Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2022, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (3): 523-533.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.320965

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Diabetes mellitus and Parkinson’s disease: dangerous liaisons between insulin and dopamine

Angela De Iuliis1, Ennio Montinaro2, Giuseppe Fatati3, Mario Plebani1, 4, Carlo Colosimo2, *#br#   

  1. 1Department of Medicine-DiMED, University of Padova, Italy; 2Department of Neurology, Santa Maria University Hospital, Terni, Italy; 3Italian Obesity Network, Terni, Italy; 4Department of Medicine-DiMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Department of Laboratory Medicine-Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
  • Online:2022-03-15 Published:2021-10-14
  • Contact: Carlo Colosimo, MD, FEAN, c.colosimo@aospterni.it.

PDF

175

Abstract: The relationship between diabetes mellitus and Parkinson’s disease has been described in several epidemiological studies over the 1960s to date. Molecular studies have shown the possible functional link between insulin and dopamine, as there is strong evidence demonstrating the action of dopamine in pancreatic islets, as well as the insulin effects on feeding and cognition through central nervous system mechanism, largely independent of glucose utilization. Therapies used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus appear to be promising candidates for symptomatic and/or disease-modifying action in neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease, while an old dopamine agonist, bromocriptine, has been repositioned for the type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment. This review will aim at reappraising the different studies that have highlighted the dangerous liaisons between diabetes mellitus and Parkinson’s disease.

Key words: dopamine, GLP-1, insulin, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus