Low Aromatase Activity and Estradiol/Sex Hormone Binding Globulin Ratio are Associated with Total Hip Bone Mineral Density and the Presence of Osteoporosis: A Study in Chinese Postmenopausal Women.

Several groups have reported the important role of estradiol (E) and testosterone (T) in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP). Because aromatase catalyzes the conversion of T to E, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of aromatase activity on the bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. A total of 344 postmenopausal women were selected for this study.

Elevated serum levels of advanced glycation end products and their monocyte receptors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background And Aims: Animal experiments showed that interaction between advanced glycation end products (AGE) and their receptors (RAGE) play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Soluble RAGE (sRAGE) can function as a decoy for RAGE ligands. The present study aimed to examine the levels of AGEs, RAGE and sRAGE in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Effects of pioglitazone on high-fat-diet-induced ventricular remodeling and dysfunction in rats.

Objective: To investigate the effect of pioglitazone on high-fat (HF)-diet-induced left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and dysfunction in rats.

Methods: A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, namely, control, HF diet, and pioglitazone treatment group. High-fat diet group (HF group) animals were treated with HF diet for 30 weeks, whereas pioglitazone group was treated with HF diet for 30 weeks and pioglitazone in the last 6 weeks of the 30-week treatment.