Endocrine Abstracts

Cell and tissue damage, particularly to pancreatic β-cells, is an essential characteristic of diabetes mellitus, triggered by autoimmune destruction of β-cells in type-1 (T1D) and by obesity associated factors or insulin resistance in type 2. Thus, stimulating β-cell regeneration has long been a most important goal of diabetes research. Recently, we have shown that pancreatic injury consisting of acinar cell inflammation and β-cell destruction led to islet ...

It has been suggested that the selective m-TOR inhibitor, Rapamycin, has been improved the success pancreatic islet allotransplantation (ITx) in type 1 diabetic patients (T1DM). Forty-one ITx were studied. Thirteen T1DM in poor glycemic control underwent a 45-days Rapamycin before ITx followed by standard Edmonton Protocol (EP, group 1, Milan), and they were compared to 28 T1DM patients undergoing EP (group 2, Miami). Outcome measures were daily insulin requirement (DIR), HbA1...

Metformin is a biguanide class agent widely used as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, however the detailed mode of action and exact pharmacodynamics has not been clarified. Moreover there is no studies in humans displaying the effect of metformin on DNA methylation. We therefore performed a clinical study involving twelve healthy nondiabetic individuals who were subjected to the 1 week of metformin (2×850 mg/day) treatment. Peripheral blood for DNA isolation was...

Background: We aim to test whether plasma copeptin (copeptin), the C-terminal fragment of vasopressin, has predictive value of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes without previous cardiovascular disease who were treated in primary care.Methods: We measured copeptin in 697 patients who participated in the epidemiological study CARDIPP (Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Diabetes – a Prospective Study in Primary Care; Clin...

Insulin resistance and type II diabetes (T2D) are associated with activation of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone-System (RAAS) in part via regulation of its principal effector molecule, Angiotensin II (AngII). Endothelial cell activation leads to, among other factors, increased extracellular protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a multifunctional protein that is critical to thrombus formation and regulation of reactive oxygen species. However, the effects of RAAS on PDI are unkn...