Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in the Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes and Air Pollution

• Main Authors: Francesca Gorini, Laura Sabatino, Melania Gaggini, Kyriazoula Chatzianagnostou, Cristina Vassalle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: Antioxidants
• Subjects: hyperglycemia; oxidative stress; pre-diabetes; type 2 diabetes; molecular mechanisms; air pollution
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/8/1234

The incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes have increased in the last decades and are expected to further grow in the coming years. Chronic hyperglycemia triggers free radical generation and causes increased oxidative stress, affecting a number of molecular mechanisms and cellular pathways, including the generation of advanced glycation end products, proinflammatory and procoagulant effects, induction of apoptosis, vascular smooth-muscle cell proliferation, endothelial and mitochondrial dysfunction, reduction of nitric oxide release, and activation of protein kinase C. Among type 2 diabetes determinants, many data have documented the adverse effects of environmental factors (e.g., air pollutants) through multiple exposure-induced mechanisms (e.g., systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, hypercoagulability, and endothelial and immune responses). Therefore, here we discuss the role of air pollution in oxidative stress-related damage to glycemic metabolism homeostasis, with a particular focus on its impact on health. In this context, the improvement of new advanced tools (e.g., omic techniques and the study of epigenetic changes) may provide a substantial contribution, helping in the evaluation of the individual in his biological totality, and offer a comprehensive assessment of the molecular, clinical, environmental, and epidemiological aspects.