The number of microvascular complications is associated with an increased risk for severity of periodontitis in type 2 diabetes patients: Results of a multicenter hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Aims/introduction: To explore the relationships between periodontitis and microvascular complications as well as glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients.

Materials And Methods: This multicenter, hospital-based, cross-sectional study included 620 patients with type 2 diabetes. We compared the prevalence and severity of periodontitis between patients with ≥1 microvascular complication and those without microvascular complications.

Committee on Diabetes Mellitus Indices of the Japan Society of Clinical Chemistry-recommended reference measurement procedure and reference materials for glycated albumin determination.

Background: Glycated albumin is an intermediate glycaemic control marker for which there are several measurement procedures with entirely different reference intervals. We have developed a reference measurement procedure for the purpose of standardizing glycated albumin measurements.

Methods: The isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was developed as a reference measurement procedure for glycated albumin.

Efficacy and safety of liraglutide monotherapy compared with metformin in Japanese overweight/obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

There is little information on direct comparison between metformin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in the Asian population. This study examined the efficacy and safety of liraglutide monotherapy compared with metformin monotherapy in overweight/obese Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The study was a 24-week, open-labeled, randomized controlled study.

Investigation of 2 models to set and evaluate quality targets for hb a1c: biological variation and sigma-metrics.

Background: A major objective of the IFCC Task Force on Implementation of HbA1c Standardization is to develop a model to define quality targets for glycated hemoglobin (Hb A1c).

Methods: Two generic models, biological variation and sigma-metrics, are investigated. We selected variables in the models for Hb A1c and used data of external quality assurance/proficiency testing programs to evaluate the suitability of the models to set and evaluate quality targets within and between laboratories.

[Chairmen's introductory remarks].

Diagnostic criteria in diabetes mellitus has been revised after 11 years. In addition to previous diagnostic criteria, HbAlc was added to the new criteria as a biomarker of chronic diabetes. Although NGSP >6.

Conophylline suppresses hepatic stellate cells and attenuates thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in rats.

Background & Aims: Conophylline (CnP) is a vinca alkaloid purified from a tropical plant and inhibits activation of pancreatic stellate cells. We investigated the effect of CnP on hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in vitro. We also examined whether CnP attenuates hepatic fibrosis in vivo.

Screening of new bioactive metabolites for diabetes therapy.

Microorganisms and plants produce bioactive metabolites that are potentially useful in the treatment of disease. We have designed and synthesized DHMEQ as a specific inhibitor of NF-κB based on the structure of epoxyquinomicin. It directly binds to NF-κB components to inhibit DNA-binding and was shown to be endowed with inhibiting activity in various inflammatory and cancer models in experimental animals.

Inhibition of NO-induced β-cell death by novel NF-κB inhibitor (-)-DHMEQ via activation of Nrf2-ARE pathway.

Excessive nitric oxide (NO) plays a pivotal role in the progression of β-cell apoptosis in type 1 diabetes mellitus. We used mouse insulinoma Min6 cells as a model of β cells in this research. We found that (-)-DHMEQ, an NF-κB inhibitor, rescued β cells from NO-induced apoptosis, and then studied the mechanism of apoptosis inhibition.

[The significance of high sensitive C reactive protein as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases].

Chronic inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Several prospective studies have indicated that an elevated high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level is a risk factor for CVD. These results were also confirmed by prospective studies in Japan both for primary and secondary prevention.

Conophylline suppresses pancreatic stellate cells and improves islet fibrosis in Goto-Kakizaki rats.

Activin A is a differentiation factor for β-cells and is effective to promote β-cell neogenesis. Activin A is also an autocrine activator of pancreatic stellate cells, which play a critical role in fibrogenesis of the pancreas. Conophylline (CnP) is a natural compound, which reproduces the effect of activin on β-cell differentiation and promotes β-cell neogenesis when administered in vivo.

Effects of olmesartan medoxomil, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist, on plasma concentration of B-type natriuretic peptide, in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a preliminary, observational, open-label study.

Background And Objective: Angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonists (angiotensin receptor blockers [ARBs]) are widely used for the treatment of not only hypertension but also cardiac dysfunction. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is secreted mainly by the cardiac ventricle and plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure (BP) and body fluid. It has been established that the plasma level of BNP is increased in patients with chronic heart failure in proportion to the severity of cardiac dysfunction.

Effects of epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, on diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes, in relation to suppression of N(ɛ)-carboxymethyl lysine.

Objective: We investigated the efficacy of epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, for diabetic peripheral neuropathy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A total of 38 type 2 diabetic patients (22 men and 16 women; mean ± S.E.

Preparation of conophylline affinity nano-beads and identification of a target protein.

Conophylline, a vinca alkaloid extracted from the tropical plant Ervatamia microphylla, has been shown to induce the differentiation of insulin-producing beta-cells in cultured cells and in animals. However, its mechanism of action and the molecular target have remained unclear. Therefore, we prepared a fishing probe with conophylline to identify the target protein by using latex nano-beads, which are newly innovated tools for affinity-purification.

Administration of conophylline and betacellulin-delta4 increases the beta-cell mass in neonatal streptozotocin-treated rats.

The present study was conducted to examine the effect of administration of conophylline (CnP) and betacellulindelta4 (BTCdelta4) on the beta-cell mass in neonatal streptozotocin-treated rats (neonatal STZ rats). STZ (100 microg/g) was injected into neonatal rats, and then CnP (2 microg/g) and/or BTCdelta4 (200 pmol/g) were administered to neonatal STZ rats for 1 week. The plasma glucose concentration was monitored, and an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (ipGTT) was performed on day 8 and at 8 weeks after the STZ injection.

Antidiabetic effect of orally administered conophylline-containing plant extract on streptozotocin-treated and Goto-Kakizaki rats.

Conophylline, a vinca alkaloid from Ervatamia microphylla, is known to induce the differentiation of pancreatic precursor cells to insulin-producing cells. In the present research we examined the antidiabetic effects of this alkaloid in vivo by oral administration. Crude conophylline preparations were prepared from the leaves of Tabernaemontana divaricata collected in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

A simple method to induce differentiation of murine bone marrow mesenchymal cells to insulin-producing cells using conophylline and betacellulin-delta4.

The present study was conducted to establish a method to induce differentiation of bone marrow (MB)-derived mesenchymal cells into insulin-producing cells. When mouse BM-derived mesenchymal cells were cultured for 60 days in medium containing 10% fetal calf serum and 25 mM glucose, they expressed insulin. Addition of activin A and betacellulin (BTC) accelerated differentiation, and immunoreactive insulin was detected 14 days after the treatment.

Insulin intervention in slowly progressive insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus.

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that insulin therapy rather than sulfonylurea (SU) treatment is preferable to reverse or preserve beta-cell function among patients with slowly progressive insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes (SPIDDM) or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.

Methods: This multicenter, randomized, nonblinded clinical study screened 4089 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients for glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADAb). Sixty GADAb-positive non-insulin-requiring diabetic patients with a 5-yr duration or shorter of diabetes were assigned to either the SU group (n = 30) or the insulin group (n = 30).