The effects of metformin and alendronate in attenuating bone loss and improving glucose metabolism in diabetes mellitus mice.

Background: To explore the anti-osteoporosis and anti-diabetes effects and potential underlying mechanisms of treatment with metformin and alendronate in diabetes mellitus mice.

Methods: Eight-week-old C57 BL/KS db/db and db/+ female mice were evaluated according to the following treatment group for 12 weeks: control group, diabetes mellitus group, diabetes mellitus with metformin group, diabetes mellitus with Alendronate group, diabetes mellitus with metformin plus alendronate group. Glucose level, glucose tolerance test, bone mineral density, bone microarchitecture, bone histomorphometry, serum biomarkers, and qPCR analysis.

Discordance in diagnosis of osteoporosis by quantitative computed tomography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in Chinese elderly men.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnostic discordance of osteoporosis by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in Chinese elderly men.

Methods: A total of 313 males older than 60 years, who underwent both spinal QCT and lumbar spine and hip DXA in our department, were included. The diagnostic criteria established by the World Health Organisation in 1994 were used for DXA to diagnose osteoporosis, and the criteria recommended by the International Society of Clinical Densitometry were used for QCT.

The hemodynamic effect of the support mode for the intra-aorta pump on the cardiovascular system.

Intra-aorta pump is a novel rotary ventricular assist device. Because of the special structure and connection with the native heart, the hemodynamic effect of support mode of this pump on the cardiovascular system is not clear. In this work, three support modes, including "constant speed" mode, "co-pulse" mode, and "counter-pulse" mode, have been designed for the intra-aorta pump to evaluate the hemodynamic effect of different support modes on the cardiovascular system.

Hemodynamic simulation study of a novel intra-aorta left ventricular assist device.

The intra-aorta pump proposed here is a novel left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The mathematic model and the in vitro experiment demonstrate that the pump can satisfy the demand of human blood perfusion. However, the implantation of LVAD will change the fluid distribution or even generate a far-reaching influence on the aorta.