Diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease: Debating the Link Through Ca²⁺/cAMP Signalling

Background: A link between diabetes and Parkinson´s disease (PD) has been established by several reports. Consistent data report that people diagnosed with diabetes have demonstrated an enhanced risk of manifesting PD in their lifetime. The working principles involved in this link have been extensively discussed. Over the last decade, diabetes has been reported to be correlated with an increased risk of dementia, suggesting a potential role of diabetes, or insulin signalling dysregulations, in neurodegeneration. In addition, it is nowadays highly debated that dysregulations related to Ca2+ signalling may be an upstream issue which could also link diabetes and PD. Ca2+ and cAMP signalling pathways (Ca2+/cAMP signalling) control both the neurotransmitters/hormones release and neuronal death. Conclusion: Considering our previous reports about Ca2+/cAMP signalling, the putative contribution of Ca2+/cAMP signalling in this link (between diabetes and PD) is discussed in this paper.