Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026
07:06
Preparation of Washed Human Platelets for Quantitative Metabolic Flux Studies
Published on: January 10, 2025
1.1K
Platelets from older adults exhibit differences in mitochondrial function associated with impaired glucose metabolism
Gargi Mahapatra1, Zhengrong Gao2, James Bateman2,3
1Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care; Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, U.S.A.
Clinical Science (London, England : 1979)
|December 3, 2025
Summary
Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and insulin resistance are linked to unique platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics, showing higher respiration and fatty acid oxidation in IGT individuals. These findings offer insights into age-related disease development.
Area of Science:
- Mitochondrial bioenergetics
- Metabolic disorders
- Aging research
Background:
- Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and insulin resistance, encompassing prediabetes and diabetes, elevate the risk of age-related conditions like cardiovascular, kidney, and Alzheimer's diseases.
- Platelets, accessible blood cells, are increasingly studied for their mitochondrial function as a potential biomarker for systemic metabolic health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics between older adults with and without impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and insulin resistance.
- To explore the association between platelet mitochondrial function and glucose tolerance measures, including HbA1c, in older adults.
Main Methods:
- Mitochondrial bioenergetics of platelets were analyzed from 208 adults (≥55 years) with and without IGT/insulin resistance.
- Platelet respiration, glucose, and fatty acid oxidation capacities were measured.
- Correlations were performed between mitochondrial bioenergetic parameters and glucose tolerance measures (OGTT_120, OGTT_AUC, HbA1c).
Main Results:
- Platelets from IGT participants demonstrated significantly higher mitochondrial respiration, glucose-dependent capacities (Max, SRC), and fatty acid oxidation (FAO)-dependent respiration (MaxOXPHOS, MaxETS) compared to normoglycemic (NG) individuals.
- Significant positive associations were found between platelet bioenergetics and glucose tolerance measures (OGTT_120, OGTT_AUC, HbA1c) across all participants, largely independent of age, sex, and BMI.
- In NG individuals, platelet respiration and HbA1c were positively associated, with specific links between SRC, FAO, FAO+CI, and HbA1c; no such associations were found in the IGT group.
Conclusions:
- Platelet mitochondrial bioenergetic profiles differ significantly between individuals with and without impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance.
- Platelet mitochondrial function is associated with glucose tolerance measures in older adults, suggesting its potential as a biomarker.
- These findings provide novel insights into the clinical manifestations of insulin resistance impacting platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics, relevant for age-related disease research.
Related Concept Videos
01:37Mitochondria
19.5K
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
19.5K
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
183
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
183
01:18Structure and Function of Platelets
2.8K
The cell fragments known as platelets are disc-shaped, with an average diameter of about 3 μm and a thickness of roughly 1 μm. They play a crucial role in the body's vascular clotting system, which also involves plasma proteins, blood cells, and blood vessel tissues.
Platelets are continually replenished, circulating in the bloodstream for 9-12 days before being removed by phagocytes, primarily in the spleen. A microliter of circulating blood contains between 150,000 and 450,000...
Platelets are continually replenished, circulating in the bloodstream for 9-12 days before being removed by phagocytes, primarily in the spleen. A microliter of circulating blood contains between 150,000 and 450,000...
2.8K
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
221
In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...
221
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
180
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
180