Pioglitazone Use and Risk of Bladder Cancer: an Study.

Whether pioglitazone (PIO), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist, increases the risk of developing bladder cancer has been debated for several years. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PIO on normal urothelial transitional epithelium (NUTE) cells and bladder cancer (J82) cells to further evaluate the risk. NUTE cells were obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats.

[The safety and effectiveness of once daily detemir in patients with type 2 diabetes previously failing oral agents: the Chinese cohort from SOLVE(TM) observational study].

Objective: Study of Once-daily LeVEmir(®) (SOLVE(TM)) was a 24-week international observational study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of initiating once-daily insulin detemir (Levemir) as add-on therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who failed treatment of oral anti-diabetic drugs (OAD).

Methods: The present study was derived from the data of Chinese cohort. A total of 3272 patients with T2DM failing OAD were enrolled in the study.

Assessment of carotid atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with microalbuminuria by high-frequency ultrasonography.

The aim of this study is to evaluate carotid atherosclerosis in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus with microalbuminuria (MA) by high-frequency ultrasonography. Two hundred and fifty patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into two groups according to urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER): normoalbuminuria group (130 cases) and microalbuminuria group (120 cases). The intimal-medial thickness (IMT) and the atherosclerotic plaques of carotid artery were observed in both groups by high-frequency ultrasound.

[The baseline characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes initiating insulin detemir : the Chinese cohort from the SOLVE(TM) study].

Objective: To characterize the baseline status of Chinese diabetic patients based on data derived from Chinese cohort from SOLVE(TM) study.

Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes initiating basal insulin detemir at the decision of the physician were eligible for the study. Data on demographics, medical history, glycemic profile and treatment regimen at baseline were collected by physicians.

Assessment of carotid arterial wall elasticity in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with microalbuminuria by real-time ultrasound elastography.

The aim of this study was to evaluate carotid arterial wall elasticity in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with microalbuminuria by real-time ultrasound elastography. Two hundred and ten T2DM patients were divided into two groups according to levels of urinary albumin excretion (UAE): T2DM without microalbuminuria (T2DM1 group, 120) and T2DM with microalbuminuria (T2DM2 group, 90). The right common carotid arteries were examined by real-time ultrasound elastography.

Construction of antisense Bmi-1 expression plasmid and its inhibitory effect on K562 cells proliferation.

Background: Bmi-1 gene determines the proliferative capacity of normal and leukemia stem cells. Expression of Bmi-1 has been found in all types of myeloid leukemia cells in both humans and mice. This study aimed at assessing the effect of antisense Bmi-1 expression on K562 cells proliferation and p16 protein (p16) expression.

A single tetracycline-regulated vector devised for controlled insulin gene expression.

Objective: To construct a single plasmid vector mediating doxycycline-inducible recombined human insulin gene expression in myotube cell line.

Methods: An expression cassette of rtTAnls driven by promoter of human cytomegalovirus and a furin-cuttable recombined human insulin expression cassette driven by a reverse poly-tetO DNA motif were cloned into a single plasmid vector (prTR-tetO-mINS). The prTR-tetO-mINS and pLNCX were co-transfected into a myotube cell line (C2C12) and pLNCX vector were used as a control.

[Construction of antisense telomerase hTERT and its effect on K562 cells].

Objectives: To investigate whether antisense human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) could inhibit the activity of telomerase and the proliferation of K562 cells.

Methods: The antisense plasmid was constructed by reverse insertion of hTERT PCR product into plasmid pLNCX-neo. Then the constructed plasmid was introduced into K562 cells by liposomes-mediated DNA transfection.