Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Feb 15, 2015; 6(1): 125-135
Published online Feb 15, 2015. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v6.i1.125
Roles of interstitial fluid pH in diabetes mellitus: Glycolysis and mitochondrial function
Yoshinori Marunaka
Yoshinori Marunaka, Department of Molecular Cell Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
Yoshinori Marunaka, Department of Bio-Ionomics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
Yoshinori Marunaka, Japan Institute for Food Education and Health, St. Agnes’ University, Kyoto 602-8013, Japan
Author contributions: Marunaka Y solely contributed to this manuscript.
Supported by Grants-in-Aid from Japan Society of the Promotion of Science, No. 25670111; by Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target-Driven RD Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), No. 2012-2013; by KIT-KPUM-KPU-KPhU Collaborative Research Program, No. 2013-2014; and by Salt Science Foundation (1235) and Cell Research Conference.
Conflict-of-interest: There is no disclosure on financial interests.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Yoshinori Marunaka, MD, PhD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Molecular Cell Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan. marunaka@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-75-2515310 Fax: +81-75-2510295
Received: August 27, 2014
Peer-review started: August 28, 2014
First decision: November 3, 2014
Revised: November 12, 2014
Accepted: November 27, 2014
Article in press: December 1, 2014
Published online: February 15, 2015
Abstract

The pH of body fluids is one the most important key factors regulating various cell function such as enzyme activity and protein-protein interaction via modification of its binding affinity. Therefore, to keep cell function normal, the pH of body fluids is maintained constant by various systems. Insulin resistance is one of the most important, serious factors making the body condition worse in diabetes mellitus. I have recently found that the pH of body (interstitial) fluids is lower in diabetes mellitus than that in non-diabetic control, and that the lowered pH is one of the causes producing insulin resistance. In this review article, I introduce importance of body (interstitial) fluid pH in regulation of body function, evidence on abnormal regulation of body fluid pH in diabetes mellitus, and relationship between the body fluid pH and insulin resistance. Further, this review proposes perspective therapies on the basis of regulation of body fluid pH including propolis (honeybee product) diet.

Keywords: pH, Interstitial fluid, Insulin, Binding affinity to receptors, Propolis

Core tip: This review article provides new findings on changes of body (interstitial) fluid pH in type 2 diabetes mellitus, the role of body (interstitial) fluid pH in occurrence of insulin resistance, and future possibility of treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus from a viewpoint of improvement of body (interstitial) fluid pH.