[Changes of plasma glucagon level in individuals with different glucose metabolism].

Objective: To determine the levels of plasma glucagon and associated factors in individuals with different glucose metabolism.

Methods: One hundred and ten outpatient patients received an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) voluntarily. The patients were divided into three groups according to their OGTT results: normal glucose golerance (NGT) group (n=33), impaired glucose regulation (IGR) group (n=35), newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (DM2) group (n=42).

[New perspectives in the treatment of diabetes by interfering with glucagon signaling pathway].

Glucagon, a hormone secreted from the alpha cell of the endocrine pancreas, is a major counterpart to insulin. After released into blood, glucagon will combine with its receptor in targeting tissues and form a compound, which then activates its signaling pathway, produces cAMP, promotes gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis and inventually increases blood glucose. Researches recently display that it will be an important addition to treatment method by inhibiting synthesis and secretion of glucagon, neutralizing circulating glucagon, using glucagon receptor antagonists and prohibiting gene expression of glucagon receptor.

Changes in serum adiponectin concentrations and endothelial function after intensive insulin treatment in people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a pilot study.

Aims: We aimed to assess changes in serum adiponectin and endothelial function after intensive insulin treatment in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were randomly assigned to Group A (intensive insulin treatment) or Group B (conventional insulin treatment). Before treatment and 2 weeks after plasma glucose concentrations had been maintained at the specified concentrations, blood samples were obtained to measure serum adiponectin and nitric oxide (NO) concentrations.

Frequent reoccurrence of hypoglycemia in a type 2 diabetic patient with insulin antibodies.

Background: Insulin antibody (IAb) may be produced in patients receiving long-term, animal-derived insulin, leading to insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. There have been very few reports of hypoglycemia caused by IAb in patients taking recombinant human insulin.

Case Report: We report the case of an 82-year-old male patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus who suffered repeated episodes of severe hypoglycemia-related symptoms (including coma) prior to admission.

[The accuracy of combining aldosterone to renin ratio and low renin level in diagnosing primary aldosteronism].

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of combing serum aldosterone to plasma rennin ratio (ARR) and low renin level in diagnosing primary aldosteronism (PA).

Methods: The ratio of serum aldosterone to plasma renin was determined in 100 patients with PA and 61 patients with primary hypertension. The optimum cut-point of ARR was determined by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC).

[Cytoskeleton and insulin related signal transduction pathways].

Cytoskeleton is a stereo wire frame system of filament, which is in a dynamic state. It can assemble or disassemble continuously with the change of physiological condition, and be regulated by many factors interior and exterior of the cell. Insulin is an important hormone involving in lots of physiological functions such as transport of glucose, gene expression and DNA synthesis.

[Damage mechanism of intermittent exposure to high concentrations of glucose to beta cell lines (HIT-T15 cell)].

Objective: To test the effect of intermittent exposure to high concentrations of glucose on HIT-T15 cells.

Methods: The HIT-T15 cells (pancreatic beta cell lines) were exposed to 16.7 mmol/L of glucose for two hours, at an interval of three hours.

[The effect of metformin on insulin receptor protein tyrosine kinase activity of HIT-T15 cell exposed to high concentration glucose and free fatty acid].

Objective: To study the effect of metformin on insulin receptor (IRc) protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity of HIT-T15 cell exposed to high glucose and free fatty acid (FFA) concentration, and to explore the mechanism of metformin (MF) improving beta cell insulin resistance.

Methods: HIT-T15 cells were incubated for 48 h in a medium containing 5.5-16.