Sera from prediabetic patients induce changes in neurons and glia in mix primary cultures

TOMAS DE LIORO, ANNA; BAEZ M. VERÓNICA; CANAL, M. PILAR; BADOLATI, ADELINA; PUGLIESE, CECILIA

Congreso; Reunion Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion en Neurociencia (SAN 2019); 2019

Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion en Neurociencia

Different studies performed in human patients, animal models, and in vitro in cell cultures, show a correlation between type 2 diabetes (DBT2) and certain neurodegenerative pathologies. However, molecular and cellular mechanisms that link both conditions have not yet been demonstrated. Several works suggest that inflammation, cellular stress and RAGE mediated signaling pathway could be associated with neurodegenerative damage related to DBT2. Currently, there are few data about changes in central nervous system during the period prior to DBT2, known as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). For this reason, we modeled a prediabetic condition in vitro, exposing hippocampal mixed cultures of neurons and astrocytes to sera from IGT and control patients. In these conditions, we studied morphological differences present in both cell types, as well as differences in astrocyte number and morphology. We found that acute treatment (1 hour) with sera from IGT patients induce cellular stress. Furthermore, 7 days treatment, induces changes in astrocytes number and shape as well as a decrease in neuron number. Both the increase in astrocyte and the reduction in neurons percentage correlate with glucose levels. These preliminary results would lead us to hypothesize that the increase in glucose values could start changes in neurons and glia that are compatible with neurodegeneration.