[Effect of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 on vascular smooth muscle cells].

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, obesity, and essential hypertension are associated with hyperinsulinemia that results from insulin resistance and insulin has been reported to accelerate atherosclerosis. We studied the effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on the growth of porcine vascular smooth muscle cells and on the synthesis of extracellular matrix. The cells were cultured 3-8 changes of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) with 10% FCS.

Retinoic acid directly stimulates osteoclastic bone resorption and gene expression of cathepsin K/OC-2.

Vitamin A metabolites such as all-trans-retinoic acid (all-trans-RA) affect several steps of metabolic processes in vertebrates. In the last few years, several studies have shown the effect of RA on bone formation and metabolism. However, mechanisms of its action still remain unclear, especially with respect to the regulation of bone cells.

[Spinal bone mineral density in the female diabetic patients].

To investigate the frequency and etiology of diabetic osteopenia, we measured spinal bone mineral density (SBMD), total body bone mineral density (TBBMD), total body fat and lean body mass in 69 female diabetic patients (14 IDDMs and 55 NIDDMs). SBMD decreased with age in both IDDM and NIDDM, but when expressed as a percentage of age-matched normal Japanese females, some had lower SEMD, but others had normal or increased SBMD. Postmenopausal IDDM patients had lower SBMD than postmenopausal NIDDM patients.