Sotagliflozin in Patients with Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors such as sotagliflozin in preventing cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes with chronic kidney disease with or without albuminuria have not been well studied. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, double-blind trial in which patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (glycated hemoglobin level, ≥7%), chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate, 25 to 60 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area), and risks for cardiovascular disease were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive sotagliflozin or placebo. The primary end point was changed during the trial to the composite of the total number of deaths from cardiovascular causes, hospitalizations for heart failure, and urgent visits for heart failure. The trial ended early owing to loss of funding. RESULTS: Of 19,188 patients screened, 10,584 were enrolled, with 5292 assigned to the sotagliflozin group and 5292 assigned to the placebo group, and followed for a median of 16 months. The rate of primary end-point events was 5.6 events per 100 patient-years in the sotagliflozin group and 7.5 events per 100 patient-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63 to 0.88; P<0.001). The rate of deaths from cardiovascular causes per 100 patient-years was 2.2 with sotagliflozin and 2.4 with placebo (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.12; P = 0.35). For the original coprimary end point of the first occurrence of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke, the hazard ratio was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.72 to 0.99); for the original coprimary end point of the first occurrence of death from cardiovascular causes or hospitalization for heart failure, the hazard ratio was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.66 to 0.91). Diarrhea, genital mycotic infections, volume depletion, and diabetic ketoacidosis were more common with sotagliflozin than with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, with or without albuminuria, sotagliflozin resulted in a lower risk of the composite of deaths from cardiovascular causes, hospitalizations for heart failure, and urgent visits for heart failure than placebo but was associated with adverse events. (Funded by Sanofi and Lexicon Pharmaceuticals; SCORED ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03315143.).

Metformin: Therapeutic profile in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Metformin (dimethyl-biguanide) can claim its origins in the use of Galega officinalis as a plant treatment for symptoms ascribed to diabetes. Since the first clinical use of metformin as a glucose-lowering agent in 1957, this medicine has emerged as a first-line pharmacological option to support lifestyle interventions in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D). It acts through multiple cellular pathways, principally in the gut, liver and muscle, to counter insulin resistance and lower blood glucose without weight gain or risk of overt hypoglycaemia. Other effects include improvements in lipid metabolism, decreased inflammation and lower long-term cardiovascular risk. Metformin is conveniently combined with other diabetes medications, can be prescribed in prediabetes to reduce the risk of progression to T2D, and is used in some regions to assist glycaemic control in pregnancy. Consistent with its diversity of actions, established safety profile and cost-effectiveness, metformin is being assessed for further possible clinical applications. The use of metformin requires adequate renal function for drug elimination, and may cause initial gastrointestinal side effects, which can be moderated by taking with meals or using an extended-release formulation. Thus, metformin serves as a valuable therapeutic resource for use throughout the natural history of T2D.

Tirzepatide for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes: An endocrine perspective.

Tirzepatide is a novel glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide/glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist approved in the United States as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes and under investigation for use in chronic weight management, major adverse cardiovascular events and the management of other conditions, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity and non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The Phase 3 SURPASS 1-5 clinical trial programme was designed to assess efficacy and safety of once-weekly subcutaneously injected tirzepatide (5, 10 and 15 mg), as monotherapy or combination therapy, across a broad spectrum of people with type 2 diabetes. Use of tirzepatide in clinical studies was associated with marked reductions of glycated haemoglobin (-1.87 to -2.59%, -20 to -28 mmol/mol) and body weight (-6.2 to -12.9 kg), as well as reductions in parameters commonly associated with heightened cardiometabolic risk such as blood pressure, visceral adiposity and circulating triglycerides. In SUPRASS-2, these reductions were greater than with the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide 1 mg. Tirzepatide was well tolerated, with a low risk of hypoglycaemia when used without insulin or insulin secretagogues and showed a generally similar safety profile to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class. Accordingly, evidence from these clinical trials suggests that tirzepatide offers a new opportunity for the effective lowering of glycated haemoglobin and body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Renal Protection with SGLT2 Inhibitors: Effects in Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review offers a critical narrative evaluation of emerging evidence that sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors exert nephroprotective effects in people with type 2 diabetes. RECENT FINDINGS: The SGLT2 inhibitor class of glucose-lowering agents has recently shown beneficial effects to reduce the onset and progression of renal complications in people with and without diabetes. Randomised clinical trials and 'real world' observational studies, mostly involving type 2 diabetes patients, have noted that use of an SGLT2 inhibitor can slow the decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), reduce the onset of microalbuminuria and slow or reverse the progression of proteinuria. The nephroprotective effects of SGLT2 inhibitors are class effects observed with each of the approved agents in people with a normal or impaired GFR. These effects are also observed in non-diabetic, lean and normotensive individuals suggesting that the mechanisms extend beyond the glucose-lowering, weight-lowering and blood pressure-lowering effects that accompany their glucosuric action in diabetes patients. A key mechanism is tubuloglomerular feedback in which SGLT2 inhibitors cause more sodium to pass along the nephron: the sodium is sensed by macula cells which act via adenosine to constrict afferent glomerular arterioles, thereby protecting glomeruli by reducing intraglomerular pressure. Other effects of SGLT2 inhibitors improve tubular oxygenation and metabolism and reduce renal inflammation and fibrosis. SGLT2 inhibitors have not increased the risk of urinary tract infections or the risk of acute kidney injury. However, introduction of an SGLT2 inhibitor in patients with a very low GFR is not encouraged due to an initial dip in GFR, and it is prudent to discontinue therapy if there is an acute renal event, hypovolaemia or hypotension.

From insulin injections to islet transplantation: An overview of the journey.

When, in 1869, Paul Langerhans detected the "islands of tissue" in the pancreas, he took the first step on a journey towards islet transplantation as a treatment for type 1 diabetes. The route has embraced developments across biosciences, surgery, gene therapy and clinical research. This review highlights major milestones along that journey involving whole pancreas transplantation, islet transplantation, the creation of surrogate insulin-secreting cells and novel islet-like structures using genetic and bio-engineering technologies. To obviate the paucity of human tissue, pluripotent stem cells and non-ß-cells within the pancreas have been modified to create physiologically responsive insulin-secreting cells. Before implantation, these can be co-cultured with endothelial cells to promote vascularisation and with immune defence cells such as placental amnion cells to reduce immune rejection. Scaffolds to contain grafts and facilitate surgical placement provide further opportunities to achieve physiological insulin delivery. Alternatively, xenotransplants such as porcine islets might be reconsidered as opportunities exist to circumvent safety concerns and immune rejection. Thus, despite a long and arduous journey, the prospects for increased use of tissue transplantation to provide physiological insulin replacement are drawing ever closer.

Flash Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A Summary Review of Recent Real-World Evidence.

Optimizing glycemic control remains a shared challenge for clinicians and their patients with diabetes. Flash continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) provides immediate information about an individual's current and projected glucose level, allowing users to respond promptly to mitigate or prevent pending hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the glycemic benefits of flash CGM use in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, whereas RCTs are mostly focused on the efficacy of this technology in defined circumstances, real-world studies can assess its effectiveness in wider clinical settings. This review assesses the most recent real-world studies demonstrating the effectiveness of flash CGM use to improve clinical outcomes and health care resource utilization in populations with diabetes.

Uric acid and the cardio-renal effects of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Sodium/glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which lower blood glucose by increasing renal glucose elimination, have been shown to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) and renal events in type 2 diabetes. This has been ascribed, in part, to haemodynamic changes, body weight reduction and several possible effects on myocardial, endothelial and tubulo-glomerular functions, as well as to reduced glucotoxicity. This review evaluates evidence that an effect of SGLT2 inhibitors to lower uric acid may also contribute to reduced cardio-renal risk. Chronically elevated circulating uric acid concentrations are associated with increased risk of hypertension, CV disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The extent to which uric acid contributes to these conditions, either as a cause or an aggravating factor, remains unclear, but interventions that reduce urate production or increase urate excretion in hyperuricaemic patients have consistently improved cardio-renal prognoses. Uric acid concentrations are often elevated in type 2 diabetes, contributing to the "metabolic syndrome" of CV risk. Treating type 2 diabetes with an SGLT2 inhibitor increases uric acid excretion, reduces circulating uric acid and improves parameters of CV and renal function. This raises the possibility that the lowering of uric acid by SGLT2 inhibition may assist in reducing adverse CV events and slowing progression of CKD in type 2 diabetes. SGLT2 inhibition might also be useful in the treatment of gout and gouty arthritis, especially when co-existent with diabetes.

Cardiovascular protection in type 2 diabetes: Insights from recent outcome trials.

This review examines recent randomized controlled cardiovascular (CV) outcome trials of glucose-lowering therapies in type 2 diabetes and their impact on the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. The trials were designed to comply with regulatory requirements to confirm that major adverse cardiac events (MACE) are not detrimentally affected by such therapies. Trials involving dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors did not alter a composite MACE outcome comprising CV deaths, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal stroke; however, the possibility that some members of this class might incur a small increased risk or worsening of heart failure cannot be excluded. Some studies on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide: LEADER trial; semaglutide: SUSTAIN-6 trial) found significant benefits for MACE, while treatment with sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (empagliflozin: EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial; canagliflozin: CANVAS trial) also significantly reduced MACE and reduced hospitalization for heart failure. Comparisons among trials are complicated by variance in the populations recruited, particularly CV status at randomization, and differences in trial design, data collection and analyses. A large proportion of patients recruited into these trials have previously experienced adverse CV events; thus, the therapies are mostly assessing secondary prevention of a further event. This contrasts with the overall type 2 diabetes population receiving glucose-lowering therapies, of whom the majority will not have had MACE and will be regarded as primary prevention. Overall, the trials provide reassuring evidence that new glucose-lowering medications do not adversely affect CV events and some of these agents may offer CV protection.

Durability of glycaemic control with dapagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, compared with saxagliptin, a DPP4 inhibitor, in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.

Dapagliflozin is associated with greater reductions in HbA1c and weight than saxagliptin in management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The present post hoc analyses compared the durability of these effects over short- and long-term follow-up in patients with T2DM who were inadequately controlled with metformin (≥1500 mg/day) and who were receiving either dapagliflozin (10 mg/day) or saxagliptin (5 mg/day). Failure of glycaemiccontrol was assessed using the slope of the change in HbA1c from baseline-over-time regression line (coefficient of failure [CoF]). CoF was compared directly (dapagliflozin vs saxagliptin) over the short term (NCT01606007, 24 weeks) and indirectly (placebo-adjusted) over the long term (NCT00528879 and NCT00121667, 102 weeks). A low CoF value indicated greater durability. CoF was lower for dapagliflozin versus saxagliptin over 18-24 weeks (-1.38%/year; 95% CI, -2.41 to -0.35; P = .009) and 20-102 weeks (-0.37%/year; 95% CI, -0.73 to -0.02; P = .04). Fewer dapagliflozin-treated patients versus saxagliptin-treated patients required rescue medication or discontinued the study because of failure to achieve glycaemic control at 24 weeks (3.4% vs 9.4%; P = .0191). In patients with T2DM who were inadequately controlled with metformin, dapagliflozin was associated with greater durability of glycaemic control than saxagliptin over 18-24 and 20-102 weeks.

Rotational culture and integration with amniotic stem cells reduce porcine islet immunoreactivity in vitro and slow xeno-rejection in a murine model of islet transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Pre-transplant modification of porcine islets may improve their suitability for clinical use in diabetes management by supporting graft function and reducing the potential for xeno-rejection. The present study investigates intra-graft incorporation of stem cells that secrete beta (ß)-cell trophic and immunomodulatory factors to preserve function and alter immune cell responsiveness to porcine islets. METHODS: Isolated porcine islets were maintained in a three-dimensional rotational cell culture system (RCCS) to facilitate aggregation with human amniotic epithelial cells (AECs). Assembled islet constructs were assessed for functional integrity and ability to avoid xeno-recognition by CD4+ T-cells using mixed islet:lymphocyte reaction assays. To determine whether stem cell-mediated modification of porcine islets provided a survival advantage over native islets, structural integrity was examined in a pig-to-mouse islet transplant model. RESULTS: Rotational cell culture system supported the formation of porcine islet:AEC aggregates with improved insulin-secretory capacity compared to unmodified islets, whilst the xeno-response of purified CD4+ T-cells to AEC-bearing grafts was significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated. Transplanted AEC-bearing grafts demonstrated slower rejection in immune-competent recipients compared to unmodified islets. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Rotational culture enables pre-transplant modification of porcine islets by integration with immunomodulatory stem cells capable of subduing xeno-reactivity to CD4+ T-cells. This reduces islet rejection and offers translational potential to widen availability and improve the clinical effectiveness of islet transplantation.

Treatment of type 2 diabetes: future approaches.

Introduction or background: Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for ~90% of all diabetes, is a heterogeneous and progressive disease with a variety of causative and potentiating factors. The hyperglycaemia of type 2 diabetes is often inadequately controlled, hence the need for a wider selection of glucose-lowering treatments. Sources of data: Medline, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Areas of agreement: Early, effective and sustained control of blood glucose defers the onset and reduces the severity of microvascular and neuropathic complications of type 2 diabetes and helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) complications. Areas of controversy: Newer glucose-lowering agents require extensive long-term studies to confirm CV safety. The positioning of newer agents within therapeutic algorithms varies. Growing points: In addition to their glucose-lowering efficacy, some new glucose-lowering agents may act independently to reduce CV and renal complications. Areas timely for developing research: Studies of potential new glucose-lowering agents offer the opportunity to safely improve glycaemic control with prolonged efficacy and greater opportunity for therapeutic individualisation.

Dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A pooled analysis of safety data from phase IIb/III clinical trials.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and tolerability of dapagliflozin, a highly selective sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Data were pooled from 13 placebo-controlled trials of up to 24 weeks' duration (dapagliflozin, n = 2360; placebo, n = 2295). Larger placebo-/comparator-controlled pools of 21 (≤208 weeks; dapagliflozin, n = 5936; control, n = 3403) and 30 trials (≥12 weeks; dapagliflozin, n = 9195; control, n = 4629) assessed the rare adverse events (AEs) of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and lower limb amputation, respectively. RESULTS: Over 24 weeks, the overall incidence of AEs and serious AEs (SAEs) was similar for dapagliflozin and placebo: 60.0% vs 55.7% and 5.1% vs 5.4%, respectively. Rates of hypoglycaemia, volume depletion AEs, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and fractures were balanced between the groups. Genital infections were more frequent with dapagliflozin (5.5%) vs placebo (0.6%) and renal function AEs occurred in 3.2% vs 1.8% of patients (the most common renal AE was decreased creatinine clearance: 1.1% vs 0.7%). In the 21-study pool, 1 SAE of DKA and 3 AEs of ketonuria/metabolic acidosis occurred with dapagliflozin vs none with control; estimated combined incidence for these events was 0.03% (95% confidence interval 0.010-0.089). In the 30-study pool, lower limb amputation occurred in 8 (0.1%) and 7 (0.2%) patients receiving dapagliflozin and control, respectively. CONCLUSION: The overall incidence rates of AEs and SAEs were similar in the dapagliflozin and placebo/control groups, including the incidence of hypoglycaemia, volume depletion, fractures, UTIs, amputations and DKA. Genital infections were more frequent with dapagliflozin than placebo.

Metformin extended-release versus immediate-release: An international, randomized, double-blind, head-to-head trial in pharmacotherapy-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes.

This international, randomized, double-blind trial (NCT01864174) compared the efficacy and safety of metformin extended-release (XR) and immediate-release (IR) in patients with type 2 diabetes. After a 4-week placebo lead-in, pharmacotherapy-naïve adults with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) at 7.0% to 9.2% were randomized (1:1) to receive once-daily metformin XR 2000 mg or twice-daily metformin IR 1000 mg for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c after 24 weeks. Secondary endpoints were change in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), mean daily glucose (MDG) and patients (%) with HbA1c <7.0% after 24 weeks. Overall, 539 patients were randomized (metformin XR, N = 268; metformin IR, N = 271). Adjusted mean changes in HbA1c, FPG, MDG and patients (%) with HbA1c <7.0% after 24 weeks were similar for XR and IR: -0.93% vs -0.96%; -21.1 vs -20.6 mg/dL (-1.2 vs -1.1 mmol/L); -24.7 vs -27.1 mg/dL (-1.4 vs -1.5 mmol/L); and 70.9% vs 72.0%, respectively. Adverse events were similar between groups and consistent with previous studies. Overall, metformin XR demonstrated efficacy and safety similar to that of metformin IR over 24 weeks, with the advantage of once-daily dosing.

Metformin: historical overview.

Metformin (dimethylbiguanide) has become the preferred first-line oral blood glucose-lowering agent to manage type 2 diabetes. Its history is linked to Galega officinalis (also known as goat's rue), a traditional herbal medicine in Europe, found to be rich in guanidine, which, in 1918, was shown to lower blood glucose. Guanidine derivatives, including metformin, were synthesised and some (not metformin) were used to treat diabetes in the 1920s and 1930s but were discontinued due to toxicity and the increased availability of insulin. Metformin was rediscovered in the search for antimalarial agents in the 1940s and, during clinical tests, proved useful to treat influenza when it sometimes lowered blood glucose. This property was pursued by the French physician Jean Sterne, who first reported the use of metformin to treat diabetes in 1957. However, metformin received limited attention as it was less potent than other glucose-lowering biguanides (phenformin and buformin), which were generally discontinued in the late 1970s due to high risk of lactic acidosis. Metformin's future was precarious, its reputation tarnished by association with other biguanides despite evident differences. The ability of metformin to counter insulin resistance and address adult-onset hyperglycaemia without weight gain or increased risk of hypoglycaemia gradually gathered credence in Europe, and after intensive scrutiny metformin was introduced into the USA in 1995. Long-term cardiovascular benefits of metformin were identified by the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) in 1998, providing a new rationale to adopt metformin as initial therapy to manage hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes. Sixty years after its introduction in diabetes treatment, metformin has become the most prescribed glucose-lowering medicine worldwide with the potential for further therapeutic applications.

Plasma irisin is elevated in type 2 diabetes and is associated with increased E-selectin levels.

BACKGROUND: Irisin is a hormone released mainly from skeletal muscle after exercise which increases adipose tissue energy expenditure. Adipocytes can also release irisin after exercise, acting as a local adipokine to induce white adipose tissue to take on a brown adipose tissue-like phenotype, suggesting that irisin and its receptor may represent a novel molecular target for the treatment of obesity and obesity-related diabetes. Previous reports provide conflicting evidence regarding circulating irisin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: This study investigated plasma irisin concentrations in 79 T2DM individuals, assessing potential associations with measures of segmental body composition, markers of endothelial dysfunction and peripheral blood mononuclear cell telomere length (TL). RESULTS: Resting, overnight-fasted plasma irisin levels were significantly higher in this group of T2DM patients compared with levels we previously reported in healthy volunteers (p < 0.001). Moreover, plasma irisin displayed a positive correlation with body mass index (p = 0.04), body fat percentage (p = 0.03), HbA1c (p = 0.03) and soluble E-selectin (p < 0.001). A significant negative association was observed between plasma irisin and visceral adiposity (p = 0.006) in T2DM patients. Multiple regression analysis revealed that circulating soluble E-selectin levels could be predicted by plasma irisin (p = 0.004). Additionally, cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) exposed to 200 ng/ml irisin for 4 h showed a significant fourfold increase in E-selectin and 2.5-fold increase in ICAM-1 gene expression (p = 0.001 and p = 0.015 respectively), and there was a 1.8-fold increase in soluble E-selectin in conditioned media (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that elevated plasma irisin in T2DM is associated with indices of adiposity, and that irisin may be involved in pro-atherogenic endothelial disturbances that accompany obesity and T2DM. Accordingly, irisin may constitute a potentially novel therapeutic opportunity in the field of obesity and cardiovascular diabetology.

Metformin and the gastrointestinal tract.

Metformin is an effective agent with a good safety profile that is widely used as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, yet its mechanisms of action and variability in terms of efficacy and side effects remain poorly understood. Although the liver is recognised as a major site of metformin pharmacodynamics, recent evidence also implicates the gut as an important site of action. Metformin has a number of actions within the gut. It increases intestinal glucose uptake and lactate production, increases GLP-1 concentrations and the bile acid pool within the intestine, and alters the microbiome. A novel delayed-release preparation of metformin has recently been shown to improve glycaemic control to a similar extent to immediate-release metformin, but with less systemic exposure. We believe that metformin response and tolerance is intrinsically linked with the gut. This review examines the passage of metformin through the gut, and how this can affect the efficacy of metformin treatment in the individual, and contribute to the side effects associated with metformin intolerance.

Under-treatment of type 2 diabetes: Causes and outcomes of clinical inertia.

AIMS: To assess the impact of clinical inertia on type 2 diabetes (T2D) care. METHODS: PubMed database search from January 2000 until December 2015. RESULTS: Clinical inertia, defined as resistance to initiate or intensify treatment in a patient not at the evidence-based glycated haemoglobin goal, is conservatively estimated to occur in at least 25% of patients with T2D. Consequently, many patients with diagnosed and treated T2D experience extended periods, in some cases years, of ineffectively controlled hyperglycaemia, potentially causing serious microvascular and macrovascular harm. Delayed treatment does not appear to be specific to primary care, but also occurs in the specialist setting. The causes of clinical inertia appear to be complex, involving both reasonable and unacceptable delays on the part of the clinician and poor compliance with treatment regimens on the part of the patient. Evidence suggests that the clinical and organisational context may be particularly important in reinforcing clinical inertia, notably the increasingly severe time constraints for diagnosis and management of multiple morbidities, consideration of complex guidelines, assessment of cost and appreciation of patient concerns, all of which may hamper prioritisation of the important issue of under-treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Since the pharmacotherapeutic tools for good control of blood glucose exist in all advanced healthcare systems, initiatives to address the important and widespread problem of clinical inertia may require focused campaigns that encourage attention to guideline recommendations and their adaptation for individualised care.

Ageing, adipose tissue, fatty acids and inflammation.

A common feature of ageing is the alteration in tissue distribution and composition, with a shift in fat away from lower body and subcutaneous depots to visceral and ectopic sites. Redistribution of adipose tissue towards an ectopic site can have dramatic effects on metabolic function. In skeletal muscle, increased ectopic adiposity is linked to insulin resistance through lipid mediators such as ceramide or DAG, inhibiting the insulin receptor signalling pathway. Additionally, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is increased with elevated visceral adipose distribution. In ageing, adipose tissue becomes dysfunctional, with the pathway of differentiation of preadipocytes to mature adipocytes becoming impaired; this results in dysfunctional adipocytes less able to store fat and subsequent fat redistribution to ectopic sites. Low grade systemic inflammation is commonly observed in ageing, and may drive the adipose tissue dysfunction, as proinflammatory cytokines are capable of inhibiting adipocyte differentiation. Beyond increased ectopic adiposity, the effect of impaired adipose tissue function is an elevation in systemic free fatty acids (FFA), a common feature of many metabolic disorders. Saturated fatty acids can be regarded as the most detrimental of FFA, being capable of inducing insulin resistance and inflammation through lipid mediators such as ceramide, which can increase risk of developing atherosclerosis. Elevated FFA, in particular saturated fatty acids, maybe a driving factor for both the increased insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease risk and inflammation in older adults.

Low gravity rotational culture and the integration of immunomodulatory stem cells reduce human islet allo-reactivity.

Modification of human islets prior to transplantation may improve long-term clinical outcome in terms of diabetes management, by supporting graft function and reducing the potential for allo-rejection. Intragraft incorporation of stem cells secreting beta (ß)-cell trophic and immunomodulatory factors represents a credible approach, but requires suitable culture methods to facilitate islet alteration without compromising integrity. This study employed a three-dimensional rotational cell culture system (RCCS) to achieve modification, preserve function, and ultimately influence immune cell responsiveness to human islets. Islets underwent intentional dispersal and rotational culture-assisted aggregation with amniotic epithelial cells (AEC) exhibiting intrinsic immunomodulatory potential. Reassembled islet constructs were assessed for functional integrity, and their ability to induce an allo-response in discrete T-cell subsets determined using mixed islet:lymphocyte reaction assays. RCCS supported the formation of islet:AEC aggregates with improved insulin secretory capacity compared to unmodified islets. Further, the allo-response of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and purified CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets to AEC-bearing grafts was significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated. Rotational culture enables pre-transplant islet modification involving their integration with immunomodulatory stem cells capable of subduing the allo-reactivity of T cells relevant to islet rejection. The approach may play a role in achieving acute and long-term graft survival in islet transplantation.