Oxidative stress and impaired insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes.

Molecular mechanisms involving oxidative stress have been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. These implications have arisen from reports that glucolipotoxicity of the pancreatic islet and non-islet tissues can lead to deterioration of islet function and insulin sensitivity, as well as structural abnormalities in tissues adversely affected by diabetes. Co-incident with these changes are profound alterations in insulin gene expression, which involve greatly diminished levels of two transcription factors, MafA and Pdx-1.