Hypermetabolism and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in mesenteric arteries of type 2 diabetes mellitus db/db mice.

Besides being a metabolic disease, diabetes is considered a vascular disease as many of the complications relate to vascular pathologies. The aim of this study was to investigate how vascular tone and reactivity and vascular cell metabolism were affected in type 2 diabetes mellitus and whether β-hydroxybutyrate could have a positive effect as alternative energy substrate. Isolated mesenteric arteries of db/db and control mice were incubated in media containing [U-C]glucose or [U-C]β-hydroxybutyrate, and tissue extracts were analysed by mass spectrometry.