Effect of acute hyperglycaemia and/or hyperinsulinaemia on proinflammatory gene expression, cytokine production and neutrophil function in humans.

Aims: Type 2 diabetes is frequently associated with infectious complications. Swift activation of leucocytes is important for an adequate immune response. We determined the selective effects of hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced proinflammatory gene expression and cytokine production in leucocytes and on neutrophil functions.

Effect of cysteine dosage on erythrocyte glutathione synthesis rate in a patient with cystathionine beta synthase deficiency.

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS)-deficient patients develop premature arteriosclerosis and thrombosis leading to a high risk of a vascular event before the age of 30 years. In CBS deficiency the transsulfuration pathway is impaired, leading to markedly elevated levels of homocysteine and methionine, and severely decreased levels of cystathionine and cysteine. Through autooxidation these elevated levels of homocysteine might induce excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Effects of thyrotoxicosis and selective hepatic autonomic denervation on hepatic glucose metabolism in rats.

Thyrotoxicosis is known to induce a broad range of changes in carbohydrate metabolism. Recent studies have identified the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system as major regulators of hepatic glucose metabolism. The present study aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of altered endogenous glucose production (EGP) in rats with mild thyrotoxicosis.

Immunohistochemical localization of haptoglobin in porcine lungs.

The extravasation of erythrocytes into the lower respiratory tract occurs in numerous lung injuries and may lead to oxidative damages in lung tissues. Haptoglobin (Hp), the major haemoglobin-binding protein, is known to reduce lung injury associated with exposure to blood in mice. In pigs, Hp is a major acute phase protein and its serum concentrations are elevated in various infections of the respiratory tract.

Zidovudine/lamivudine contributes to insulin resistance within 3 months of starting combination antiretroviral therapy.

Background: Patients with antiretroviral therapy (ART)-associated lipodystrophy frequently have disturbances in glucose metabolism associated with insulin resistance. It is not known whether changes in body composition are necessary for the development of these disturbances in ART-naive patients starting treatment with different combination ART regimens.

Methods: Glucose metabolism and body composition were assessed before and after 3 months of ART in a prospective randomized clinical trial of HIV-1-positive ART-naive men taking lopinavir/ritonavir within either a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-containing regimen (zidovudine/lamivudine; n = 11) or a NRTI-sparing regimen (nevirapine; n = 9).

Type I Gaucher disease, a glycosphingolipid storage disorder, is associated with insulin resistance.

Context: Complex glycosphingolipids, in majority the ganglioside GM3, surround the insulin receptor in a special membrane compartment (raft) and modulate signaling through this receptor. Increased levels of GM3 in rafts impair insulin signaling, resulting in insulin resistance. Gaucher disease is a lysosomal storage disorder in which impaired breakdown of glucosylceramide leads to its accumulation in macrophages.

Nutritional goals, prescription and delivery in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Background & Aims: The aim of this study was to compare prescription and delivery of nutrition to predefined nutritional targets, and identify risk factors associated with inadequate nutritional intake.

Methods: In 84 mechanically ventilated critically ill children with length of stay on the PICU of at least 3 days, we observed prescribed and delivered percentages of predefined targets for intake of calories and macronutrients during a 10-months study period. Factors associated with inadequate intake were identified.

Prolonged fasting induces peripheral insulin resistance, which is not ameliorated by high-dose salicylate.

Context: Elevated plasma free fatty acids, excess reactive oxygen species, inflammation, and gluco-counterregulatory hormones induce insulin resistance (IR) through activation of Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase and nuclear factor-kappaB inhibitor kappaB kinase, which leads to hyperphosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate type 1. Aspirin blocks nuclear factor-kappaB inhibitor kappaB kinase and improves IR in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: We hypothesized that high-dose aspirin would also attenuate fasting-induced IR in healthy lean subjects.

Hepatic insulin resistance in antipsychotic naive schizophrenic patients: stable isotope studies of glucose metabolism.

Objective: Our objective was to measure insulin sensitivity and body composition in antipsychotic-naive patients with DSM IV schizophrenia and/or schizoaffective disorder compared with matched controls.

Design: Seven antipsychotic medication-naive patients fulfilling the DSM IV A criteria for schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder were matched for body mass index, age, and sex with seven control subjects. We measured endogenous glucose production and peripheral glucose disposal using a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (plasma insulin concentration approximately 200 pmol/liter) in combination with stable isotopes.

[Neuropsychology, plasticity and childhood epilepsy].

Epilepsy is one of the most frequent childhood disorders. While most cases are well controlled, approximately 30-50% are resistant to medical treatment. In these cases, neurosurgery may be an option.

A single bolus infusion of C-reactive protein increases gluconeogenesis and plasma glucose concentration in humans.

Recently, we reported that C-reactive protein (CRP) elicits inflammatory and procoagulant responses in humans. In addition, CRP has been associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. To further explore interactions between CRP and glucose handling, we evaluated the effects of CRP infusion on glucose metabolism in humans.

Overweight, insulin resistance and type II diabetes in type I Gaucher disease patients in relation to enzyme replacement therapy.

Type I Gaucher disease, a lysosomal storage disorder is associated with metabolic abnormalities such as high resting energy expenditure, low circulating adiponectin and peripheral insulin resistance. Treatment with enzyme replacement therapy (enzyme therapy) leads to a decrease in resting energy expenditure, but its influence on weight and risk of development of type II diabetes is unknown. We studied the BMI, prevalence of overweight, insulin resistance and type II diabetes in untreated and enzyme therapy treated Gaucher patients before and after several years of follow-up and compared this to data on healthy subjects from literature.

Fasting adaptation in idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia: a mismatch between glucose production and demand.

In order to study the pathophysiology of hypoglycemia in idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia (KH), glucose kinetics during fasting in patients with KH were determined. A fasting test was performed in 12 children with previously documented KH. Besides determination of glucoregulatory hormones, plasma ketones, FFA and alanine, the rates of endogenous glucose production (EGP), glucose uptake, gluconeogenesis (GNG) and glycogenolysis (GGL) were quantified using the [6,6-(2)H(2)] glucose isotope dilution method and the deuterated water method.

Minireview: Circadian control of metabolism by the suprachiasmatic nuclei.

In the present review, first we present the anatomical connections used by the mammalian biological clock to enforce its endogenous rhythmicity on the rest of the body, especially the energy homeostatic systems. Subsequently, we present a number of physiological experiments investigating the functional significance of this neuroanatomical substrate. Together, this overview of experimental data, for a major part derived from our own experiments, reveals a highly specialized organization of connections between the endogenous pacemaker and both the presympathetic and pre-parasympathetic hypothalamic systems, providing the biological clock with a unique opportunity to modulate the balance of sympathetic/parasympathetic inputs to peripheral organs.

Near-infrared spectroscopy as an alternative to the Wada test for language mapping in children, adults and special populations.

The intracarotid amobarbital test (IAT) is the most widely used procedure for pre-surgical evaluation of language lateralization in epileptic patients. However, apart from being invasive, this technique is not applicable in young children or patients who present mental retardation and/or language deficits. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly employed as a non-invasive alternative.

[Treatment of intestinal failure in adults. I. Dietary measures].

Patients with intestinal failure, predominantly caused by short-bowel syndrome, have impaired quality of life due to the frequent development of complications. Dietary modifications have an established role in the treatment of short-bowel syndrome. Treatment of short-bowel syndrome includes optimising the balance of fluids and nutrients in the presence of reduced absorption.

Effects of a dietary application of a yeast cell wall extract on innate and acquired immunity, on oxidative status and growth performance in weanling piglets and on the ileal epithelium in fattened pigs.

Potential immunomodulatory effects of a cell wall extract from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Y; Antaferm MG) were tested in pigs: in trial I, 0.03% Y and in trial II 0.3% Y was used.

Gender-related differences in the metabolic response to fasting.

Context: Free fatty acids (FFA) may induce insulin resistance via synthesis of intramyocellular ceramide. During fasting, women have lower plasma glucose levels than men despite higher plasma FFA, suggesting protection from FFA-induced insulin resistance.

Objective: We studied whether the relative protection from FFA-induced insulin resistance during fasting in women is associated with lower muscle ceramide concentrations compared with men.

Non-invasive alternatives to the Wada test in the presurgical evaluation of language and memory functions in epilepsy patients.

The cognitive outcome of the surgical removal of an epileptic focus depends on the assessment of the localisation and functional capacity of language and memory areas which need to be spared by the neurosurgeon. Traditionally, presurgical evaluation of epileptic patients has been achieved by means of the intracarotid amobarbital test assisted by neuropsychological measures. However, the advent of neuroimaging techniques has provided new ways of assessing these functions by means of non-invasive or minimally invasive methods, such as anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, transcranial magnetic stimulation, functional transcranial Doppler monitoring, magnetoencephalography and near infrared spectroscopy.

Overexpression of Pim-1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Despite ongoing developments of treatment protocols head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) show only marginal improvement in outcome, which has been attributed to a lack of therapy individualized to tumor biological properties. We compared mRNA expression profiles of HNSCC and normal epithelial cells using differential display to identify gene fragments showing differential expression in HNSCC cells. We identified a 127-bp long fragment to be overexpressed in HNSCC cells that revealed a 98.

Evaluation of classification modes potentially suitable to identify metabolic stress in healthy dairy cows during the peripartal period.

The transition of pregnancy to lactation, with the concomitant negative energy balance during early lactation, requires substantial adaptive performance of the cow. Apart from clinical disease problems, the identification of cows with suboptimal adaptation is relevant to be able to adequately treat these animals or modify the ration. Effective approaches are necessary to provide maximal information at the earliest time possible.

Pre-operative nutritional status does not alter the metabolic response to major gastrointestinal surgery in patients with oesophageal cancer.

Malnutrition is associated with an increased incidence of perioperative morbidity and mortality. To evaluate the effect of malnutrition on the metabolic and inflammatory response to surgery in patients with oesophageal cancer, we studied the effects of oesophagectomy in six patients with major (13.9 (se 1.

Effects of lactoferrin feeding on growth, feed intake and health of calves.

Lactoferrin (LF) exhibits a broad spectrum of anti-microbial properties and may have regulatory functions in the immune system. In the present study, 40 calves (20 males, 20 females) were used to examine the effects of supplemental bovine LF added to colostrum and milk replacer (at 0.16%) on health, weight development and feed intake during a 70-day experimental period.

Short communication: Cellular localization of haptoglobin mRNA in the experimentally infected bovine mammary gland.

Expression of haptoglobin (Hp) mRNA, one of the major acute phase proteins in cattle, was demonstrated in homogenates of the bovine mammary gland. The aim of this study was to localize Hp mRNA expression within the udder at the cellular level during the first 24 h of infection with Escherichia coli. For this purpose, 3 quarters of 3 cows were subsequently inoculated with E.

Very low serum adiponectin levels in patients with type 1 Gaucher disease without overt hyperglycemia.

Gaucher disease (glucocerebrosidase deficiency) is characterized by massive accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages in various tissues. Patients with Gaucher disease show a hitherto unexplained increase in hepatic glucose output. Because adiponectin is thought to influence hepatic glucose output, we studied its serum concentration in a cohort of patients with Gaucher disease.