High saturated fatty acid intake induces insulin secretion by elevating gastric inhibitory polypeptide levels in healthy individuals.

Insulin resistance is central to the etiology of the metabolic syndrome cluster of diseases. Evidence suggests that a high-fat diet is associated with insulin resistance, which may be modulated by dietary fatty acid composition. We hypothesized that high saturated fatty acid intake increases insulin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) secretion.

[Two cases of patients with Parkinson's disease developing valvular heart disease while taking cabergoline].

We experienced 2 patients of valvular heart disease in Parkinson's patients taking cabergoline. Patient 1 was a 79-year-old woman who began taking 4 mg cabergoline daily after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) in June 2003. She presented with dyspnea in November 2005.

Disseminated Candida albicans infection in an immunocompetent host.

Candida albicans CA is an opportunistic fungus, which lives in close association with its human host. Immuno-competence is the barrier to its tendency to invade. Normal skin, commensal bacteria and neutrophils are the first hurdles and once broken down by indwelling catheters, antibiotics or ablative chemotherapies, dissemination can occur with grave consequences.

A scanning electron microscope study on the effects of different bile salts on the epithelial lining of jejunal mucosa.

Deconjugation of bile salts may occur in the jejunum under conditions of bacterial proliferation in the upper small intestine. We studied the morphological changes of jejunal mucosa induced by different conjugated (taurocholate, taurodeoxycholate, taurochenodeoxycholate, tauroursodeoxycholate) and unconjugated (cholate, deoxycholate, chenodeoxycholate, ursodeoxycholate) bile salts as compared by scanning electron microscopy. The epithelial lining of the jejunum was not affected in structural appearance below 40 mM concentration of the conjugated bile salts examined.

Ultrastructural changes and glutathione depletion in the skeletal muscle induced by protein malnutrition.

Ultrastructural changes and glutathione level were investigated in the pectoralis muscle of rats fed a low-protein diet. Electron microscopy demonstrated the ultrastructural changes of occasional myofibrils affected with protein deficiency that were characterized with the streaming and/or disruption of the Z-line and disintegration of sarcomeric striation. In the affected sarcomeres, sarcomere length was often elongated and fragmented thick filaments were present together with dense amorphous materials flowing from the damaged Z-line.