Cell Rep: Metabolic disorders are common in different organs in patients with type 2 diabetes

The most typical change in patients with type 2 diabetes is insufficient insulin secretion, and different organs are less
sensitive to insulin.
To study what happens to these organs when type 2 diabetes occurs, the researchers looked at proteins in insulin-producing insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas, as well as proteins in the main tissues where insulin acts (i.
e.
, liver, skeletal muscle, fat, and blood
).

The researchers compared proteins
in samples of people with type 2 diabetes, people with prediabetes (i.
e.
, the stage before they fully developed type 2 diabetes) and those who did not have diabetes.
The results showed that metabolic pathways were interfered with much
more than previously known.
These changes are also associated with different stages of the
disease.

"We detected many protein levels above or below normal in the tissues of patients at different stages of
the disease.
Prediabetes patients show major changes
associated with islet inflammation, blood clotting and the immune system.
In fully developed type 2 diabetes, there are broader abnormalities, such as lipid and glucose metabolism, as well as energy production of liver, muscle and fat," said
Professor Claes Wadelius, who coordinated the study.

The study was based on tissue samples collected from donors and healthy individuals at different stages of the
disease.
The samples were collected by EXODIAB, a strategic initiative led by Professor Olle Korsgren of
Uppsala.

By using the new technology, researchers can quantify thousands of proteins in each organ, gaining a perspective on
metabolism that was not previously possible.

"In recent years, technology for measuring proteins has evolved rapidly, and our colleagues at the University of Copenhagen who were involved in this research are world leaders in this field," said
Dr.
Klev Diamanti.
He conducted the analysis
in Uppsala with Associate Professors Marco Cavalli and Jan Eriksson.

Overall, the findings show that metabolism is highly disturbed
in different pathways at different stages of the organ and disease examined.
These data point to new underlying causal mechanisms for the disease, which could be further studied to find new ways
to prevent or treat type 2 diabetes.

Jan Eriksson, a clinical diabetician, said: "Our findings may also support the development of simple tests that can identify people at high risk for diabetes and its complications and guide which type of intervention is best
for individuals.
"