Philip Newsholme¹, Fernando Abdulkader², Eduardo Rebelato², Talita Romanatto², Carlos Hermano J. Pinheiro², Kaio Fernando Vitzel², Erica Portioli Silva², Roberto B. Bazotte³, Joaquim Procopio², Rui Curi², Renata Gorjao⁴, Tania Cristina Pithon-Curi⁴

1UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute and UCD Institute for Sport and Health, UCD Dublin, Belield, Dublin 4, Ireland, ²Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo, Brazil, ³State University of Maringa (DFF/UEM), Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 87020-900, Maringa, PR, Brazil, ⁴Institute of Physical Activity Sciences and Sports, Post-Graduate Program in Human Movement Sciences, Cruzeiro do Sul University, Sao Paulo, Brazil

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract

2. Structure and hormones of the pancreatic islets

3. Glucose stimulated insulin secretion from the beta cell

4. Mechanisms underlying beta cell actions of amino acids

4.1. Alanine

4.2. Arginine

4.3. Cysteine

4.4. Glutamine

4.5. Glutamate

4.6. Homocysteine

4.7. Leucine

4.8. Taurine

5. Mechanisms underlying alpha cell actions of amino acids

6. Amino acids and muscle function in diabetes

7. Amino acids and liver function in diabetes

8. Amino acids and endothelial cell function in diabetes

9. Amino acids and immune function in diabetes

9.1. Neutrophils

9.2. Lymphocytes

10. Concluding remarks

11. Acknowledgements

12. References

1. ABSTRACT