Relationship between Immunological Abnormalities in Rat Models of Diabetes Mellitus and the Amplification Circuits for Diabetes.

A better understanding of pathogenic mechanisms is required in order to treat diseases. However, the mechanisms of diabetes mellitus and diabetic complications are extremely complex. Immune reactions are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications, while diabetes influences immune reactions.

R59949, a diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor, inhibits inducible nitric oxide production through decreasing transplasmalemmal L-arginine uptake in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Although diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) is known to be expressed in vascular smooth muscle cell, its functional significance remains to be clarified. We hypothesized that DGK is involved in the pathway of cytokine-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in vascular smooth muscle cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of R59949, a diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor, on inducible nitric oxide production in vascular smooth muscle cell.

Potential Biomarker Peptides Associated with Acute Alcohol-Induced Reduction of Blood Pressure.

The purpose of this study was to explore the peptides that are related to acute reduction of blood pressure after alcohol drinking. Venous blood was collected from male healthy volunteers before and after drinking white wine (3 ml/kg weight) containing 13% of ethanol. Peptidome analysis for serum samples was performed using a new target plate, BLOTCHIP®.

Association between Alcohol Consumption and Glycemic Status in Middle-Aged Women.

Objectives: Habitual alcohol drinking has been shown to reduce the risk for diabetes by recent meta-analysis studies. However, it remains to be clarified whether the relationship between alcohol and diabetes is influenced by adiposity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether glycemic status is influenced by alcohol drinking in women.

Elevation of circulating LOX-1 ligand levels in Zucker obese and diabetic rats.

LOX-1 ligands containing apolipoprotein B (LAB) reflect ligand activity of LOX-1, which is a key molecule for initiation of atherosclerosis. The Zucker rat is a well-known model used for research on obesity and diabetes. Blood levels of LAB were compared among Zucker fatty (ZF), Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) and Zucker lean (ZL) rats.

[Immunological disorders of diabetes mellitus in experimental rat models].

A comprehensive understanding of the pathogenic mechanism is the prerequisite for proper disease management. However, the mechanisms of diabetes mellitus and diabetic complication remain extremely complicated and unresolved. While immune reactions are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes and diabetic complication, the diabetic condition itself can influence immune responses.

Inverse associations between light-to-moderate alcohol intake and lipid-related indices in patients with diabetes.

Background: Dyslipidemia is a common complication in patients with diabetes and is involved in being prone to cardiovascular disease. The risk of coronary artery disease is known to be lower in light-to-moderate drinkers than in abstainers. The aim of this study was to clarify whether and how alcohol drinking influences the lipid-related indices, good predictors for cardiovascular disease, such as the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C ratio), the ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol (TG/HDL-C ratio), and the lipid accumulation product (LAP), in patients with diabetes.

Associations of cardiovascular risk factors with prehypertension and hypertension in women.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships of cardiovascular risk factors with prehypertension and hypertension in women. Japanese women (35-54 years old, n = 9939) were divided by blood pressure into normotensive, prehypertensive and hypertensive groups. Odds ratios (ORs) for prehypertension and hypertension were calculated after adjustment for confounding factors such as age, smoking, alcohol intake, habitual exercise, body mass index (BMI), and/or therapy for dyslipidemia or diabetes.

[Regional differences in prevalence of anemia found by periodic health checkups at workplaces in Japan].

Anemia-related blood examinations are included in examinations for periodic health checkups at workplaces designated by the Industrial Safety and Health Law in Japan. The aim of this study was to determine whether there were regional differences in the prevalence of anemia in workers and, if so, to investigate possible reasons for the differences. Relationships between prevalence of anemia found by periodic health checkups and some common factors related to anemia in each prefecture of Japan were investigated by ecological regression analysis using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

Larval bullfrog skin expresses ENaC despite having no amiloride-blockable transepithelial Na+ transport.

Amiloride-blockable Na(+) transport, measured as an amiloride-blockable short-circuit current (Am-SCC), is mediated by the epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC). Am-SCC is not normally present in bullfrog tadpole skin, but when such skin is cultured with corticoids an amiloride-blockable Na transport appears. Prolactin (PRL) inhibits its corticoid-induced development.