Effects of the Vitamin D Analog 2AMD in Cyclosporine-Induced Nephrotoxicity: Dose-Response and Antifibrotic Activity.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to ascertain the efficacy and determine the dose effects of a new analog of vitamin D, 2α-methyl-19-nor-(20S)-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (2AMD), in decreasing fibrosis and improving renal function in a rat model of kidney disease.

Materials And Methods: Using the cyclosporine model of chronic kidney disease, we tested 4 dose regimens (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 ng/kg) of 2AMD by subcutaneous administration.

Early metabolic markers that anticipate loss of insulin independence in type 1 diabetic islet allograft recipients.

The objective of this study was to identify predictors of insulin independence and to establish the best clinical tools to follow patients after pancreatic islet transplantation (PIT). Sequential metabolic responses to intravenous (I.V.

Lacto-N-fucopentaose III, a pentasaccharide, prolongs heart transplant survival.

Background: Lacto-N-fucopentaose III (LNFPIII) is a pentasaccharide containing the Lewis(x) trisaccharide that is found on schistosome eggs and in breast milk. LNFPIII conjugates suppress host immune responses and have therapeutic efficacy in mouse models of psoriasis and type 1 diabetes.

Methods: We used nonvascularized neonatal ear-heart transplantation and heterotopic vascularized heart transplantation models to evaluate immunosuppressive effects of LNFPIII and subsequently analyzed the mechanism.

Correction of insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal after pancreatic islet transplantation: preliminary results.

Aims: Pancreatic islet transplantation (PIT) represents a potential curative treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes, but only 10-15% of patients remain insulin independent 5 years post-transplant. It is not known whether intrinsic insulin resistance exacerbated by immunosuppression plays a pivotal role in low graft survival. The study objective was to understand the changes in insulin resistance, glucose effectiveness (S(g)) and free fatty acid dynamics (FFAd) before and after PIT.

A simplified approach to human islet quality assessment.

Background: The successful treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes by islet transplantation is affected by a multitude of factors of which infusion of the highest quality tissue is essential. The current standard pretransplant quality assessments lack sensitivity, accuracy, and objectivity in the determination of islet viability and potency. We hypothesized that a multiparametric approach focused on islet cell metabolic state, mitochondrial integrity, and in vitro glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) could provide data predictive of in vivo function.