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Glucose diffusion in colorectal mucosa-a comparative study between normal and cancer tissues
Sónia Carvalho1, Nuno Gueiral2, Elisabete Nogueira2
1Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, Department of Pathology and Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group-Research Centre, Porto, Portugal.
Journal of Biomedical Optics
|February 28, 2017
Summary
Researchers studied glucose and water diffusion in colorectal tissues to improve cancer screening. Cancerous tissues show slower glucose diffusion and higher water content, offering insights for optical clearing methods.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Gastroenterology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Colorectal carcinoma presents a significant global health challenge, necessitating advanced screening and diagnostic tools.
- Current endoscopic procedures require polyp removal for histopathological analysis, highlighting the need for improved in-situ characterization.
- Optical clearing (OC) techniques show promise for enhancing visualization during endoscopy and potentially guiding laser treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the diffusion properties of glucose and water in healthy and cancerous colorectal mucosa.
- To understand the mechanisms of tissue dehydration and refractive index matching during optical clearing.
- To provide data for refining current colorectal cancer screening endoscopy and developing future laser treatment strategies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ex vivo colorectal tissue samples (healthy and pathological).
- Measured collimated transmittance spectra and tissue thickness during optical clearing with varying glucose concentrations.
- Analyzed time-dependent measurements to determine diffusion times and diffusion coefficients for glucose and water.
Main Results:
- Glucose diffusion was slower in cancerous mucosa (320.6 ± 10.6 s for 35% glucose) compared to healthy mucosa (299.2 ± 4.7 s for 40% glucose).
- Cancerous tissues demonstrated a higher capacity for trapping glucose than healthy tissues.
- Healthy colorectal mucosa contained approximately 59.4% free water, while cancerous tissue exhibited a higher content of 64.4%.
Conclusions:
- The distinct diffusion properties of glucose and water in colorectal tissues can be leveraged for improved optical clearing.
- Slower glucose diffusion and higher water content in cancerous tissues provide key optical biomarkers.
- These findings support the advancement of optical clearing-assisted endoscopy for colorectal cancer screening and diagnostics.
