Humanin, the Mitochondrial derived peptide, and its role in type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Mitochondria, an important organ, play a critical role in production and metabolism of energy, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and homeostasis of calcium also, mitochondria dysfunction linked to age-related-diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Mitochondria produce bioactive small peptide called humanin encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), mitochondria own circulating genome, have many physiological functions: its work as ani-oxidant by inhibition the generation of ROS, anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammatory agent, induces insulin sensitivity, improves B cell survival, delay diabetes development and promote glucose metabolism, in this study we determined humanin concentration in type 2 diabetic patients and compared with control healthy, and study the relationship between  humanin and some clinical variables such as age, sex, smoking, BMI, blood types, nutrition, menopause, duration of disease, diabetes complication, family history, physical activity, medicine, HOMA-IR and HbA1C%. The results showed a significant decrease in humanin concentration in diabetes patients compared to control group, its concentration negatively correlated with sex, age, smoking, BMI, duration of disease, HOMA-IR, HbA1C%, diabetic retinopathy while humanin concentration positively correlated with menopause, increased physical activity, metformin, but there was a non-significant correlation with blood types, nutrition, family history. We suggested Humanin to be a biomarker of type 2 diabetes and its complication.