Insulin enhances renal glucose excretion: relation to insulin sensitivity and sodium-glucose cotransport.

Introduction: Insulin regulates renal glucose production and utilization; both these fluxes are increased in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Whether insulin also controls urinary glucose excretion is not known.

Methods: We applied the pancreatic clamp technique in 12 healthy subjects and 13 T2D subjects.

Low magnesium is not a significant predictor of hard events in acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Although magnesium (Mg) has recognized cardioprotective properties and hypomagnesemia is common in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), data regarding the role of Mg as prognostic factor for adverse events are scarce, as well as there are conflicting results on the use of Mg as adjuvant therapy in AMI.

Aim: To evaluate the role of Mg as predictor for hard events (HE, all cause death, and nonfatal myocardial infarction) in AMI patients.

Design And Patients: We studied 406 AMI patients (306 males, age: 67 ± 12 years, mean ± SD).

Gender differences for uric acid as predictor of hard events in patients referred for coronary angiography.

Aim: To assess gender differences in uric acid (UA) as predictor for hard events (HE, mortality and nonfatal myocardial infarction) in a large cohort of patients referred for coronary angiography. Design & patients: 3020 inpatients (2177 males, age: 68 ± 9 years, mean ± SD) were retrospectively studied, collecting data from the Institute electronic databank which included demographic, clinical, instrumental and follow-up data.

Results: Although the Kaplan-Meier survival estimates showed a significantly worst outcome in female patients, high UA did not remained a significant predictor for HE after adjustment.

Conventional insulin vs insulin infusion therapy in acute coronary syndrome diabetic patients.

Aim: To evaluate the impact on glucose variability (GLUCV) of an nurse-implemented insulin infusion protocol when compared with a conventional insulin treatment during the day-to-day clinical activity.

Methods: We enrolled 44 type 2 diabetic patients (n = 32 males; n = 12 females) with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and randomy assigned to standard a subcutaneous insulin treatment (n = 23) or a nurse-implemented continuous intravenous insulin infusion protocol (n = 21). We utilized some parameters of GLUCV representing well-known surrogate markers of prognosis, i.

Conservative surgical approach versus non-surgical management for diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers: a randomized trial.

To test the efficacy of surgical treatment of non-infected neuropathic foot ulcers compared to conventional non-surgical management, a group of diabetic outpatients attending our diabetic foot clinic were studied. All patients who came to the clinic for the first time from January to December 1995 inclusive with an uncomplicated neuropathic ulcer were randomized into two groups. Group A received conservative treatment, consisting of relief of weight-bearing, regular dressings; group B underwent surgical excision, eventual debridement or removal of bone segments underlying the lesion and surgical closure.

Long-term survival and function of isolated bovine pancreatic islets maintained in different culture media.

Bovine islets are being evaluated for their potential in transplantation studies. We studied the recovery, morphology, and function of purified bovine islets cultured up to 4 weeks under varying conditions. Approximately 60% of the initial islet mass could be recovered after 4 weeks at 37 degrees C in CMRL 1066 or M 199 culture medium, and the cultured islets were well preserved histologically and viable both in vitro and in vivo.

Lymphokine release during co-culture of human lympho-mononuclear cells and fresh or cultured human, porcine and bovine pancreatic islets.

In this study we evaluated whether isolated human (HI), porcine (PI) and bovine (BI) islets, either fresh (Fr) or cultured for 4 weeks (4 w) affect cytokine release from human lymphomononuclear cells (LMC) differently. We prepared LMC from peripheral blood by density gradient purification and co-cultured 1 x 10(6) LMC for 24 h with 100 hand-picked islets, either within 48 h of isolation or after culture for 4 weeks. Soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interferon-gamma (IFN), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay.

Cryopreservation of purified bovine islets of Langerhans.

In this study, bovine islets were isolated by collagenase digestion and density gradient purification, equilibrated stepwise with 3 M dimethylsulfoxide at 24 degrees C, nucleated at -150 degrees C, slow cooled at 0.25 degrees C/min down to -40 degrees C, and finally stored at -150 degrees C. After variable periods of time, the islets were quickly thawed at 37 degrees C, and dimethylsulfoxide was removed by 0.