GLP-1 signalling and effects on glucose metabolism in myocytes from type 2 diabetic patients

Changes in the activity of glycogen synthase a and related kinases (phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, protein kinase B, p44/42 MAP kinases and p70s6 kinase) evoked by GLP-1 in human myocytes from normal subjects were recently implied in the effect of this hormone upon D-glucose transport and glycogen synthesis in the same cells. The major aims of the present study were i) to investigate the possible extension of this knowledge to myocytes obtained from type 2 diabetic patients, ii) to compare in these patients the response to GLP-1, insulin or the structurally related GLP-1 peptides, exendin (1-39)amide and exendin(9-39)amide, and iii) to explore possible differences in the responsiveness to these agents between normal and diabetic subjects. Apart from the much higher basal PI3K activity and impaired response to insulin of p44/42 MAP kinases in the diabetic patients, the changes in enzyme activity caused by either hormone or peptide, although not identical, were essentially comparable. Nevertheless, significant differences in glucose transport and metabolism parameters were observed in the diabetic patients vs. normal subjects: in the diabetic patients, basal 2-deoxy-glucose uptake and glycogen synthase a activity were lower, accompanied by a similar increasing effect of GLP-1 or insulin; yet, the basal value for glycogen synthesis was higher, coinciding with a lesser relative increment in response to GLP-1 or insulin.     

Viral etiopathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome: role of the hepatitis C virus

Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection present some extrahepatic manifestations that may mimic the clinical, immunologic and histological manifestations of primary Sj?gren's syndrome (SS). Thus, HCV patients with sicca symptomatology and positive autoantibodies could be misdiagnosed as a 'primary' SS. Nevertheless, there are several clinical and immunologic features that could help us differentiate both processes.     

Effective immunity to dental caries: protection of malnourished rats by local injection of Streptococcus mutans.

When rats from dams fed a low-protein diet were injected with whole, killed Strepococcus mutans 6715 cells in the region of the submandibular gland, they developed serum and salivary agglutinins to this microorganism. Titers of agglutinins in malnourished rats were similar to those observed in rats from dams fed a nutritionally adequate diet that were locally injected with S. mutans. Furthermore, both groups of immunized rats subsequently infected with cariogenic S. mutans 6715 had lower mean caries scores than infected, nonimmunized rats. This reduced incidence of caries scores than infected, nonimmunized rats. This reduced incidence of caries was evident on all molar surfaces. The mean body weights of immunized and nonimmunized, protein-deficient rats were not significantly different; likewise, both immunized and nonimmunize normally nourished rats exhibited similar weight gains. Malnourished rats, not immunized but infected with S. mutans, had significantly more caries than normal, nonimmunized infected rats. Both dietary groups of noninfected rats had very few carious lesions. These results suggest that carious lesions observed in these rats resulted from S. mutans 6715 infection. Furthermore, protein-malnourished rats, injected in the region of the submandibular gland with whole, killed S. mutans elicit an immune response and are protected against S. mutans-induced caries.     

Correlation between transmission and structure in avian ciliary ganglion synapses

1. Extracellular responses from post-ganglionic axons of pigeon and chick isolated ciliary ganglia were elicited by stimulation of the presynaptic nerve. Intracellular recordings were also obtained from newly hatched pigeon and chick ganglion cells. The fine structure of ganglia from pigeons of various ages was examined with the electron microscope.2. In ganglia from chick embryos and pigeons up to 10 days old, the extracellular response was unimodal with a long latency and could be blocked by the addition of D-tubocurarine (D-TC) or hexamethonium to the bathing solution. A bimodal extracellular response appeared in pigeons about 10 days after hatching. Only the second peak of the response could be blocked by D-TC or hexamethonium. The response recorded from 22 to 26-day-old pigeons was similar to that seen in the adult.3. The intracellular recordings from ganglion cells of 2-week-old pigeons exhibit two post-synaptic potentials elicited by presynaptic stimulation. The first post-synaptic potential appears to be due to current flow through the ganglion cell during the presynaptic action potential. The second is chemically mediated. In pigeons from 1 to 6 days old, only the second post-synaptic potential is observed.4. The presynaptic terminals in the 4-day-old birds were in the form of calyces. In pigeons 7 days old or older, boutons appeared. The boutons were presumably formed as a result of cleavage of calyciform nerve terminals. Myelin was seen first in the 7-day-old pigeon, was well developed in the 16-day-old bird, and persisted in the adults.5. In adult ganglia, the first component of the extracellular response decreased and was finally abolished after 10-12 hr of superfusion with Tyrode solution. The second component of the response increased concomitantly. The only anatomical change noted in the ganglia after soaking was the disruption and separation of the myelin lamellae from each other and from around the ganglion and presynaptic terminals.6. It is concluded that the myelin is necessary for electrical transmission in the pigeon ciliary ganglion.     

Interleukin-1 gene complex in schizophrenia: an association study.

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between three polymorphisms of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) gene complex and schizophrenia. We genotyped 228 outpatients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV criteria) and 419 unrelated healthy controls. The following polymorphisms were analyzed: IL-1alpha -889 C/T, IL-1beta +3953 C/T, and IL-1RA (86 bp)n. No significant differences in genotype or in allelic distribution of the Il-1alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-1RA polymorphisms were found. Estimated haplotype frequencies were similar in both groups. Our data do not suggest that genetically determined changes in the IL-1 gene complex confer increased susceptibility for schizophrenia.     

Role of hepatitis C virus genotype in the development of severe transaminase elevation after the introduction of antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of different hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in the development of transaminase elevation after treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study at one referral HIV outpatient clinic. METHODS: HCV genotype was determined in plasma samples from all consecutive HCV-HIV coinfected patients initiating HAART between March 1998 and January 2000. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded during the following 9 months. Severe transaminase elevation was defined as > or = fivefold increase over upper normal limits (AIDS Clinical Trials Group grades 3 or 4) when baseline alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) values were normal, and as > or = 3.5-fold increase above baseline ALT and AST values if they were abnormal. RESULTS: Twelve of 70 subjects (17%) developed severe transaminase elevation. Their HCV genotypes were distributed as follows: type 1, 5/39 (13%); type 2, 0/3 (0%); type 3, 7/21 (33%); and type 4, 0/7 (0%). The incidence of severe transaminase elevation was significantly higher among subjects with HCV genotype 3 (HCV-3) compared with those with non-type 3 (OR, 4.4 [95%CI, 1.2-16.1]; P =.02). In the multivariate analysis, HCV-3 remained associated with severe transaminase elevation when adjusted for baseline HCV viral load and degree of immune recovery seen during follow-up evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: HCV-3 is an independent risk factor for developing severe transaminase elevation after HAART. HCV genotyping before initiating antiretroviral therapy may be useful for assessing the risk of hepatotoxicity and for choosing the most appropriate drugs to prescribe for HIV-HCV coinfected patients. Given that the best response to interferon plus ribavirin occurs in patients with HCV-3, treatment should be specially encouraged in coinfected persons carrying HCV-3.