Sclerostin is associated with endothelial dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by a persistent state of elevated blood sugar levels and glucose intolerance, resulting from the body´s incomplete response to insulin, accompanied by an increase in insulin production and a subsequent insulin deficiency. Individuals suffering from T2DM have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). High glucose levels, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation, contribute to endothelial dysfunction (ED) and atherosclerosis (1). ED refers to an impairment of the endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels, which play an important role in regulating vascular health.

Sclerostin is associated with endothelial dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes

Sclerostin is a protein known primarily for its role in bone metabolism. It has also been identified of being linked to endothelial dysfunction in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (2). Sclerostin is predominantly secreted by osteocytes, cells that are embedded in the bone. However, vascular endothelial cells have also been observed to produce sclerostin leading to the discovery of its significant anti-calcifying role (3).

Sclerostin is associated with endothelial dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes: In an investigation in individuals with T2DM, researchers measured endothelial dysfunction by digital thermal monitoring (2). This method is a valid and noninvasive technique to evaluate endothelial function using temperature change on finger as a surrogate measure of the magnitude of vascular reactivity index (VRI) (4) . Serum Sclerostin levels were measured in the T2DM cohort with the Biomedica ELISA.  The prospective cross-sectional study revealed that serum sclerostin levels are positively associated with endothelial dysfunction measured in patients with T2DM.

A previous cross-sectional study in patients with T2DM, with/without cardiovascular disease, determined Sclerostin levels and its expression by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry in calcified and non-calcified artery of the lower limb from T2D. Serum Sclerostin was measured with an ELISA from Biomedica. Moreover, in vitro experiments were performed in vascular smooth muscle cells under calcifying conditions investigating the cardioprotective function of Sclerostin (5). The study provided evidence that supports the protective function of Sclerostin in the development of vascular calcification. The findings suggest that Sclerostin could potentially reduce the susceptibility to atherosclerosis by decreasing atherosclerotic plaque formation and underscore the significance of the bone-vascular axis when developing therapeutic strategies for treating impaired bone metabolism or vascular diseases (5).

Features and Benefits when measuring Sclerostin with the Biomedica ELISA kits

Sclerostin ELISA, #BI-20492

• TRUSTED – most referenced Sclerostin ELISA (+280 citations)
• LOW sample volume – 20µl sample /well
• For SERUM & PLASMA samples
• RELIABLE – fully validated  following international quality guidelines

 

 Bioactive Sclerostin ELISA, BI-20472

• CHARACTERIZED ANTIBODIES – targeting the receptor binding region
• EXTENSIVELY validated for clinical samples
• LOW sample volume – 20µl sample /well 

 

Literature

1. Endothelial Cell Dysfunction and the Pathobiology of Atherosclerosis. Garcia-de Los Ríos C, Medina-Casado M, Díaz-Chamorro A, Sierras-Jiménez M, Lardelli-Claret P, Sclerostin as a biomarker of cardiovascular risk in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Cáliz-Cáliz R, Sabio JM. Sci Rep. 2022 Dec 14;12(1):21621. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-25651-y. PMID: 36517533; PMCID: PMC9749620. Gimbrone MA Jr, García-Cardeña G. Circ Res. 2016 Feb 19;118(4):620-36. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.115.306301. PMID: 26892962; PMCID: PMC4762052.
2. Serum sclerostin level is positively associated with endothelial dysfunction measured by digital thermal monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes: A prospective cross-sectional study. Hsu BG, Wu DA, Yang HY, Chen MC.Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Sep 8;102(36):e34649. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034649. PMID: 37682176; PMCID: PMC10489308.
3. Sclerostin Protects Against Vascular Calcification Development in Mice. De Maré A, Opdebeeck B, Neven E, D’Haese PC, Verhulst A J Bone Miner Res. 2022 Apr;37(4):687-699. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.4503. Epub 2022 Feb 15. PMID: 35038187; PMCID: PMC9303214.
4. Digital thermal monitoring techniques to assess vascular reactivity following finger and brachial occlusions. Heath M, Gourley D, Naghavi M, Klies S, Tanaka H. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2020 Dec 7;23(1):122–7. doi: 10.1111/jch.14115. PMCID: PMC8030097.
5. Cardioprotective function of sclerostin by reducing calcium deposition, proliferation, and apoptosis in human vascular smooth muscle cells. González-Salvatierra S, García-Fontana C, Lacal J, Andújar-Vera F, Martínez-Heredia L, Sanabria-de la Torre R, Ferrer-Millán M, Moratalla-Aranda E, Muñoz-Torres M, García-Fontana B. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2023 Nov 2;22(1):301. doi: 10.1186/s12933-023-02043-8. PMID: 37919715; PMCID: PMC10623848.