Roles of zinc in insulin

Insulin is a metabolic hormone synthesized, stored and secreted from beta-cells of pancreas.

Zinc plays a very important role in body’s production, storage, and use of insulin, the hormone that lowers high blood glucose levels.

Zinc was reported as an essential factor for insulin crystal formation and zinc content in the pancreas of diabetic patients was shown to be reduced by 50%.

These findings suggested a close relationship between zinc and diabetes. Zinc in pancreatic beta cells binds to several insulin molecules. Insulin exists as a hexamer consisting of six insulin and two zinc molecules.

The packaging of insulin in the secretory granules also requires zinc. It was found that the hexamerization of pro-insulin is dependent on zinc.

In diabetes mellitus, total amount of zinc in pancreas has been reported to be reduced to half. Deficiency of zinc may interfere with storage and secretion of insulin.
Roles of zinc in insulin