Abstract
Deuterium (D) is a stable isotope of hydrogen (H) with a mass number of 2. It is present in natural waters in the form of HDO, at a concentration of 16.8 mmol/L, equivalent to 150 ppm. In a phase II clinical study, deuterium depletion reduced fasting glucose concentration and insulin resistance. In this study, we tested the effect of subnormal D-concentration on glucose metabolism in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model. Animals were randomly distributed into nine groups to test the effect of D2O (in a range of 25–150 ppm) on glucose metabolism in diabetic animals with or without insulin treatment. Serum glucose, fructose amine-, HbA1c, insulin and urine glucose levels were monitored, respectively. After the 8-week treatment, membrane-associated GLUT4 fractions from the soleus muscle were estimated by Western blot technique. Our results indicate that, in the presence of insulin, deuterium depletion markedly reduced serum levels of glucose, -fructose amine, and –HbA1c, in a dose-dependent manner. The optimal concentration of deuterium was between 125 and 140 ppm. After a 4-week period of deuterium depletion, the highest membrane-associated GLUT4 content was detected at 125 ppm. These data suggest that deuterium depletion dose-dependently enhances the effect of insulin on GLUT4 translocation and potentiates glucose uptake in diabetic rats, which explains the lower serum glucose, -fructose amine, and –HbA1c concentrations. Based on our experimental data, deuterium-depleted water could be used to treat patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) by increasing insulin sensitivity. These experiments indicate that naturally occurring deuterium has an impact on metabolic regulations.
Highlights
Deuterium (D), a naturally occurring stable isotope of hydrogen, is present in natural surface waters predominantly in the form of HDO and at a concentration of approximately 16.8 mmol/L
To evaluate the effect of depleted water (DDW) on the glucose metabolism in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model, first we aimed to test the 25 ppm D-concentration, which was the lowest D-concentration of DDW available
The milder decrease of deuterium content of drinking water exerted the greatest effect on serum glucose level. (All data points were significantly (p < 0.01) lower compared to the animals receiving tap water)
Summary
Deuterium (D), a naturally occurring stable isotope of hydrogen, is present in natural surface waters predominantly in the form of HDO and at a concentration of approximately 16.8 mmol/L. The two isotopes, hydrogen (1H) and deuterium (2H) have the largest mass difference among stable isotopes of the same element, resulting in significant differences in both chemical and physical properties [1,2,3]. The effect of D at elevated concentrations has been investigated thoroughly in various biological systems [4, 5], but these studies ignored the significance of natural D-concentrations. The deuterium to hydrogen (D/H) ratio is approx. 1:6600; the natural abundance of D is about 150 ppm (0.015 atom%) [2]. Global concentration of D ranges between 120 and 160 ppm depending on the site of. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (2021) 476:4507–4516 sampling [6, 7] and the available data suggest that D/H ratio is not constant in living organisms, either [8].
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