Knox Van Dyke
West Virginia University Medical School, USA
Title: Luminescence reveals the cause of diabetes 1, 2 and 3 (Alzheimer’s disease)
Biography
Biography: Knox Van Dyke
Abstract
The fundamental basis of diabetes continues unrecognized and mostly untreated. Depending on the type of diabetes 1 or 2-treatment generally consists of insulin injections or anti-diabetic drugs that lower excessive blood glucose and/or hemoglobin A1C. Often patients are asked to lose weight and exercise more frequently. Blood glucose can be tightly controlled and still diabetic pathologies continue. Using a diabetic Streptozotocin (STZ) rat model, we demonstrated that diabetes and cataracts could be completely prevented with carboxy-PTIO which oxidizes nitric oxide and a nitration target Acetaminophen (Tylenol). This indicated that the action of STZ could be destroyed without harm to the animals. How does STZ cause diabetes in the first place? STZ is a molecule of 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) linked to methyl nitrosourea (MNU). STZ enters the blood stream and to the pancreatic-Beta cells where it enters Glut-2 receptors. Once inside the cell, the molecule splits into its two pieces i.e., 2DG and MNU. MNU begins generating a peroxide known as peroxynitrite (OON=O-). The peroxynitrite attacks DNA, protein and lipids of the cell and damages mitochondria which kill the cell via apoptosis or necrosis. When beta cells die, alpha cells replaced them, producing excessive glucagon and increasing blood glucose thereby creating a diabetic state. When STZ is injected intra-articularly in the brain of normal mice, they develop decreased brain glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in a few days and in a few months Alzheimer’s disease with plaques and tangles. We have developed a reaction with peroxynitrite and L-012 to produce blue luminescence via oxidation. Now we demonstrate that STZ generates peroxynitrite based luminescence which is inhibited by the same substances that inhibit peroxynitrite-based luminescence itself. We show that STZ nicks plasmid DNA similarly to peroxynitrite, which we believe initiates both Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.