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PGC-1α activation: a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes?

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Abstract

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) has gained popularity as a very attractive target for diabetic therapies due to its role in lipid and glucose metabolism. Pharmacological activation of PGC-1α is thought to elicit health benefits. However, this notion has been questioned by increasing evidence, which suggests that insulin resistant is exacerbated when PGC-1α expression is far beyond normal physiological limits and is prevented under the condition of PGC-1α deficiency. This narrative review suggests that PGC-1α, as a master metabolic regulator, exerts roles in insulin sensitivity in a tissue-specific manner and in a physical activity/age-dependent fashion. When using PGC-1α as a target for therapeutic strategies against insulin resistance and T2DM, we should take these factors into consideration.

Level of evidence: Level V, narrative review.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Project of Science and Technology of Jiangxi Province (20151BBF60008) and the Major Project of Education Department in Hunan (16A096).

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  1. Daixiu Yuan and Dingfu Xiao contributed equally to this work.

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  1. Department of Medicine, Jishou University, Jishou, 41600, Hunan, China

    Daixiu Yuan

  2. College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Dingfu Xiao & Qian Gao

  3. Science College of Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, Jiangxi, China

    Liming Zeng

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  1. Daixiu Yuan
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Yuan, D., Xiao, D., Gao, Q. et al. PGC-1α activation: a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes?. Eat Weight Disord 24, 385–395 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0622-y

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