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IL ‐6 in diabetes and cardiovascular complications
Author(s) -
Qu Dan,
Liu Jian,
Lau Chi Wai,
Huang Yu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/bph.12713
Subject(s) - diabetes mellitus , signalling , immune system , signal transduction , cytokine , haematopoiesis , signalling pathways , pathogenesis , immunology , medicine , bioinformatics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , stem cell
IL ‐6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that participates in normal functions of the immune system, haematopoiesis, metabolism, as well as in the pathogenesis of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Both pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory roles of IL ‐6 have been described, which are distinguished by different cascades of signalling transduction, namely classic and trans‐signalling. The present review summarizes the basic principles of IL ‐6 signalling and discusses its roles in diabetes and associated cardiovascular complications, with emphasis on the different outcomes mediated by the two modes of IL ‐6 signalling and the value of developing therapeutic strategies to specifically target the deleterious trans‐signalling of IL ‐6.