The impact of ATP-sensitive potassium channel modulation on mitochondria in a Parkinson's disease model using SH-SY5Y cells depends on their differentiation state

Inward rectifying potassium channels sensitive to ATP levels (KATP) have been the subject of investigation for several decades. Modulators of KATP channels are well-established treatments for metabolic as well as cardiovascular diseases. Experimental studies have also shown the potential of KATP modulation in neurodegenerative disorders. However, to date, data regarding the effects of KATP antagonists/agonists in experiments related to neurodegeneration remain inconsistent. The main source of confusion in evaluating available data seems to be the choice of experimental models. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effects of both opening and blocking KATP channels in two forms of SH-SY5Y cells. Our results offer valuable insights into the significance of metabolic differences between differentiated and non-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, particularly in the context of glibenclamide and diazoxide effects under normal conditions and during the initiation of pathological events simulating Parkinson's disease in vitro. We emphasize the analysis of mitochondrial functions and changes in mitochondrial network morphology. The heightened protein expression of KATP channels identified in non-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells seems to be a platform for a more significant impact of KATP modulators in this cell type. The efficiency of rotenone treatment in inducing morphological changes in the mitochondrial network depends on the differentiation status of SH-SY5Y cells.

Towards optimizing the protocol for untargeted profiling of urine volatiles via gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry. A pilot study

The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in various biological samples holds immense potential for non-invasive disease diagnostics and metabolic profiling. One of the biological fluids that are suitable for use in clinical practice is urine. Given the limited quantity of VOCs in the urine headspace, it's imperative to enhance their extraction into the gaseous phase and prevent any degradation of VOCs during the thawing process. The study aimed to test several key parameters (incubation time, temperature, and thawing) that can influence urine volatilome and monitor selected VOCs for their stability. The analysis in this study was performed using a BreathSpec® (G.A.S., Dortmund, Germany) device consisting of a gas chromatograph (GC) coupled with an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). Testing three different temperatures and incubation times yielded a low number of VOCs (9 out of 34) that exhibited statistically significant differences. However, examining three thawing conditions revealed no VOCs with statistically significant changes. Thus, we conclude that urine composition remains relatively stable despite exposure to various thermal stresses.

Introduction of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a key factor in decreasing HbA1c in war refugee children with type 1 diabetes

AIMS

Our aim was to describe the changes in therapy and diabetes control in Ukrainian war refugee children with diabetes (CwD) during the first year of their stay in Czechia.

METHODS

A total of 124 CwD (62 male, 62 female) were enrolled into this observational study. Anthropometric, laboratory and diabetes management data were acquired at baseline and at 3 months intervals for 12 months. All CwD were offered a CGM device during their first visit. Generalized Estimating Equation models were fitted in order to estimate the dynamics of studied characteristics.

RESULTS

Median baseline HbA1c was 58 mmol/mol (IQR [48; 73]mmol/mol) (7.5 %, IQR[6.5;8.8]%). The HbA1c decreased significantly throughout the course of the study at a pace of - 2.2 mmol/mol (-0.2 %pt.) per visit (P = 0.01, CI[-3.2;-1.1]). The pace of the decrease in the average HbA1c was significantly higher in the group of CwD who received CGM in Czechia than in those who already had it from Ukraine by 2.9 mmol/mol (0.27 %pt.) per visit (P < 0.001, CI [-4.4; -1.3]).

CONCLUSIONS

The steepest decrease in HbA1c was observed in CwD with newly initiated CGM underlining its vital role in improving the glucose control of CwD regardless of their background.

Type 1 diabetes incidence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic years 2020-2021 in Czechia: Results from a large population-based pediatric register

BACKGROUND

To explore type 1 diabetes incidence patterns during the pandemic years 2020 and 2021 in Czechia, to compare them to the trends from the previous decade, and to test its association with indicators of containment measures and of pandemic severity (school closing and the all-cause excess mortality).

METHODS

The Czech Childhood Diabetes Register is a population-based incidence register recording patients age 0-14.99 years at diabetes onset. Type 1 diabetes incidence in the pandemic period (April 2020-end of observation Dec 2021) was compared by Poisson regression models to the incidence patterns over the past decade 2010-2019.

RESULTS

During the pandemic years 2020-2021, 956 children 0-14.99 years old manifested with type 1 diabetes in Czechia. The observed incidence (27.2/100,000/year) was significantly higher than what was expected from the trends over 2010-2019 (incidence rate ratio, IRR = 1.16, 95%CI 1.06-1.28, p = 0.0022). The incidence had a trough during the first lockdown (March-May 2020), then it rose above expected values with no usual summer decrease. The assessed pandemic indicators (school closing and all-cause excess mortality) were not associated with the incidence levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a notable upward inflection of the type 1 diabetes incidence curve; the early months of the first lockdown were however hallmarked by a significant dip in new diabetes diagnoses. Long-term observation will show whether the increased incidence originated only from accelerating an advanced preclinical Stage 2 to overt diabetes, or whether the pandemic triggered new cases of islet autoimmunity.

Use of continuous glucose monitoring and its association with type 1 diabetes control in children over the first 3 years of reimbursement approval: Population data from the ČENDA registry

OBJECTIVE

Increased access to modern technologies is not always accompanied by a decrease in HbA1c. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the proportion of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) users since 2017, when general reimbursement for CGM became effective in Czechia, and to test whether HbA1c is associated with the percentage of time spent on CGM.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

All T1D children in the Czech national ČENDA registry (3197 children) were categorized according to their time spent on CGM and associations with age, sex, center size, and HbA1c were tested with calendar year as a stratification factor.

RESULTS

The proportion of children with any CGM use increased from 37.9% in 2017 to 50.3% in 2018 and 74.8% in 2019. Of the CGM users, 16%, 28%, and 41% of the children spent >70% of their time on CGM over the 3 years of the study period, with an overrepresentation of children in the <10 years age group versus the older age groups (p < 0.001). The proportion of CGM users differed among centers and was positively associated with a large center size (>100 patients) (p < 0.001). HbA1c was negatively associated with the time spent on CGM (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A rapid increase in CGM use was reported over the 3 years after general reimbursement. HbA1c was associated with time spent on CGM, a continuing decrease was observed in the >70% category. Reimbursement for CGM likely contributes to the improvement of T1D control at the population level.

Early Vascular Aging in Children With Type 1 Diabetes and Ambulatory Normotension

Background: Preliminary data suggest that target organ damage (TOD) and early vascular aging (EVA) may occur in children with normal blood pressure (BP). Objectives: To analyze TOD and EVA in normotensive (BP <95th percentile on ambulatory BP monitoring) type 1 diabetes children (T1D) in comparison to healthy controls (C). Subjects: 25 T1D aged 13.9 ± 2.6 years and 22 C aged 14.0 ± 3.4 years. Methods: We analyzed age- and height-related pulse wave velocity (PWV) Z-scores and expected PWV based on age, height, and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Expected vascular age based on measured PWV was calculated from pooled pediatric and adult PWV norms. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) were obtained as markers of TOD. Results: T1D and C groups did not differ in anthropometry, ambulatory, LVMI, and ACR. However, median age- and height-related PWV Z-scores were higher in T1D compared to C (1.08 vs. 0.57, p = 0.006; 0.78 vs. 0.36, p = 0.02, respectively). Mean (±SD) difference between measured and expected PWV was 0.58 ± 0.57 in T1D vs. 0.22 ± 0.59 in C, p = 0.02. The mean (±SD) difference between chronological and expected vascular age was 7.53 ± 7.74 years in T1D vs. 2.78 ± 7.01 years in C, p = 0.04. Conclusion: Increased arterial stiffness and increased intraindividual differences between expected and measured PWV as well as between chronological and expected vascular age indicate that EVA may develop in T1D children even at normal ambulatory BP levels.

Five years of improving diabetes control in Czech children after the establishment of the population-based childhood diabetes register ČENDA

OBJECTIVES

The Czech National Childhood Diabetes Register (ČENDA) is a web-based nationwide database that collects treatment and outcome data in children and adolescents with diabetes. Here, we present data from the first 5 years of ČENDA (2013-2017).

METHODS

Data include characteristics of disease onset and annual summaries of key clinical care parameters from every patient treated by participating pediatric diabetes outpatient clinics.

RESULTS

The database contains data of 4361 children (aged 0-19 years) from 52 centers (85% of all Czech pediatric patients). Of these, 94% had type 1 diabetes (T1D), 4.5% had genetically proven monogenic or secondary, and 1.5% had type 2 diabetes. In children with T1D, median glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) decreased throughout the observed period from 66.3 to 61.0 mmol/mol (P < .0001, 95% confidence interval [CI] for change -5.6 to -4 mmol/mol). Consequently, the proportion of children reaching the target therapeutic goal of 58.5 mmol/mol increased from 28% in 2013 to 40% in 2017. The proportion of children treated with insulin pumps (CSII) remained stable over the observed period (25%). In a subanalysis of 1602 patients (long-standing T1D diagnosed before 2011), the main predictors associated with lower HbA1c were treatment with CSII, male sex and care provided at a large diabetes center (>100 patients).

CONCLUSIONS

A significant continuous decrease in HbA1c was observed in Czech children over the past 5 years. As this improvement was not accompanied by appreciable changes in the mode of therapy, we assume that the establishment of our nationwide register has itself constituted a stimulus towards improvement in the care process.

Circulating tumor cells in lung carcinogenesis: minireview

Metastasis development causes death in over 90% of cancer patients, and understanding the underlying biological features has long been hindered by difficulties in studying the widespread cancerous lesions and the absence of reliable methods of isolating and detecting viable metastatic cells during disease progression. These problems have an adverse impact on developing new agents capable of blocking cancer spread. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have a crucial role in carcinogenesis, and this review presents advanced understanding of the characteristics of CTCs and CTC cluster metastatic properties. CTC analysis could well be more valuable for the biomarker profile than tissue biopsies, and herein we highlight current research findings which have the potential to improve clinical management of lung cancer patients. We also discuss problems in CTCs and CTC cluster biology, the limitations of detection methods and possible future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the study of circulating cells.

Transplantation of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Precursors into Early-Stage Zebrafish Embryos

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) generated from somatic cells through reprogramming hold great promises for regenerative medicine. However, how reprogrammed cells survive, behave in vivo, and interact with host cells after transplantation still remains to be addressed. There is a significant need for animal models that allow in vivo tracking of transplanted cells in real time. In this regard, the zebrafish, a tropical freshwater fish, provides significant advantage as it is optically transparent and can be imaged in high resolution using confocal microscopy. The principal goal of this study was to optimize the protocol for successful short-term and immunosuppression-free transplantation of human iPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells into zebrafish and to test their ability to differentiate in this animal model. To address this aim, we isolated human iPS cell-derived neural progenitor cells from human fibroblasts and grafted them into (a) early (blastocyst)-stage wild-type AB zebrafish embryos or (b) 3-day-old Tg(gfap:GFP) zebrafish embryos (intracranial injection). We found that transplanted human neuronal progenitor cells can be effectively grafted and that they differentiate and survive in zebrafish for more than 2 weeks, validating the model as an ideal platform for in vivo screening experiments. We conclude that zebrafish provides an excellent model for studying iPS cell-derived cells in vivo.

Can auscultatory blood pressure normative values be used for evaluation of oscillometric blood pressure in children?

The aim of the study was to analyze whether auscultatory normative values (Fourth Task Force [4TF]) can be applied to blood pressure (BP) obtained by oscillometric devices. The authors performed a retrospective analysis of oscillometric office BP and ambulatory BP monitoring in 229 children (116 boys), median age 15.31 years. Office systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) values were converted into Z scores using 4TF and oscillometric (German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescent [KiGGS]) reference values. There was good correlation between the two normative methods (r=0.9773 for SBP, r=0.9627 for DBP). Results from Bland-Altman test revealed only minimal differences in Z scores between 4TF and KiGGS for SBP, but a significant proportional error for DBP. 4TF and KiGGS Z scores were equally predictive of ambulatory hypertension. In conclusion, auscultatory and oscillometric normative data are interchangeable for SBP but not for DBP.