Calpain 10 as a predictive gene for type 2 diabetes: evidence from a novel screening system using white blood cells of Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats.

The mRNA expression of type 2 diabetes-related genes in white blood cells (WBC) was examined before and after onset in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat. The level of the calpain 10 (CAPN10) transcript was significantly decreased compared to control animals in WBC before and after onset. Significant decreases in this gene expression were also found in the major insulin-target tissues as well as WBC before onset. These results suggest that gene expression in WBC could be a useful screening system for predicting the incidence of type 2 diabetes before onset in OLETF rats, and that CAPN10 represents a potential candidate gene for predicting type 2 diabetes in human.