Lack of important molecule in red blood cells causes vascular damage in typediabetes

Date:
November 9, 2021
Source:
Karolinska Institutet
Summary:
Altered function of the red blood cells leads to vascular damage in
type 2 diabetes. Results from a new study in cells from patients
with type 2 diabetes and mice show that this effect is caused by
low levels of an important molecule in the red blood cells.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Altered function of the red blood cells leads to vascular damage in type
2 diabetes. Results from a new study in cells from patients with type
2 diabetes and mice show that this effect is caused by low levels of
an important molecule in the red blood cells. The study by researchers
at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has been published in the journal
Diabetes.


==========================================================================
It is well known that patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased
risk of cardiovascular disease. Overtime type 2 diabetes may damage
blood vessels, which could lead to life-threatening complications such
as heart attack and stroke. However, the disease mechanisms underlying cardiovascular injury in type 2 diabetes are largely unknown and there
is currently a lack of treatments to prevent such injuries.

In recent years, research has shown that the red blood cells, whose
most important job is to transport oxygen to bodily organs, become dysfunctional in type 2 diabetes and can act as mediators of vascular complications. In the current study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet
have in cells from patients with type 2 diabetes and mice examined which molecular changes in the red blood cells could explain these harmful
effects in type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found that levels of the small molecule microRNA-210 were markedly reduced in red blood cells from 36 patients with type 2 diabetes compared with red blood cells of 32 healthy subjects. Micro-RNAs belong
to a group of molecules that serve as regulators of vascular function
in diabetes and other conditions. The reduction in microRNA-210 caused alterations in specific vascular protein levels, and impaired blood
vessel endothelial cell function. In laboratory experiments, restoration
of microRNA-210 levels in red blood cells prevented the development of
vascular injury via specific molecular changes.

"The findings demonstrate a previously unrecognized cause of vascular
injury in type 2 diabetes," says Zhichao Zhou, researcher at the
Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, who conducted
the study in collaboration with among others Professor John Pernow
at the same department. "We hope that the results will pave the way
for new therapies that increase red blood cell microRNA-210 levels
and thereby prevent vascular injury in patients with type 2 diabetes." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Karolinska_Institutet. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Zhichao Zhou, Aida Collado, Changyan Sun, Yahor Tratsiakovich,
Ali Mahdi,
Hanna Winter, Ekaterina Chernogubova, Till Seime, Sampath Narayanan,
Tong Jiao, Hong Jin, Michael Alvarsson, Xiaowei Zheng, Jiangning
Yang, Ulf Hedin, Sergiu-Bogdan Catrina, Lars Maegdefessel,
John Pernow.

Downregulation of Erythrocyte miR-210 Induces Endothelial
Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes, 2021; db210093 DOI:
10.2337/db21-0093 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211109080857.htm

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