We are talking about hyperglycemia when the concentration of glucose is abnormally high in the blood. This sugar is vital for cells because it allows the synthesis of many molecules and its transformation into energy by the mitochondria, true energy power plants of the human body: we speak of “mitochondrial breathing”.
Diabetes is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, that is to say a chronic increase in the amount of glucose present in the blood. People who suffer frequently have a degradation of the quality and integrity of the skin, with premature aging and less good healing. For what ? “Within the dermis, we find fibroblasts, cells involved in particular in the regeneration of the epidermis and in the healing of the skin, thanks to their ability to produce collagen and move to the site of an injury. These skin fibroblasts directly undergo the metabolic stress caused by hyperglycemia »explains the INSERM in a press release of April 30.
Mitochondria degraded under the effect of hyperglycemia
A team wanted to understand the mechanisms in order, in the future, to limit the alterations of the skin in diabetic patients. For this, the researchers studied the behavior of the mitochondria exposed to normal, moderate, high or extreme degrees of hyperglycemia. They identified a molecular process associated with increasing hyperglycemia which begins with the repression of the activity of mitochondria, leading to their fragmentation, until their degradation. These results were published in the journal Redox Biology.
Thus, the GDF15 growth protein saw its highly limited action as soon as moderate blood sugar appears. But GDF15 supplementation of the skin models used by researchers made it possible to reverse the alterations of mitochondria, despite the persistence of hyperglycemia. “Our results suggest that GDF15 could be at the heart of a potential pharmacological or dermatological strategy aimed at limiting skin damage caused by metabolic stress in hyperglycemic peopleindicates Rodrigue Rossignol, Inserm research director and co-director of the Laboratory Rare Diseases: Genetics and Metabolism (Inserm/University of Bordeaux). Researchers have also shown that under the effect of hyperglycemia, the collagen network which repairs the areas of damaged skin is faulty, fibroblasts moving difficult.
-This discovery opens the way to potential therapeutic strategies, directly targeting mitochondria, to counter the degradation of the skin in diabetic people. However, new tests, in real conditions, are necessary: chronic hyperglycemia implies inflammatory phenomena that the Inserm team has not reproduced in its skin models and which could hinder the action of supplementation in GDF15.
Good practices to avoid dermatological complications
Waiting for, A balanced diabetes And good hygiene help prevent skin infections. Because beyond aging, the complications of diabetes on the skin are mycoses, panaris, boils, erysipelas (infection due to streptococcus) … The Ameli.fr site advises regularly examining your skin and consulting a doctor in the event of redness, swelling or any other anomaly.
In the event of a wound, it is advisable to clean it in clear water, apply a disinfectant and protect with a dry sterile compress before consulting a doctor. It is also important to hydrate your skin well. Finally, after a shower, remember to dry the wetlands well, in particular between the toes, in the folds or genitals, because humidity promotes skin yeast infections.
