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Next-generation diabetes diagnostics : spectrochemical staging of red blood cells using vibrational spectroscopy
No full textIntroduction
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induces progressive biochemical and morphological alterations in red blood cells (RBCs), driven by hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and disrupted lipid–protein homeostasis. These changes compromise membrane integrity and serve as sensitive molecular indicators of disease severity. Yet, a non-invasive strategy for capturing such alterations at the molecular level remains an unresolved challenge.
Objectives
This study employs Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman Spectroscopy (RS) to uncover sex- and age-specific molecular alterations in RBCs induced by T2DM. By integrating classical and advanced analytical techniques, we identify novel spectrochemical markers of disease progression, offering a non-invasive, label-free framework for staging and monitoring diabetic pathology at the molecular level.
Methods
A total of 120 db/db and C57BL/6J mice were tested at 7, 12 and 24 weeks of age. Standard hematological and biochemical analyses were combined with vibrational spectroscopy (FT-IR, RS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), to assess RBC morphology and molecular composition. Spectral data was analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistics to identify disease-specific spectral markers.
Results
Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis reliably distinguished diabetic and control RBC profiles, confirming the presence of robust, disease-specific molecular patterns. Integration with hematological and biochemical parameters further validated the diagnostic relevance of this label-free, non-invasive approach. Structural protein analysis revealed a consistent decline in α-helical content and an increase in β-sheet and β-turn structures, reflecting protein misfolding and aggregation, particularly in older diabetic females. Alterations in disulfide bonding, hydrated β-sheets and H-bonded antiparallel β-sheets highlighted oxidative stress-mediated membrane destabilization. Additionally, elevated plasma triglyceride levels and increased saturation of RBC membrane lipids indicate impaired lipid handling.
Conclusion
Vibrational spectroscopy enables non-invasive, molecular-level profiling of diabetes-induced RBC alterations, revealing sex- and age-dependent signatures of disease progression. This approach offers a promising platform for precise staging and stratification in metabolic disorders.</p
Analysis of rat vocalizations as a tool for assessing the effects of α7nAChR PAMs in a neurodevelopmental model of autism
No full textInterplay between different cytotoxic parameters in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) larvae fed with polypropylene
No full textPlastic waste, which pollutes water and soil and negatively impacts organisms, is currently a major ecological problem. Therefore, methods for its degradation are being sought, including biodegradation using various organisms to dispose of plastics. One invertebrate animal suspected of being used in plastic biodegradation is Galleria mellonella (Insecta, Lepidoptera). However, there is no data on whether plastics ingested by this insect’s larvae will induce cytotoxic effects in cells, tissues, or organs, which would exclude this species from biodegradation. The aim of this study was to determine whether G. mellonella larvae, after consuming a popular plastic, polypropylene (PP), activate specific cytotoxic parameters. Larvae of the studied species were fed PP bags for 24 and 48 h. Control (G0-C) and starved (G0-S) individuals were also analyzed to determine whether cytotoxic effects could be attributed to factors such as a lack of normal food. Confocal microscopy and flow cytometry were changes, employed to investigate cell death processes, caspase and Bcl-2 protein activation, and mitochondrial alterations. The results of our studies suggest that G. mellonella may be considered as a potential candidate used in the biodegradation of PP
Early detection of septic patient′s deterioration based on the Modified Early Obstetric Warning Score (MEOWS) - case report
No full textDrinking patterns, drinking-at-risk, and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in eight European countries
No full text
Non‐invasive brain stimulation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex improves behavioral ihibition by enhancing the processing depth and anticipation of outcomes in a gambling task
No full textDisordered gambling and other behavioral addictions are characterized by a lack of behavioral inhibition, such that patients repeatedly make disadvantageous decisions and fail to disengage from maladaptive behavior. Previous research has shown that behavioral addictions are associated with altered ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activity, making it an interesting target for neuromodulation. Using a gambling paradigm containing positive and negative expected value trials, we investigated decision‐making and feedback processing while stimulating the vmPFC via transcranial direct current stimulation, and we recorded neural responses via EEG. We recorded behavioral and neural responses when the cue indicating reward probability and the outcome (gain/loss) were presented. At the behavioral level, interactions of stimulation by cue modulated gambling behavior, whereby we found different patterns for positive and negative expected value trials. We observed the respective interactions in the EEG data covering left dlPFC and parietal areas. The stimulation modulated the processing of outcomes depending on its probability in the behavioral and neural data. The behavioral results suggest improved gambling behavior after vmPFC excitation, especially when the risk of losing is high, visible in enhanced behavioral inhibition. This appears to be due to an enhanced anticipation based on reward probability and processing depth of outcomes. The neural results indicate that vmPFC excitation allows for a better ability to suppress high‐risk decisions and a more accurate updating of gambling‐related information. This makes excitatory vmPFC‐tDCS promising as an additional treatment option for behavioral addictions
