Airborne polystyrene nanoplastics exposure leads to heart failure via ECM-receptor interaction and PI3K/AKT/BCL-2 pathways.

Environmental contamination has been recognized as a significant threat to human well-being, and recent findings of microplastic presence in human cardiac tissues have raised concerns. However, research on the effects of airborne nanoplastics (NPs) on cardiac physiology remains limited. We utilized a comprehensive body exposure apparatus to simulate the impact of airborne polystyrene NPs pollution, focusing on understanding how airborne NPs affect cardiac morphology and function. Following two weeks of NPs exposure, mice exhibited a 23.89 ± 8.30 % reduction in heart mass, a 20.05 ± 2.97 % decrease in heart rate as detected, and a myocardial electrical conduction block. Echocardiography showed significant changes in cardiac contractility, with increases in cardiac ejection fraction and stroke volume of 13.00 ± 3.00 % and 43.00 ± 17.00 %, respectively. In addition, histologic assessments revealed signs of ventricular hypertrophy, ventricular myocardial hypertrophy, and myocardial necrotic fibrosis. Of particular interest, our mechanistic investigations highlighted the harmful effects of NPs on cardiac structure and function, mediated through extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor interactions and the PI3K/AKT/BCL-2 signaling pathway. The insights gained provide a foundation for understanding the risks posed by airborne NPs to human cardiac health, emphasizing the need for increased vigilance and implementation of mitigation strategies in environmental management.

Low plasma BDNF is not a biomarker for cognitive dysfunction in elderly T2DM patients.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a known cause of cognitive dysfunction, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key protein in promoting memory growth and survival of neurons. However, the relationship between plasma BDNF and diabetic cognitive dysfunction is still elusive. A total of 89 patients over 60 years with T2DM and 40 well-matched health controls were enrolled. All participants received a set of multi-dimensional neuropsychological tests for the cognitive assessment. The subjects were divided into amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and non-aMCI groups. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure plasma BDNF concentrations for all subjects. No significant difference was found between T2DM patients and healthy control in MMSE scores. The T2DM patients performed significantly worse in four cognitive domains (including episodic memory, executive function, visuospatial function, and information processing speed) compared with the controls (all p < 0.05). The prevalence of aMCI in T2DM population was higher [OR = 4.032 (1.536~10.582), 37/89-6/40]. Additionally, the plasma concentration of BDNF in T2DM patients was significantly lower than that in controls (p < 0.01). However, no significant correlation was found between plasma BDNF and cognitive function in T2DM. Our results suggested that T2DM have a higher prevalence of cognitive impairment. The plasma BDNF concentration in T2DM patients was significantly lower than that in controls, but low BDNF was not a biomarker for cognitive dysfunction in T2DM patients.

[Study of cognitive function and brain volume in type 2 diabetic patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences of cognitive function and brain volume between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and healthy controls. METHODS: Multi-dimensional neuropsychological tests were employed to evaluated cognitive function in 21 type 2 DM patients and 19 healthy controls, and voxel-based morphometry method was applied to measure volume of whole and regional gray matter in brain of these subjects. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls [(7.3 +/- 1.4), (22.7 +/- 1.2), (9.5 +/- 2.5) respectively], significantly impaired performance of Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT)-Delay Recall, [(5.7 +/- 1.8)] AVLT-Recognition [(20.8 +/- 2.6)] and Clock Drawing Test (CDT) [(8.0 +/- 1.1)] and extensive atrophy of gray matter (after corrected by total intracranial volume) were observed in type 2 DM patients (P < 0.05). In addition, whole gray matter/Total Intracranial Volume (TIV) was significantly negatively correlated with BMI (r = -0.352, P = 0.013). And negative correlations existed between whole gray matter vs HbA1c (r = -0.309, P = 0.026); the performance of AVLT-Delay Recall and AVLT-Recognition vs BMI (r = -0.398, P = 0.011; r = -0.4, P = 0.011)and HbA1c (r = -0.354, P = 0.025; r = -0.323, P = 0.042) and CDT vs HbA1c (r = -0.322, P = 0.043). CONCLUSION: Multi-cognitive impairment was associated with the reduced volume of whole and regional gray matter in brain of type 2 DM patients, which indicated that "accelerated brain ageing" might present in type 2 DM patients.

Impairments in cognition and resting-state connectivity of the hippocampus in elderly subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, which involves hippocampus-mediated cognitive impairment. The present study investigated whether the resting-state functional connectivity of the hippocampus would be changed in patients with T2DM. A region of interest-based resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) approach was applied to explore functional connectivity differences between 21 elderly patients with T2DM and 19 well-matched healthy controls, with all participants assessed by multi-dimensional neuropsychological tests. We found that T2DM patients performed significantly worse in the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) (especially for Delayed Recall and Recognition) and Clock Drawing Test (CDT) when compared with the control group, and cognitive function was negatively related to BMI and HbA(1c). Importantly, the hippocampus showed reduced functional connectivity bilaterally to widespread regions, including fusiform gyrus, frontal gyrus, temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, precuneus and inferior parietal lobule in T2DM patients compared to healthy controls. T2DM is associated with an impaired pattern of default network function, and the specific disconnection pattern identified may be involved in the neuropathophysiology of this disease.