Effects of Body Mass Index, Glycemic Control, and Hypoglycemic Drugs on Serum Uric Acid Levels in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Background Plasma uric acid has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Conflicting data regarding plasma uric acid levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus and their role in the development and progression of diabetic complications have been observed by many studies. The present study aimed to evaluate plasma uric acid levels in type 2 diabetic patients and to determine the effects of hypoglycemic drugs and pharmacologic insulin on plasma uric acid concentration.

Quantitative investigation of calcimimetic R568 on beta cell adhesion and mechanics using AFM single-cell force spectroscopy.

In this study we use a novel approach to quantitatively investigate mechanical and interfacial properties of clonal β-cells using AFM-Single Cell Force Spectroscopy (SCFS). MIN6 cells were incubated for 48 h with 0.5 mM Ca(2+) ± the calcimimetic R568 (1 μM).

The calcium-sensing receptor and β-cell function.

In addition to its central role controlling systemic calcium homeostasis, the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) can be found on multiple cell types not associated with controlling plasma calcium. The endocrine pancreas is one such tissue, and it is apparent that the receptor plays an important role in regulating β-cell function. During exocytosis, divalent cations are coreleased with insulin and their concentration within the restricted intercellular compartments of the pancreatic islet increases sufficiently to activate the CaSR on neighboring cells.

Calcium-sensing receptor activation increases cell-cell adhesion and β-cell function.

Background/aims: The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is expressed in pancreatic β-cells where it is thought to facilitate cell-to-cell communication and augment insulin secretion. However, it is unknown how CaR activation improves β-cell function.

Methods: Immunocytochemistry and western blotting confirmed the expression of CaR in MIN6 β-cell line.

Pseudoislets as primary islet replacements for research: report on a symposium at King's College London, London UK.

Laboratory-based research aimed at understanding processes regulating insulin secretion and mechanisms underlying β-cell dysfunction and loss in diabetes often makes use of rodents, as these processes are in many respects similar between rats/mice and humans. Indeed, a rough calculation suggests that islets have been isolated from as many as 150,000 rodents to generate the data contained within papers published in 2009 and the first four months of 2010. Rodent use for islet isolation has been mitigated, to a certain extent, by the availability of a variety of insulin-secreting cell lines that are used by researchers world-wide.