糖尿病血管病变中的表观遗传现象

 糖尿病及相关的微血管和大血管并发症对公众健康构成了极大威胁,其高发病率和死亡率是造成社会经济负担的主要原因。最近研究指出表观遗传学可能在糖尿病血管病变中发挥重要作用,这种表型的变化并不涉及DNA序列的改变,然而可影响基因的表达并遗传给下一代。此外,大型临床试验UKPDS和DCCT-EDIC均证实代谢记忆的存在,即使血糖控制在理想状态,血管炎症仍能持续发生。尽管表观遗传现象尚未完全阐明,但为糖尿病的发病机制提供了新的思路,并有望成为难治性疾病的治疗靶点。

Epigenetic phenomenon in diabetic vascular diseases

Diabetes mellitus and its associated micro and macrovascular complications have posed a great threat to public health and become the main cause of morbidity and mortality burden to state economy.Recent studies have raised that epigenetics may play an important role in the pathology of diabetic vascular diseases,which refers to phenotype changes that are not related to the underlying DNA sequence,yet the alterations in gene expression can possibly be inherited into next generation.Furthermore,UKPDS and DCCT-EDIC demonstrate a phenomenon called metabolic memory,even if the blood glucose level is controlled in an ideal state,vascular inflammation still persists.Although epigenetics has not been fully elucidated,it provides a new insight into the pathogenesis of diabetes and is expected to become the targeted therapy for severe diseases.