Reactive Oxygen Species, Glucose Metabolism, and Lipid Metabolism

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are free radicals produced by the reduction of molecular oxygen. The mitochondrial respiratory chain complex is regarded as a major ROS producer, which is composed of four protein complexes, the complex I, complex II, complex III, and complex IV. In recent years, a large amount of evidence has demonstrated that ROS plays a pivotal role in regulating cell glucose and lipid metabolism and participates in the occurrence and development of disorders related to glucose and lipid metabolism. Generally, glucose metabolism increases the production of ROS and enhances oxidative stress by glucose auto-oxidation and glycosylation of proteins and activated the polyalcohol pathway, etc. This review aims to clarify the role of ROS in regulating glucose metabolism (glucose uptake, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogen synthesis, glycogenolysis, pentose phosphate pathway). As we all know, ROS plays a very important role in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases induced by dysregulation of lipid metabolism, such as obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and atherosclerosis. In this chapter, we focus on the interaction between ROS and lipid metabolism, especially the effects of ROS on the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids, as well as phospholipids, cholesterol, and browning of beige fat.