causes increased production of free radicals that can damage initial β-cell in type I diabetes, impaired insulin production, release or function in type II diabetes. Also apoptosis plays an important role in several diabetic complications. The role of metabolic factors and their mechanism in β-cell apoptosis have been surveyed in this paper.