Longitudinal Profiling of Plasma N-Glycomic Alterations in an STZ-Induced Mouse Model of Hyperglycemia.

Abstract

The rising global incidence of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) necessitates a deeper understanding of the molecular shifts underlying its metabolic complications, specifically the role of protein N-glycosylation. This study utilized a streptozotocin-induced C57Bl/6 mouse model to examine temporal changes in plasma N-glycan profiles at 2, 8, and 20 weeks post-induction using HILIC-UPLC-FLR-MS. Following the successful establishment of persistent hyperglycemia and weight loss, glycomic analysis revealed significant structural remodeling of 20 individual glycan species, with complex, multi-sialylated structures proving most sensitive to disease progression. Notably, bi-antennary structures such as A2G1S1, A2G2S1, and A2G2S2(2) exhibited a marked decrease in relative abundance that strongly correlated with elevated blood glucose levels. In contrast, highly sialylated and fucosylated glycans like FA2G2S3 and FA3G3S3 showed a progressive increase over the 20-week period, suggesting an adaptive response to chronic metabolic stress and altered hepatic processing. Our findings demonstrate that chronic hyperglycemia is accompanied by substantial remodeling of the plasma N-glycome, characterized by increased sialylation and fucosylation. These alterations closely track the progression of metabolic dysregulation, suggesting that while they parallel blood glucose trends, they provide a distinct molecular readout of the systemic glycosylation response to glucotoxicity. This study offers a detailed longitudinal characterization of these glycomic changes, highlighting their potential value as descriptive markers of cumulative metabolic stress in rodent models of type 1 diabetes.