The roles of glucose-induced metabolic hypoxia and imbalances in carnitine metabolism in mediating diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction.

Investigations were initiated to examine the rate of imbalances in carnitine metabolism in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular changes in the retina, peripheral nerves, aorta and kidney. It appears that glucose/diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction and early vascular structural changes are mediated by hyperglycaemic hypoxia i.e. glucose-induced metabolic imbalances that cause an increase in the reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide/nicotinic acid dehydrogenase ratio, and are linked to imbalances in carnitine metabolism.