Abstract
This study investigates the expression levels of zinc transporter and metallothionein (MT) genes in the mononuclear cells of 41 women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) using Taqman real‐time PCR. It also explores the relationships between zinc transporter expression, plasma zinc concentrations, and dietary zinc intake. The mRNA level of Zip1 was correlated with the mRNA of intracellular zinc transporters ZnT5, ZnT7, and Zip7 (P<0.001). ZnT8 mRNA expression was detected in 21 participants. In the absence of constitutive ZnT8 gene expression, a higher (P<0.05) ZnT5 mRNA level was observed. In a stepwise regression analysis, MT‐2A mRNA (P=0.002) and dietary zinc intake (P=0.02) were identified as predictors of the plasma zinc concentration. The coordinated expression of Zip1 (cellular zinc import) and zinc transporters that sequester zinc within intracellular organelles is an important mechanism for the maintenance of cellular zinc homeostasis in DM. ZnT8, which is highly expressed in the pancreas, is not constitutively present in mononuclear cells; modulation of intracellular ZnT5 may compensate for its absence. Research support was provided by The Sydnovate Fund (University of Sydney) and The MAWA Trust.
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