Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is Associated with Transcriptome Alterations in Cortical Neurones and Associated Neurovascular Unit Cells in the Ageing Brain

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), characterised by peripheral insulin resistance, is a risk factor for dementia. In addition to its contribution to small and large vessel disease, T2D may directly damage cells of the brain neurovascular unit. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomic changes in cortical neurones, and associated astrocytes and endothelial cells of the neurovascular unit, in the ageing brain Neurone, astrocyte, and endothelial cell-enriched RNA, obtained by immuno-laser capture microdissection of temporal cortex (Brodmann area 21/22) from 6 cases with self-reported T2D in the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study neuropathology cohort, and 5 age and sex-matched controls, was hybridised onto Affymetrix GeneChip® HG-U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. Expression profiling of Human brain Neurone, astrocyte, and endothelial cell-enriched RNA, obtained by immuno-laser capture microdissection of temporal cortex