A large molecular form of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) immunoreactivity is co-released with glucagon from pancreas by arginine in normal subjects

Plasma immunoreactivities of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1IR) in normal subjects were measured with a specific radioimmunoassay during the arginine tolerance test. Plasma GLP-1IR after arginine infusion showed a 3-fold increase in parallel to plasma glucagon immunoreactivity and plasma glucagon-like immunoreactivity, measured with a glucagon C-terminal specific antiserum (OAL 123) and an N-terminal and/or central region specific glucagon antiserum (OAL 196), respectively. This finding suggested that the increased immunoreactivities of GLP-1 as well as that of glucagon were of pancreatic origin. Upon gel chromatography, plasma at the basal state showed three GLP-1 immunoreactive peaks, eluted in the position of void volume, synthetic GLP-1(72-108), and a smaller molecular fraction. Gel chromatography of plasma after an arginine load showed an additional peak (Mr 13,000-15,000) with little change in other GLP-1 immunoreactive peaks. This large molecular form of GLP-1IR was also shown to exist in the human pancreatic extract. Moreover, the free GLP-1 concentrations in plasma before and after an arginine load were shown to be about equal by reverse phase HPLC. These data suggested that in normal subjects arginine stimulation co-releases GLP-1IR, predominantly large molecular form, with glucogen from the pancreas.     

Cigarette smoking and the risk of colorectal cancer among men: a prospective study in Japan.

The association between cigarette smoking and the risk of colorectal cancer remains controversial. We examined this association using a population-based prospective cohort study in Miyagi, Japan. In 1990, we delivered a self-administered questionnaire on cigarette smoking and other health habits to 25 279 men who were 40-64 years of age and lived in 14 municipalities of Miyagi Prefecture. A total of 22 836 men responded (90.3% response rate). During 7 years of follow-up (158 376 person-years), we identified 188 patients of colorectal cancer. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were estimated by the Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis with adjustment for potential confounders. The multivariate-adjusted relative risks (95% confidence interval) of colorectal cancer for past smokers and current smokers compared with those who had never smoked were 1.73 (1.04-2.87) and 1.47 (0.93-2.34), respectively. Among current smokers, both a higher number of cigarettes smoked per day and an earlier age at which smoking had started were associated with a significant linear increase in risk (P for trend <0.05). Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cigarette smoking is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer in men.     

Long-term estrogen replacement therapy is associated with improved exercise capacity in postmenopausal women without known coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND: Short-term estrogen administration improves vasodilation and has been shown to improve exercise capacity. However, it is unknown whether long-term estrogen replacement therapy is associated with improved exercise capacity in postmenopausal women without known coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 248 postmenopausal women without known coronary artery disease (mean age 63.5 years); 158 (64%) were current or past hormone replacement therapy (HRT) users and 108 (44%) were current users of HRT. Attributes potentially affecting exercise capacity and cardiac risk factors were carefully measured. These included duration of estrogen replacement therapy, all variables in the Framingham risk index, physical activity level, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, presence of osteoporosis, and family history of heart disease. We measured maximal oxygen uptake (MVO (2)) and anaerobic threshold as objective markers of exercise capacity. The relation between exercise capacity and use of HRT was analyzed with the use of logistic regression, controlling for confounding variables. We found that fitness, as measured by MVO (2) and anaerobic threshold, was significantly greater in women who had used HRT currently or in the past compared with women who had never used HRT. This difference in fitness was not confounded by age or physical activity level. CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen replacement therapy is associated with increased exercise capacity as measured by MVO (2) and anaerobic threshold in postmenopausal women without coronary artery disease. This finding is consistent with the beneficial effect of short-term estrogen administration on improved endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation.