Endothelin-1 induces lipolysis through activation of the GC/cGMP/Ca/ERK/CaMKIII pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictive peptide produced and secreted mainly by endothelial cells. Recent studies indicate that ET-1 can regulate lipid metabolism, which may increase the risk of insulin resistance. Our previous studies revealed that ET-1 induced lipolysis in adipocytes, but the underlying mechanisms were unclear.

Visfatin Promotes Monocyte Adhesion by Upregulating ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 Expression in Endothelial Cells via Activation of p38-PI3K-Akt Signaling and Subsequent ROS Production and IKK/NF-κB Activation.

Background/aims: Visfatin is known to act as a mediator in several metabolic disorders, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effect of visfatin on the adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to human vascular endothelial cells and the underlying mechanism.

Methods: Monocytes adhesion to endothelial cells was determined by using fluorescence-labeled monocytes.

The Shipai cohort for cardiovascular metabolic risk factors and outcome study - Design and preliminary results.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify genotypic and phenotypic cardiovascular metabolic risk factors, and to establish risk models of diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney dysfunction and psychiatric disorders, in Taiwanese adults.

Methods: In 2009, a community-based cohort study was initiated in the Shipai area of the Shilin and Beitou districts in Taipei. Residents were randomly sampled by age (young adults: 35-44 years and middle-aged adults: 45-55 years) and urbanization (rural and urban).

Exercise reduces body fat and improves insulin sensitivity and pancreatic β-cell function in overweight and obese male Taiwanese adolescents.

Background: Improvements in insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell function have been shown following exercise in adults with obesity; however, few adolescent-based studies have been conducted. This study examined the impact of exercise training on body fat and insulin sensitivity and secretion in overweight and obese adolescents.

Methods: The effects of a 12-week exercise program on the parameters of adiposity and glucose homeostasis were investigated in 47 overweight and obese male adolescents.

Using proteomics to discover novel biomarkers for fatty liver development and response to CB1R antagonist treatment in an obese mouse model.

Over activity of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) plays a key role in increasing the incidence of obesity-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Tissue proteome analysis has been applied to investigate the bioinformatics regarding the mode of action and therapeutic mechanism. The aim of this study was to explore the potential pathways altered with CB1R in obesity-induced fatty liver.

The Ankle Brachial Index Exhibits Better Association of Cardiovascular Prognosis Than Non-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: The association between ankle brachial index (ABI) and outcomes in diabetic subjects is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the ABI is more strongly associated with cardiovascular outcomes comparing with non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-c).

Research Design And Methods: A total of 452 type 2 diabetic subjects followed up for a mean of 5.

Cannabinoid receptor type 1 mediates high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance by increasing forkhead box O1 activity in a mouse model of obesity.

Hepatic glucose production is promoted by forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) under conditions of insulin resistance. The overactivity of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) partly causes increased liver fat deposits and metabolic dysfunction in obese rodents by decreasing mitochondrial function. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of FoxO1 in CB1R-mediated insulin resistance through the dysregulation of mitochondrial function in the livers of mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity.

Chronic endothelin-1 infusion causes adipocyte hyperplasia in rats.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory mechanism of endothelin-1 (ET-1), an endothelium-derived vasoconstrictor, on adipogenesis in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were used to explore the mechanisms mediating ET-1 actions on preadipocyte proliferation and adipocyte differentiation. To investigate the in vivo effect of ET-1, male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with ET-1 or saline for 4 weeks via intraperitoneally implanted osmotic pumps, and the fat pad weight and adipocyte size of adipose tissues were measured.

Effects of bariatric weight loss surgery on glucose metabolism, inflammatory cytokines, and serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5a in obese Chinese adults.

Background: We determined effects of bariatric weight loss surgery on serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5a (TRACP 5a), inflammatory cytokines and glucose homeostasis in severely obese Chinese adults.

Methods: Severely obese adults undergoing bariatric surgery were recruited. Anthropometry, insulin resistance (IR), inflammatory markers and serum TRACP 5a were measured at baseline and 3, 6 and 12months postoperatively.

VISFATIN PROMOTES FOAM CELL FORMATION BY DYSREGULATING CD36, SRA, ABCA1, AND ABCG1 EXPRESSION IN RAW264.7 MACROPHAGES.

Background: Visfatin is produced in and secreted from adipocytes. Increased circulating visfatin level is observed in obese subjects. Previous studies demonstrated that visfatin was involved in obesity-related cardiovascular diseases.

Major urinary protein 1 interacts with cannabinoid receptor type 1 in fatty acid-induced hepatic insulin resistance in a mouse hepatocyte model.

Hepatic insulin resistance (HIR) is a metabolic abnormality characterized by increased gluconeogenesis which usually contributes from an elevation of free fatty acids. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) and major urinary protein 1 (MUP1) are thought to play pivotal roles in mitochondrial dysfunction, liver steatosis and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to explore the role of MUP1 in CB1R-mediated HIR through the dysregulation of mitochondrial function in AML12 mouse hepatocytes challenged with high concentration of free fatty acids (HFFA).

Endothelin-1 exacerbates development of hypertension and atherosclerosis in modest insulin resistant syndrome.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is known as potent vasoconstrictor, by virtue of its mitogenic effects, and may deteriorate the process of hypertension and atherosclerosis by aggravating hyperplasia and migration in VSMCs. Our previous study demonstrated that insulin infusion caused sequential induction of hyperinsulinemia, hyperendothelinemia, insulin resistance, and then hypertension in rats. However, the underlying mechanism of ET-1 interfere insulin signaling in VSMCs remains unclear.

The ankle brachial index is associated with prognosis in patients with diabetic kidney disease.

Aims: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) could be an additional risk factor for the clinical outcomes in different populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of PAD on patients with diabetic kidney disease.

Methods: 362 persons with type 2 diabetes were followed-up for a mean 4.

The combination of the ankle brachial index and brachial ankle pulse wave velocity exhibits a superior association with outcomes in diabetic patients.

Objective: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and peripheral arterial disease are classified as having very high cardiovascular risks. We therefore sought to determine whether assessments of the ankle brachial index (ABI) and brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) together exhibited a superior association with the outcomes of T2DM.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients receiving ABI and baPWV during the period 2005-2007 was performed.

Angiotensin II enhances endothelin-1-induced vasoconstriction through upregulating endothelin type A receptor.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is the most potent vasoconstrictor by binding to endothelin receptors (ETAR) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The complex of angiotensin II (Ang II) and Ang II type one receptor (AT1R) acts as a transient constrictor of VSMCs. The synergistic effect of ET-1 and Ang II on blood pressure has been observed in rats; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Acarbose plus metformin fixed-dose combination outperforms acarbose monotherapy for type 2 diabetes.

Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of acarbose plus metformin fixed-dose combination (FDC) versus acarbose monotherapy for type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: Eligible T2D patients undergoing treatment with diet control only or oral antidiabetic medications were run-in on acarbose 50mg thrice-daily for 4 weeks, then randomised either to continue this monotherapy, or to acarbose 50mg plus metformin hydrochloride 500mg FDC (acarbose/metformin FDC), each thrice-daily for 16 weeks.

Results: Acarbose/metformin FDC therapy significantly reduced HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) from baseline (all p<0.

Effect of growth hormone on dawn phenomenon in patients with type 2 diabetes.

We aimed to investigate the involvement of growth hormone in dawn phenomenon and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). On six occasions separated by intervals of at least 3 days, subjects received early evening (16:00 hours) or late night (23:00 hours) pretreatment with subcutaneous injection of normal saline, human growth hormone, or octreotide. Modified euglycemic insulin clamp test was done 16 hours later and variable glucose infusion (M values) was determined.

Inertia on hypoglycemia: highlight from a Taiwan subgroup analysis of Real-Life Effectiveness and Care Patterns of Diabetes Management (RECAP-DM) study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a global health issue. Patients with poor glycemic control often suffer from cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, neuropathic, and nephropathic complications as well as other chronic conditions. Therapeutic guidelines recommend that diabetic patients should maintain their HbA(1c) level below a certain target in order to minimize the risk of developing complications.

Begin with the real-world patients of non-goal-achieved hypercholesterolemia in taiwan through the ezetimibe/simvastatin tablet - The BRAVO Study.

Objective: To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a combination of 10 mg ezetimibe and 20 mg simvastatin in Taiwanese patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Research Design And Methods: A prospective, open-label, multi-center, hospital-based cohort study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a single tablet combination of ezetimibe/simvastatin for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Taiwanese adults without low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal achievement, based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines, were treated with ezetimibe/simvastatin once daily for 6 weeks.

Resistin induces monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion by increasing ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in endothelial cells via p38MAPK-dependent pathway.

Resistin, firstly reported as an adipocyte-specific hormone, is suggested to be an important link between obesity and diabetes. Recent studies have suggested an association between resistin and atherogenic processes. The adhesion of circulating monocytes to endothelial cells is a critical step in the early stages of atherosclerosis.

Insulin up-regulates heme oxygenase-1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via PI3-kinase- and PKC-dependent pathways and heme oxygenase-1-associated microRNA downregulation.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, has antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects in many physiological systems. HO-1 activity in obese mice is lower than in controls, and a sustained increase in HO-1 protein levels ameliorates insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia. In the present study, we explored the regulatory effect of insulin on HO-1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and the underlying mechanism.

Whether to report diabetes as the underlying cause-of-death? a survey of internists of different sub-specialties.

Background: Cause-specific mortality is a commonly used endpoint of clinical trials or prospective studies. However, it is sometimes difficult for physician to determine the underlying-cause-of-death (UCD), especially for diabetic patients coexisted with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The aim of this survey was to examine whether internists with different specialties have different opinions on the reporting of diabetes as the UCD.

Enhanced long-chain fatty acid uptake contributes to overaccumulation of triglyceride in hyperinsulinemic insulin-resistant 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

The precise pathogenesis of obesity remains controversial. In obesity, diminished adipose glucose utilization suggests that some other substrates may be responsible for the adipose triglyceride (TG) overaccumulation. Here we attempted to evaluate if long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) flux was modulated by a physiologically relevant condition of hyperinsulinemia in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and if the altered LCFA influx might eventually contribute to the TG overaccumulation in obesity.