Title:H2O2 Signalling Pathway: A Possible Bridge between Insulin Receptor and Mitochondria
Volume: 10
Issue: 4
Author(s): Igor A. Pomytkin
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s disease, brain, insulin receptor, hydrogen peroxide, mitochondria
Abstract: This review is focused on the mechanistic aspects of the insulin-induced H2O2 signalling pathway in neurons
and the molecules affecting it, which act as risk factors for developing central insulin resistance. Insulin-induced H2O2
promotes insulin receptor activation and the mitochondria act as the insulin-sensitive H2O2 source, providing a direct
molecular link between mitochondrial dysfunction and irregular insulin receptor activation. In this view, the accumulation
of dysfunctional mitochondria during chronological ageing and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a risk factor that may
contribute to the development of dysfunctional cerebral insulin receptor signalling and insulin resistance. Due to the high
significance of insulin-induced H2O2 for insulin receptor activation, oxidative stress-induced upregulation of antioxidant
enzymes, e.g., in AD brains, may represent another risk factor contributing to the development of insulin resistance. As
insulin-induced H2O2 signalling requires fully functional mitochondria, pharmacological strategies based on activating
mitochondria biogenesis in the brain are central to the treatment of diseases associated with dysfunctional insulin receptor
signalling in this organ.
