The role of nateglinide and repaglinide, derivatives of meglitinide, in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide, presenting a great challenge to the public health systems due to high morbidity and mortality, because of frequent micro-/macro-vascular complications. Many treatment options are now available, with different efficacy as well as mechanisms of action to improve deranged glucose metabolism. We review some of the available data on derivatives of meglitinide, namely nateglinide and repaglinide.

High-normal TSH values in obesity: is it insulin resistance or adipose tissue's guilt?

Objective: Clinical evidences reported subclinical alterations of thyroid function in obesity, although the relationship between thyroid status and obesity remains unclear. We cross-sectionally investigated the influence of metabolic features on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in obesity.

Design And Methods: We enrolled 60 euthyroid subjects with no history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and assessed the relationship of thyroid function with insulin resistance, measured using euglycemic clamp, and abdominal fat volume, quantified by computed tomography scan (CT scan).

Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and its role in diabetes mellitus related cardiovascular diseases.

Diabetes mellitus is associated to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hyperglycemia is an important factor in cardiovascular damage, working through different mechanisms such as activation of protein kinase C, polyol and hexosamine pathways, advanced glycation end products production. All of these pathways, in association to hyperglycemia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress, promote reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation that, in turn, promote cellular damage and contribute to the diabetic complications development and progression.

Removal of duodenum elicits GLP-1 secretion.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of removal of the duodenum on the complex interplay between incretins, insulin, and glucagon in nondiabetic subjects.

Research Design And Methods: For evaluation of hormonal secretion and insulin sensitivity, 10 overweight patients without type 2 diabetes (age 61 ± 19.3 years and BMI 27.

Low levels of 25(OH)D and insulin-resistance: 2 unrelated features or a cause-effect in PCOS?

Background & Aims: Recent investigations have identified low vitamin D status as a hypothetical mechanism of insulin-resistance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Instead, some authors supported the hypothesis that low vitamin D levels and insulin-resistance are 2 unrelated features of body size in PCOS. Hence, we aimed to explore the association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) with anthropometric, metabolic and hormonal features in PCOS.

The size of adrenal incidentalomas correlates with insulin resistance. Is there a cause-effect relationship?

Context: Adrenal incidentalomas (AI) have often been associated with a high prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) and cardiovascular risk factors, although direct measurement of insulin sensitivity (IS) has never been carried out.

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether the morphological and hormonal features of AI correlate with the presence and severity of IR, using the hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp (HEC).

Design And Measurements: Forty patients with AI (22 women) with a mean age of 58.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D concentration correlates with insulin-sensitivity and BMI in obesity.

The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D is high among obese subjects. Further, low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration has been postulated to be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, although its relation with insulin-sensitivity is not well investigated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between 25(OH)D concentration and insulin-sensitivity, using the glucose clamp technique.