Effects of the naturally-occurring disaccharides, palatinose and sucrose, on incretin secretion in healthy non-obese subjects.

Aims/introduction: Incretins might play some pathophysiological role in glucose metabolism in diabetes and obesity; it is not clear whether or not the amount and the pattern of incretin secretion vary with different types of sugars. To evaluate the effect of two types of disaccharides on glucose metabolism and the kinetics of incretin secretion, plasma levels were measured after palatinose or sucrose ingestion in non-obese healthy participants.

Materials And Methods: The study was carried out on healthy participants who were given a solution containing 50 g of palatinose or sucrose for ingestion.

Association between insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes and the effects of pioglitazone.

Endothelial dysfunction is regarded as an early stage of atherosclerosis, and plays a role in the development of atherosclerotic diseases. Insulin resistance is related to the atherosclerotic process. In this study, we examined the association between endothelial function and insulin resistance in 48 subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Intensive treatment of risk factors in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus is associated with improvement of endothelial function coupled with a reduction in the levels of plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine and endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase.

Aims: Vascular endothelium is a major organ involved in hyperglycaemia and is affected by plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). ADMA is an endogenous, competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and is induced by inflammatory cytokines of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in vitro. We hypothesized that a tight glycaemic control may restore endothelial function in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM), in association with modulation of TNF-alpha and/or reduction of ADMA level.

Development of cookie test for the simultaneous determination of glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and postprandial dyslipidemia.

A new cookie test was developed for the simultaneous evaluation of multiple risk factors such as glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and postprandial dyslipidemia. The cookie consisting of 75 g carbohydrate and 25 g fat is ingested and the blood samples are obtained at 0, 1 and 2 hours later. When the two carbohydrate sources, liquid glucose and test cookie, were compared as a glucose load within 3 months, the 2 hr plasma glucose levels were not statistically different, proposing the use of the same criteria at 2 hour glucose level for the diagnosis of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in subjects without exocrine pancreatic dysfunction.

[Evaluation of SMBG values using various instruments and clinical significance of forearm SMBG measurement].

Whole blood or plasma glucose values were compared between those measured using various instruments for SMBG and automated analyses in samples (antecubital vein) from 20 approximately 70 years old obtained at cookie tests. A good correlation between values in whole blood SMBG and plasma automated analyses values greater than r = 0.94 was observed for instruments A, C, F, and H, and the per cent difference from the automated values was less than 5% for A, B, E and H.

Close association of endothelial dysfunction with insulin resistance and carotid wall thickening in hypertension.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction has been regarded as an early stage in the atherosclerotic process. Endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance were observed in hypertensive subjects and were associated with carotid wall thickening.

Methods: We examined the determinants of endothelial dysfunction including insulin sensitivity and carotid wall thickening.

[Development of the cookie test for the early detection and analyses of metabolic risk factors of the life style related diseases and its significance].

While with toleranG 30% of the healthy subjects showed reactive hypoglycemia(2 h BS below 80 mg/dl) with symptoms, with cookie tests none showed hypoglycemia nor adverse effect. In National Cardiovascular Center, the rate of reactive hypoglycemia was 4.1% and in those with 2 h BS below 50 mg was 0.

Improvement of insulin sensitivity by a long-acting nifedipine preparation (nifedipine-CR) in patients with essential hypertension.

Background: Nifedipine has been reported to cause impairment of insulin sensitivity. But recently a controlled-released formulation of nifedipine (nifedipine-GITS) has been reported that it could improve insulin sensitivity.

Methods: We evaluated insulin sensitivity in two groups of essential hypertensive subjects before and after treatment with either long-acting nifedipine (nifedipine-CR, Adalat CR tablets; Bayer Yakuhin, Osaka, Japan) (n = 10) or metoprolol (n = 9).

Multifactorial insulin resistance and clinical impact in hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia have been observed in over 70% of the nonobese, nondiabetic subjects with essential hypertension (HT). Alpha-1 blockers, ACE-antagonists, long-acting Ca blockers including nifedipine CR, some form of beta-blockers, tilisolor, which is reported to increase blood flow, improve insulin sensitivity when blood pressure is better controlled. Decrease of serum potassium during insulin sensitivity test and intraplatelet free Ca2+ concentration is positively and negatively correlated with insulin sensitivity, respectively.