Deterioration in ankle reflex is associated with a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with type 2 diabetes: A retrospective observational cohort study.

Aims/introduction: We investigated the association between the ankle reflex and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials And Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study. A total of 1,387 patients who underwent an ankle reflex examination between January 2005 and December 2015 were included in the analysis for the primary outcome.

Oral Intake of Hydrogen Water Improves Retinal Blood Flow Dysregulation in Response to Flicker Stimulation and Systemic Hyperoxia in Diabetic Mice.

Purpose: To examine the effects of hydrogen water on retinal blood flow (RBF) dysregulation in diabetes, we evaluated changes in RBF in response to flicker stimulation and systemic hyperoxia in diabetic mice.

Methods: Twelve type 2 diabetic mice were divided into a group that received non-hydrogen water (n = 6, control group) and the other that received hydrogen-rich water (0.6-0.

Effects of switching from intravitreal injection of aflibercept to faricimab on ocular blood flow in patients with diabetic macular edema.

We assessed the short-term effects of switching from intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) to intravitreal faricimab (IVF) on ocular blood flow in patients with treatment-resistant diabetic macular edema (DME). The medical records of 15 patients with DME who had received IVA injection ≥ 3 months before were retrospectively reviewed. The best-corrected visual acuity, central macular thickness (CMT) on optical coherence tomography, and mean blur rate (MBR) of all disc areas on laser speckle flowgraphy were measured before, 1 week after, and 4 weeks after IVA and IVF, respectively.

Impairment of flicker-induced increase in retinal blood flow in diabetic pigs.

Purpose: To evaluate retinal blood flow (RBF) regulation in response to RBF stress in maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 3 (MODY3) pigs.

Study Design: Case-control study.

Methods: MODY3 pigs (diabetes mellitus [DM] group, n = 8) transfected with the human mutant hepatocyte nuclear factor-1⍺ and normal pigs of the same age (normal group, n = 8) were used as subjects.

Vortioxetine Exposure During Pregnancy and Lactation: A Japanese Case Study of Neonatal Implications and Quantitative Milk and Plasma Analyses.

Information about influences of vortioxetine on pregnant women and neonates during perinatal period is almost unknown. The case was a 28-year-old Japanese woman in her first pregnancy, treated for depression with vortioxetine (20 mg daily) among other medications. At 36 weeks of gestation, she was admitted for premature rupture of the membranes and delivered a girl with no apparent congenital anomalies.

Trk-fused gene plays a critical role in diet-induced adipose tissue expansion and is also involved in thyroid hormone action.

Mutations in the Trk-fused gene (TFG) cause hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominant involvement, which reportedly has high co-incidences with diabetes and dyslipidemia, suggesting critical roles of the TFG in metabolism as well. We found that TFG expression levels in white adipose tissues (WATs) were elevated in both genetically and diet-induced obese mice and that TFG deletion in preadipocytes from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) markedly inhibited adipogenesis. To investigate its role in vivo, we generated tamoxifen-inducible adipocyte-specific TFG knockout (AiTFG KO) mice.

Auraptene Enhances AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphorylation and Thereby Inhibits the Proliferation, Migration and Expression of Androgen Receptors and Prostate-Specific Antigens in Prostate Cancer Cells.

extract reportedly activates AMPK. Because this extract contains an abundance of auraptene, we investigated whether pure auraptene activates AMPK and inhibits proliferation using prostate cancer cell lines. Indeed, auraptene inhibited the proliferation and migration of LNCaP cells and induced phosphorylation of AMPK or its downstream ACC in LNCaP, PC3, and HEK-293 cells, but not in DU145 cells not expressing LKB1.

Dilation of porcine retinal arterioles to nobiletin, a polymethoxyflavonoid: Roles of nitric oxide and voltage-dependent potassium channel.

We examined the effects of nobiletin, a polymethoxyflavonoid, on the retinal microvascular diameter to determine if they depend on the endothelium and/or smooth muscle to reveal the signaling mechanisms involved in this vasomotor activity. Porcine retinal arterioles were isolated, cannulated, and pressurized without flow in vitro. Video microscopic techniques recorded diametric responses to nobiletin.

Hepatic Pin1 Expression, Particularly in Nuclei, Is Increased in NASH Patients in Accordance with Evidence of the Role of Pin1 in Lipid Accumulation Shown in Hepatoma Cell Lines.

Our previous studies using rodent models have suggested an essential role for Pin1 in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In addition, interestingly, serum Pin1 elevation has been reported in NASH patients. However, no studies have as yet examined the Pin1 expression level in human NASH livers.

Analysis of Adverse Events of Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists on Arrhythmias Using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database.

Background: The association between anti-dementia drugs and arrhythmia is uncertain. In addition, the effects of certain drug combinations are not yet well known.

Objective: We investigated the association between anti-dementia drugs and arrhythmia.

Comparison of Weight Reduction, Change in Parameters and Safety of a Very Low Carbohydrate Diet in Comparison to a Low Carbohydrate Diet in Obese Japanese Subjects with Metabolic Disorders.

Recently, low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) have gained worldwide attention. LCDs are potentially effective for Japanese overweight and obese individuals with metabolic disorders. However, few randomized trials of LCDs have focused on the difference between LCDs and VLCDs.

Renally inappropriate medications in elderly outpatients and inpatients with an impaired renal function.

Background And Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the frequency of renally inappropriate medications (RIMs) in outpatient and inpatient among three institutions.

Methods: We collected prescription and renal function data for patients over 65 years of age from the drug department system. We selected 50 kinds of the most frequently used medicines which require dose adjustment according to a patient's renal function.

A pilot study of diabetic retinopathy in a porcine model of maturity onset diabetes of the young type 3 (MODY3).

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness in the working population. Because novel therapeutic intervention require testing, there is an urgent need for reliable animal models that faithfully replicate DR. Pig eyes have many similarities to human eyes anatomically and physiologically.

Synergistic deterioration of prognosis associated with decreased grip strength and hyporesponse to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Introduction: We examined the combined effect of erythropoietin (EPO) hyporesponsiveness and low handgrip strength (HGS) on the prognosis of patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD).

Methods: We recruited patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stage 5, who were undergoing HD at our dialysis clinic between January 2015 and March 2015 ( = 182). Patients of ≥20 years of age and who had been undergoing HD for ≧3 months at enrollment were eligible for inclusion.

[Metabolism-dependent Vascular Pathophysiology in Adult Diseases].

In adult diseases, chronic inflammation-related angiopathy is the main pathological condition of organ disorders such as arteriosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Macrophages play an important role in chronic inflammation. For example, macrophage foaming is important for atherosclerosis development.

Beneficial Effect of Long-Term Administration of Supplement With Trapa Bispinosa Roxb. and Lutein on Retinal Neurovascular Coupling in Type 2 Diabetic Mice.

Purpose: We investigated the effect of long-term administration of supplement with trapa bispinosa roxb. extract (TBE) and lutein on the susceptibility of retinal blood flow regulation in type 2 diabetic mice.

Methods: Six-week-old db/db mice were randomly divided into the untreated group ( = 6) and the treated group received the supplement with TBE and lutein ( = 6).

Fenofibrate Nano-Eyedrops Ameliorate Retinal Blood Flow Dysregulation and Neurovascular Coupling in Type 2 Diabetic Mice.

We investigated the effect of fenofibrate nano-eyedrops (FenoNano) on impaired retinal blood flow regulation in type 2 diabetic mice. Six-week-old db/db mice were randomly divided into an untreated group ( = 6) and treated group, which received FenoNano ( = 6). The longitudinal changes in retinal neuronal function and blood flow responses to systemic hyperoxia and flicker stimulation were evaluated every 2 weeks in diabetic db/db mice treated with FenoNano ( = 6) or the vehicle ( = 6) from ages 8-14 weeks.

The Effect of Sodium-Dependent Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor Tofogliflozin on Neurovascular Coupling in the Retina in Type 2 Diabetic Mice.

We investigated the effect of tofogliflozin, a sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), on retinal blood flow dysregulation, neural retinal dysfunction, and the impaired neurovascular coupling in type 2 diabetic mice. Tofogliflozin was added to mouse chow to deliver 5 mg/kg/day and 6-week-old mice were fed for 8 weeks. The longitudinal changes in the retinal neuronal function and blood flow responses to systemic hyperoxia and flicker stimulation were evaluated every 2 weeks in diabetic db/db mice that received tofogliflozin ( =6) or placebo ( = 6) from 8 to 14 weeks of age.

Involvement of neuronal and muscular Trk-fused gene (TFG) defects in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

Trk-fused gene (TFG) mutations have been identified in patients with several neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we attempted to clarify the effects of TFG deletions in motor neurons and in muscle fibers, using tissue-specific TFG knockout (vMNTFG KO and MUSTFG KO) mice. vMNTFG KO, generated by crossing TFG floxed with VAChT-Cre, showed deterioration of motor function and muscle atrophy especially in slow-twitch soleus muscle, in line with the predominant Cre expression in slow-twitch fatigue-resistant (S) and fast-twitch fatigue-resistant (FR) motor neurons.

Effect of prorenin peptide vaccine on the early phase of diabetic retinopathy in a murine model of type 2 diabetes.

Prorenin is viewed as an ideal target molecule in the prevention of diabetic retinopathy. However, no drugs are available for inhibiting activation of prorenin. Here, we tested the effect of a prorenin peptide vaccine (VP) in the retina of a murine model of type 2 diabetes (T2D).