Percepções de pacientes sobre a relação entre diabetes mellitus e saúde oral: um estudo transversal / Patients perceptions towards diabetes mellitus and oral health: a cross-sectional study

Purpose: To evaluate the knowledge of diabetic patients towards the connection between diabetes mellitus (DM) and oral diseases. Oral status was also assessed in order to evaluate the correlation among patients' perception and their oral health. Material and Methods: A sample of 132 diabetic subjects answered a questionnaire containing 12 questions addressing their knowledge, attitudes and practices related to oral health. Oral examination accessed the presence of cavity carious lesions, residual roots, dental biofilm, calculus, gingivitis, tooth mobility and gingival recession. Results: Fifty-four percent of the sample had never been instructed by their health professionals that DM could cause oral diseases. However, 66% presumed being more vulnerable to develop oral illnesses and 57.5% answered that they assumed having no oral disturbances at that moment. In contrast, intraoral clinical examination showed that 99% presented at least one oral injury such as caries lesions, plaque/calculus, gingival inflammation, tooth mobility, residual root and xerostomia. Conclusions: Health care professionals usually neglect oral status in diabetic patients. Above all, there is a huge gap between patients' perceptions towards oral health and their real oral status. This study highlights the need of developing new models of prevention that properly address the important clinical relation between oral diseases and DM.(AU)

Effect of Bilirubin on Triglyceride Synthesis in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Nephropathy

We aimed to elucidate the effect of bilirubin on dyslipidemia and nephropathy in a diabetes mellitus (DM) type I animal model. Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into control, DM, and bilirubin-treated DM (Bil) groups. The Bil group was injected intraperitoneally with 60 mg/kg bilirubin 3 times per week and hepatoma cells were cultured with bilirubin at a concentration of 0.3 mg/dL. The Bil group showed lower serum creatinine levels 5 weeks after diabetes onset. Bilirubin treatment also decreased the amount of mesangial matrix, lowered the expression of renal collagen IV and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, and reduced the level of apoptosis in the kidney, compared to the DM group. These changes were accompanied by decreased tissue levels of hydrogen superoxide and NADPH oxidase subunit proteins. Bilirubin decreased serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), free fatty acids, and triglycerides (TGs), as well as the TG content in the liver tissues. Bilirubin suppressed protein expression of LXRalpha, SREBP-1, SCD-1, and FAS, factors involved in TG synthesis that were elevated in the livers of DM rats and hepatoma cells under high-glucose conditions. In conclusion, bilirubin attenuates renal dysfunction and dyslipidemia in diabetes by suppressing LXRalpha and SREBP-1 expression and oxidative stress.

Progress of microRNAs involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most serious public health problems,while the detailed mechanisms underlying its pathology remain obscure.MicroRNAs (miRNAs),which are single-stranded noncoding RNAs,are considered to be involved in various pathological processes,especially in T2DM.MiRNA has become a noval player in insulin resistance,islet dysfunction,and even in the diabetes related complications.