Effect of artemisinin on improving islet function in rats fed with maternal high-fat diet.

BACKGROUND: Maternal high-fat diet (HFD) is a detrimental factor in developing glucose intolerance, obesity, and islet dysfunction. However, the effect of artemisinin on maternal HFD and whether it is related to the alterations of islet function is seldom studied since artemisinin treatments not only attenuate insulin resistance (IR) and restore islet ß cell function in Diabetes mellitus type 2. METHODS: Female rats were randomly fed a HFD (45% kcal from fat), HFD + artemisinin, or a regular chow diet (RCD) before pregnancy and during gestation. Glucose metabolism and the ß cell phenotypes were assessed. RESULTS: Maternal HFD increased islet load in female rats, proliferation of pancreatic ß cells, increased insulinogen, and decreased insulin secretion response to high glucose stimulation with delayed insulin release, increased fasting glucose, and glucose area under the curve compared with the general diet group. HFD inhibited expression of Foxo1 and PAX6 in female rats. Under the effect of both HFD and pregnancy, islet load was further increased, insulinogen was further increased, and fasting insulin level and fasting glucose were higher than RCD fed general-pregnancy group. ALDH1a3 transdifferentiation and PAX6, Foxo1, and PDX1 expression were increased in islets of high-fat pregnant rats. When adding artemisinin in HFD treated pregnant rats, islet function was significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention with artemisinin in maternal HFD resulted in reduced islet size, decreased number of ß-cells and improved islet microcirculation, insulin processing shear process, decreased insulinogen/insulin ratio, and restored islet function through increased expression of PC1/3.

Effects of co-pyrolysis of rice husk and sewage sludge on the bioavailability and environmental risks of Pb and Cd.

In this study, biochars were produced by co-pyrolysis of rice husk and sewage sludge, the environmental risk of heavy metal (Pd and Cd) in the biochars was assessed. Co-pyrolysis resulted in a lower yield but a higher C content compared with sewage sludge pyrolysis alone, the relative contents of Pb and Cd in biochars were declined. Co-pyrolysis process transformed the bioavailable heavy metals into stable speciation. The environmental risk assessment codes of Pb and Cd were reduced by 1-2 grades. The co-pyrolysis technology provides a feasible method for the safe disposal of heavy metal-contaminated sewage sludge.

Towards Understanding the Mechanism of Heavy Metals Immobilization in Biochar Derived from Co-pyrolysis of Sawdust and Sewage Sludge.

Biochar was prepared by mixing sewage sludge with sawdust via a co-pyrolysis with different mixture ratios and temperatures. The results showed that the sawdust addition resulted in a lower yield of biochar with higher C content. The total concentrations of Pb and Cd in biochar were reduced. Besides, pyrolysis can transform the potentially toxic Pb and Cd to stable fractions. However the sawdust addition had slight influence on the chemical forms of Pb and Cd in the biochar. The biochar with 50% sawdust at 600°C exhibited a remarkable reduction of the leachable metal concentrations. The possible transformation mechanisms of Pb and Cd were inferred as the formation of aluminum and silicon-containing minerals. These results provide insights into the influence of sawdust addition on the characteristics of biochar and the possible Pb and Cd immobilization mechanisms during co-pyrolysis process.

Clinical Analysis of Diabetic Combined Pulmonary Mucormycosis.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the understanding of diabetic combined pulmonary mucormycosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: The clinical data of twelve patients diagnosed as diabetic combined pulmonary mucormycosis were analyzed by the clinical manifestations, imaging features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this disease. Patients from January 1999 to June 2015 in our hospital had poor blood glucose control and varying degrees of diabetic chronic complications with an on average of diabetes 8.6 ± 3.5 years. The clinical symptoms of diabetic combined pulmonary mucormycosis included different degrees of fever, cough, sputum and dyspnea. The numbers of white blood cells and neutrophils were significantly elevated in patients, and Mucor had been checked in sputum culture for three times. In addition, although the liver and kidney functions were normal, the patients had hypoxemia and decreased diffusion capacity, lung capacity and carbon dioxide binding force. Imaging manifestations revealed small patchy shadows with nodular shadows and pneumonia in the lung of the patients. Twelve patients took oral hypoglycemic drugs for improving glucose combined with subcutaneous injection of insulin. One patient with intravenous injection of fluconazole was died of respiratory failure at 1 week. There were two of seven cases with amphotericin B liposome died of haemoptysis and respiratory failure, respectively, and the other five were cured. Moreover, four cases who took more than two drugs were cured. CONCLUSION: Diabetic with pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare but fatal fungal infection disease. Diagnosis and treatment early are essential to improve the prognosis of the patients.

[Bipolar androgen therapy: A novel therapeutic strategy for castration-resistant prostate cancer].

Bipolar androgen therapy (BAT), as a new therapeutic strategy for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), can significantly reduce the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer patients and has exhibited an excellent safety profile with no serious adverse events. Based on the clinical trials recently published at home and abroad, this article reviews the background, action mechanism, development, and prospect of BAT.

Liraglutide reduces the body weight and waist circumference in Chinese overweight and obese type 2 diabetic patients.

AIM: To investigate the effects of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor activator, on body weight and waist circumference in Chinese overweight and obese type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: A total of 328 Chinese overweight and obese type 2 diabetic patients were included in this multi-center, open-labeled and self-controlled clinical study. The patients were subcutaneously injected with liraglutide once daily for 24 weeks as add-on therapy to their previous hypoglycemic treatments. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software package version 11.5 for Windows. RESULTS: Liraglutide treatment caused significant reduction of the mean body weight (from 86.61±14.09 to 79.10±13.55 kg) and waist circumference (from 101.81±13.96 to 94.29±14.17 cm), resulting in body weight lose of 5%-10% in 43.67% patients, and body weight loss above 10% in 34.06% patients, who had significant lower plasma creatinine levels. Baseline waist circumference, BMI and HOMA-IR were independently correlated with the body weight loss. Furthermore, liraglutide treatment significantly decreased HbA1c levels (from 8.66%±2.17% to 6.92%±0.95%) with HbA1c<7.0% in 35.37% patients, who had a significantly lower baseline level of HbA1c, but higher baseline levels of C peptide and glucagon. Moreover, liraglutide treatment resulted in greater body weight loss in patients with a long duration of diabetes, and better glycemic control in patients with a short duration of diabetes. CONCLUSION: Liraglutide significantly reduces body weight and waist circumference in Chinese overweight and obese type 2 diabetic patients. Patients with apparent visceral obesity, insulin resistance and a long duration of diabetes may have greater body weight loss; whereas patients with high insulin-secreting ability, hyperglucagonemia, and short-duration diabetes may obtain better glycemic control with liraglutide.

[The application of noninvasive urodynamics in early detection of diabetic cystopathy].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early detection of diabetic cystopathy (DCP) with the technology of noninvasive urodynamics. METHODS: 70 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and 30 normal control subjects were checked with the technology of noninvasive urodynamics. Based on their disease course of less or more than 5 years, the DM patients were divided into two groups. Maximal flow rate, average flow rate, the volume leading to first bladder sensation and residual urine volume were measured by using noninvasive urodynamic technology. RESULTS: Among the 70 DM patients, 34 were detected to have bladder residual urine, so the DCP detection rate was 48.6%. In the patients with DCP, the average residual urine volume was 7-139 ml (30.1 +/- 27.1) ml, while there was no residual urine in the normal control group. As compared with the normal control group, maximal flow rate and average flow rate were decreased in all the patients with DM and those with DCP (P < 0.01). After follow up of the disease, the patients with a course of more than five years of disease control had even lower maximal flow rate and average flow rate. CONCLUSION: Maximal flow rate decrease and bladder residual urine detected with the technology of noninvasive urodynamics may be widely used in early detection and early diagnosis of DCP.