Erythrocyte membrane lipid alteration in type 2 Diabetic subjects

Abstract

The lipid components present in biological membranes including erythrocyte membrane are significant in regulation of the membrane fluidity as well as transport across the membranes. The conflicting results of either increase or decrease or no change have been reported in erythrocyte membrane fluidity in type 2 diabetic subjects. The diabetes induced dyslipidemia possibly lead to an alteration in erythrocyte membrane lipid composition. Hence a study was undertaken to assess erythrocyte membrane lipid alterations in type 2 diabetic subjects. The blood samples from randomly selected type 2 diabetic subjects, attending Medical OPD of Basaveshwara Medical College Hospital, Chitradurga, were collected with heparin as an anticoagulant. Erythrocyte membrane total cholesterol (mTC), Erythrocyte membrane phospholipids (mPL), Erythrocyte membrane phosphatidyl choline, Erythrocyte membrane sphingomyelin and Erythrocyte membrane phospholipids/ Erythrocyte membrane cholesterol ratio were studied. The results suggests a significant rise in erythrocyte membrane cholesterol (mTC, N=1.25#xB1;0.31, T2DM= 1.54#xB1; 0.14, plt;0.001), erythrocyte membrane phospholipid contents (mPL, N=6.99#xB1;1.84, T2DM=23.44#xB1;10.31, plt;0.001), Erythrocyte membrane sphingomyelin, (N=9.28#xB1; 1.37, T2DM=19.32#xB1; 2.37), Erythrocyte membrane phosphatidyl choline (N=27.08#xB1; 1.58, T2DM=26.09#xB1;3.04, plt;0.001), as well as phospholipid/cholesterol ratio (mPL/mTC, N=6.08#xB1;2.65, T2DM=11.76#xB1;5.31, plt;0.001.) in type 2 diabetic subjects was observed. Though, there is a significant alteration seen between normal and diabetic groups, but there was no significant change was observed between male and female subjects of both normal as well as diabetic groups.