Irisin Attenuates Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis in Bile Duct Ligation Mice Model and Improves Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Backgruound: Liver fibrosis is a common outcome of chronic liver disease and is primarily driven by hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. Irisin, a myokine released during physical exercise, is beneficial for metabolic disorders and mitochondrial dysfunction. This study aimed to explore the effects of irisin on liver fibrosis in HSCs, a bile duct ligation (BDL) mouse model, and the associated mitochondrial dysfunction.

Changes in Soluble Serum CD81 Concentration during an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Individuals with Normal Glucose Tolerance.

Aim: Cluster of differentiation 81 (CD81) is a cell surface protein involved in cell development, activation, growth, and motility. Recent studies have suggested that CD81 is a marker of dedifferentiated β-cells under conditions of metabolic stress, such as progressive diabetes. However, the clinical significance of changes in soluble serum CD81 (sCD81) in diabetic individuals remains unknown.

The Protective Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid for Stress-induced Accelerated Senescence in Vascular Endothelial Cells.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that protects against cardiovascular diseases in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and may have pleotropic effects beyond lowering triglycerides. Many degenerative diseases, such as atherosclerosis and diabetes, are related to cellular senescence as a pathophysiological mechanism. We aimed to examine whether EPA could protect vascular endothelial cells under stress conditions against stress-induced accelerated senescence (SIAS).

A randomized, active-controlled, parallel, open-label, multicenter, phase 4 study to compare the efficacy and safety of pregabalin sustained release tablet and pregabalin immediate release capsule in type II diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathic pain.

Background: Diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy is the most common chronic complication of type 2 diabetes. Neuropathic pain is challenging to manage, and various drugs are required to control it, decreasing treatment adherence. Pregabalin, a ligand that binds to alpha-2-delta subunits of the presynaptic calcium channel, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain.

Vascular and metabolic effects of ipragliflozin versus sitagliptin (IVS) in type 2 diabetes treated with sulphonylurea and metformin: IVS study.

Objective: In patients with type 2 diabetes who were inadequately controlled with metformin and sulphonylurea, we compared the glucose-lowering efficacy, cardiometabolic parameters and safety of two drugs, ipragliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, and sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with 7.5%-9.

Effect of cholesterol-lowering agents on soluble epidermal growth factor receptor level in type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.

Soluble epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR) levels are elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and positively correlate with blood glucose and cholesterol levels. However, how cholesterol-lowering treatment in patients with T2DM affects the sEGFR level is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the change of serum sEGFR after cholesterol-lowering treatment in type 2 diabetic patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Serum MIG6 concentration is increased by cholesterol-lowering treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia.

Objective: The protein encoded by mitogen-inducible gene 6 (MIG6) plays an essential role in the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis and bile acid synthesis in mice. However, the physiological functions of MIG6 remain poorly understood in humans. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the serum MIG6 concentration and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol in patients undergoing cholesterol-lowering treatment.

Soluble LRIG2 is a potential biomarker for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Early diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes can delay the onset of microvascular and macrovascular complications. Therefore, the identification of a novel biomarker for diagnosing diabetes is necessary. In the present study, the role of serum soluble leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin like domains 2 (sLRIG2) was investigated as a diagnostic biomarker of type 2 diabetes.

Pleiotropic Benefits of DPP-4 Inhibitors Beyond Glycemic Control.

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors are oral anti-diabetic medications that block the activity of the ubiquitous enzyme DPP-4. Inhibition of this enzyme increases the level of circulating active glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 secreted from L-cells in the small intestine. GLP-1 increases the glucose level, dependent on insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells; it also decreases the abnormally increased level of glucagon, eventually decreasing the blood glucose level in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Mig-6 is essential for glucose homeostasis and thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an anti-obese and anti-diabetic tissue that stimulates energy expenditure in the form of adaptive thermogenesis through uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Mitogen-inducible gene-6 (Mig-6) is a negative regulator of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that interacts with many cellular partners and has multiple cellular functions. We have recently reported that Mig-6 is associated with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Effects of anagliptin on the stress induced accelerated senescence of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Background: Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have been used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) via inhibition of the enzymatic activity of DPP-4 in degrading active circulating glucagon-like peptide-1. In addition to their glucose-lowering effect, DPP-4 inhibitors have pleiotropic effects. Cellular senescence regarded as important pathophysiological mechanism underlying many degenerative diseases, including atherosclerosis.

2020 Korean Society for the Study of Obesity Guidelines for the Management of Obesity in Korea.

Obesity is a prevalent and complex disease. The prevalence of obesity in Korea increased from 29.7% in 2010 to 35.

Testosterone Protects Pancreatic β-cells from Apoptosis and Stress-Induced Accelerated Senescence.

Purpose: Androgens are steroid hormones that are very important in the sexual development and the maintenance of male reproductive system, and also have diverse actions in non-reproductive tissues, including potent antioxidant capacity. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is caused by tissue insulin resistance and insufficient insulin secretion from the pancreatic β-cells. The progressive decline of pancreatic β-cells in diabetes is closely related with the severity of disease.

Status of Diabetic Neuropathy in Korea: A National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort Analysis (2006 to 2015).

This report presents the status of diabetic neuropathy (DN) in Korea as determined using a National Health Insurance ServiceNational Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC). Annual prevalences of DN were estimated by age and gender using descriptive statistics. Pharmacological treatments for DN were also analyzed.

Current Long-Term Pharmacotherapies for the Management of Obesity.

Obesity is a serious and growing worldwide health challenge associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, some cancers, sleep apnea, asthma, and nonalcoholic fatty liver. The Korean Society for the Study of Obesity recommends that pharmacotherapy should be considered when intensive lifestyle modifications fail to achieve a weight reduction in obese patients with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m. Long-term medications for obesity have traditionally fallen into two major categories: centrally acting anorexiant medications and peripherally acting medications, such as orlistat.

Multifactorial intervention in diabetes care using real-time monitoring and tailored feedback in type 2 diabetes.

Aims: In 2011, we demonstrated that an individualized health management system employing advanced medical information technology, designated ubiquitous (u)-healthcare, was helpful in achieving glycemic control without hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes. Following this, we generated a new multidisciplinary u-healthcare system by upgrading our clinical decision support system (CDSS) rule engine and integrating a physical activity-monitoring device and dietary feedback into a comprehensive package.

Methods: In a randomized, controlled clinical trial, patients with type 2 diabetes aged over 60 years were assigned randomly to a self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) group (N = 50) or u-healthcare group (N = 50) for 6 months.

Effect of carnitine-orotate complex on glucose metabolism and fatty liver: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background And Aim: Effective medicines have not been introduced for insulin resistance-related fatty liver. The efficacy and safety of treatment between a combination of metformin and carnitine-orotate complex and metformin alone in a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study on drug-naïve patients with impaired glucose metabolism and fatty liver were compared.

Methods: Fifty-two patients with fasting glucose 100-240 mg/dL or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 6.

Sarcopenia and obesity: gender-different relationship with functional limitation in older persons.

Age-related body composition changes such as sarcopenia and obesity affect functional decline in the elderly. We investigated the relationship between body composition parameters and functional limitation in older Korean adults. We enrolled 242 men and 231 women aged ≥ 65 yr from the Korean elderly cohort.

Type B insulin-resistance syndrome presenting as autoimmune hypoglycemia, associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and interstitial lung disease.

We describe an unusual case of systemic lupus erythematosus with pulmonary manifestations presenting as hypoglycemia due to anti-insulin receptor antibodies. A 38-year-old female suffered an episode of unconsciousness and was admitted to hospital where her blood glucose was found to be 18 mg/dL. During the hypoglycemic episode, her serum insulin level was inappropriately high (2,207.

Comparison of regional body composition and its relation with cardiometabolic risk between BMI-matched young and old subjects.

Objective: Difference in regional body composition between young and old people may be related with differential cardiometabolic risks. We investigated regional body composition in BMI-matched young and old subjects to compare its relation with cardiometabolic risk.

Methods: We recruited 1:3 gender- and BMI-matched 86 young subjects (mean age 27.

Efficacy and safety of ginsam, a vinegar extract from Panax ginseng, in type 2 diabetic patients: Results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Unlabelled: Aims/Introduction:  The efficacy, dose-response relationship and safety of ginsam, a vinegar extract from Panax ginseng, were evaluated in an 8-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials And Methods:   A total of 72 diabetic patients were randomized to receive 1500, 2000 or 3000 mg of ginsam, or placebo daily for 8 weeks (n = 18 in each group). The primary end-point was the changes from the baseline HbA1c level.

Effect of a dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitor, des-fluoro-sitagliptin, on neointimal formation after balloon injury in rats.

Background: Recently, it has been suggested that enhancement of incretin effect improves cardiac function. We investigated the effect of a DPP-IV inhibitor, des-fluoro-sitagliptin, in reducing occurrence of restenosis in carotid artery in response to balloon injury and the related mechanisms.

Methods And Findings: Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats were grouped into four: control (normal saline) and sitagliptin 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg per day (n = 10 per group).