Key Enzymes in Glucose System Control 

Greetings! 
 

One of the factors of Type II diabetes is pancreatic beta-cell failure. It has been known for several years now that this failure of the beta-cells is accompanied by a decrease in the levels of two key metabolic enzymes, "Pyruvate Carboxyase" (PC) and "Pyruvate Dehydrogenase" (PDH).  PDH is also reduced in obesity.  1,2,3,4

PC takes pyruvate and converts it to Oxaloacetate, whereas PDH takes pyruvate and converts it to Acetyl Co-A.  Bringing these enzymes back to full functioning levels is critical to dysfunctional glucose system support.

In a paper from the Kosair Children's Hospital at the University of Louisville, researchers showed that blocking PC activity in pancreatic beta cells resulted in significant reductions in insulin secretion and reductions in beta cell proliferation.  Levels of the product of PC activity, Oxaloacetate, also concurrently dropped.  In contrast, overexpressing PC in the beta cells resulted in increased ability to produce insulin and proliferation of the beta cells. 5 

Oxaloacetate supplementation addresses the reduction in both PC and PDH levels.  As the product of PC enzymatic activity, providing oxaloacetate through supplementation directly bypasses the down-regulation of this enzyme, allowing normalization of oxaloacetate levels and beta cell proliferation. A clinical trial using sodium oxaloacetate confirmed this effect. 6

The activity of PDH has also been shown to be positively affected by oxaloacetate supplementation.  In a paper from researchers at the University of California San Diego, small amounts of external oxaloacetate stimulated the activity levels of the enzyme PDH by up to 300%. 7

Being able to improve the functioning of both enzymes PC and PDH with oxaloacetate supplementation is an important step in supporting proper glucose system functioning.

benaGene brand oxaloacetate provides 100 times the normal amount of oxaloacetate that is received in a typical diet.  Supplementation with this natural human metabolite provides a mechanism to positively modify enzyme response and provide benefit to patients with a variety of issues.

Purchase benaGene from your anti-aging physician, or directly from our website store.

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1. MacDonald MJ, et. al, "Low mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase and pyruvate carboxylase in pancreatic islets of Zucker diabetic fatty rats" Diabetes, 1996;45:1626-1630.

2.MacDonald MJ, et. al, "Normalization by insulin treatment of low mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase and pyruvate carboxylase in pancreatic islets of the GK rat", Diabetes 1996:45:886-890

3. Zhou, et. al., "A fatty acid-induced decrease in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity is an important determinant of beta-cell dysfunction in the obese diabetic db/db mouse", Diabetes 1996;45:580-586

4.Zhou, et, al."Deficiency of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in pancreatic islets of diabetic GK rats" Endocrinology 1995:45:580-586

5. Xu, et. al., "The role of pyruvate carboxylase in insulin secretion and proliferation in rat pancreatic beta-cells", Diabetologia 2008; 51(11):2022-2030

6. Yoshikawa, K, "Studies on Anti-diabetic Effect of Sodium Oxaloacetate", Tohoku J. exp. Med, 1968;96;127-141