1D-''chiro''-Inositol (formerly D-''chiro''-inositol, commonly abbreviated DCI) is a member of a family of related substances often referred to collectively as "

inositol Inositol, or more precisely ''myo''-inositol, is a carbocyclic sugar that is abundant in the brain and other mammalian tissues; it mediates cell signal transduction in response to a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors and ...

", although that term encompasses several

isomer In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formulae – that is, same number of atoms of each element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. Isomerism is existence or possibility of isomers. Iso ...

s of questionable biological relevance, including 1L-''chiro''-inositol. ''myo''-Inositol is converted into DCI by an insulin dependent NAD/NADH epimerase enzyme. It is known to be an important

secondary messenger Second messengers are intracellular signaling molecules released by the cell in response to exposure to extracellular signaling molecules—the first messengers. (Intercellular signals, a non-local form or cell signaling, encompassing both first me ...

insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...

signal transduction Signal transduction is the process by which a chemical or physical signal is transmitted through a cell as a series of molecular events, most commonly protein phosphorylation catalyzed by protein kinases, which ultimately results in a cellula ...

. DCI accelerates the dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase and pyruvate dehydrogenase, rate limiting enzymes of non-oxidative and oxidative glucose disposal. DCI may act to bypass defective normal epimerization of ''myo''-inositol to DCI associated with insulin resistance and at least partially restore insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal. One pilot study found males taking it had increased androgens and reduced estrogen.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inositol, D-chiro- Inositol