Associations Between the Macular Microvasculatures and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study.

Objective: To investigate the associations between the macular microvasculature assessed by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We included patients with type 2 diabetes who received comprehensive medical and ophthalmic evaluations, such as carotid ultrasonography and OCTA at a hospital-based diabetic clinic in a consecutive manner. Among them, 254 eyes with neither diabetic macular edema (DME) nor history of ophthalmic treatment from 254 patients were included.

Anti-inflammation activity of Actinidia polygama.

The fruit of Actinidia polygama (AP) has long been used as a folk medicine in Korea for treating pain, rheumatic arthritis and inflammation. The present investigation was carried out to determine the in vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of AP using several animal models of inflammation. The 70% ethanol extract of the fruit of AP significantly inhibited acetic acid-induced, vascular permeability in a dose dependent manner (23%, 38%, and 41% inhibition at doses of 200 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg, respectively).

Sopungsungi-won (SP) prevents the onset of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.

Sopungsungi-won (SP) is a known formula for senile constipation and diabetes mellitus, based on traditional Korean medicine. The preventive effect of SP on the development of overt diabetes in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats was evaluated. When administered orally through a diet for 8 weeks, diabetic conditions such as hyperglycemia, polydipsia and hypertriglyceridemia were all ameliorated in SP-treated rats.