Influence of fasting plasma glucose-lowering rate on BNP levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with coronary microcirculation dysfunction.

AIM: The aim was to analyze the influence of fasting plasma glucose-lowering rate (FPGLR) on plasma BNP levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with coronary microcirculation dysfunction (CMD) and to determine the optimal FPGLR for these patients. METHODS: A total of 170 T2DM patients who received intensive glucose-lowering therapy during hospitalization in the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University were enrolled. Ninety-two patients with CMD and 78 patients without CMD were assigned to a study and a control group, respectively. The study group was stratified as S1 (4.1 ~ 6.0 mmol·L-1·day-1), S2 (2.1 ~ 4.0 mmol·L-1·day-1), and S3 (≤ 2.0 mmol·L-1·day-1) by different FPGLR, and the same in the control group (C1, C2, and C3). The plasma BNP levels with the same FPGLR were compared between the study and the control group, and patients with a different FPGLR in the study group were also compared. RESULTS: In the study and the control group, the BNP level in S1 was significantly higher than that in C1 (87 vs. 12 pg/ml, P < 0.001), although there was no significant difference between S2 and C2, S3 and C3. In the study group, the BNP level in S1 was significantly higher than that in S2 (87 vs. 22 pg/ml, P < 0.001) and S3 (87 vs. 15 pg/ml, P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference between S2 and S3. CONCLUSION: Rapid intensive glucose-lowering may lead to increased plasma BNP levels in T2DM patients with CMD. Optimal FPGLR for these patients was determined to be no more than 4.0 mmol·L-1·day-1.

Correlation Between Retinopathy and Coronary Microcirculation Dysfunction in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between retinopathy and coronary microcirculation dysfunction (CMD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. METHODS: 198 T2DM patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)>50%, no epicardial coronary artery stenosis diagnosis by coronary angiography (CAG) and successfully completed coronary blood flow reserve (CFR) test and laboratory examination were enrolled, and fundus examination was performed on all participants. Two groups were divided according to CFR value, including 86 patients with CMD (CFR≤2.5) in study group and 112 patients without CMD (CFR>2.5) in control group. The composition of various retinopathy in two groups was observed, and the correlation between retinopathy and CMD was analyzed using ordered logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 13 cases with arteriovenous (A/V) nicking, 4 cases with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), 14 cases with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), 17 cases with diabetic retinopathy (DR) with A/V nicking, 38 cases without retinopathy in study group, and 18 cases, 7 cases, 20 cases, 4 cases and 63 cases for each in control group. After adjustment for age, gender, hypertension, diabetes duration, dyslipidemia, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI), A/V nicking, PDR and NPDR, the diference of DR with A/V nicking between study and control group remained statistically signifcant (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.79 to 3.21, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: DR with A/V nicking could be used as an independent predictor of T2DM patients with CMD. CFR testing should be performed on patients with this kind of eye sign, even if they do not have any symptoms of heart disease. Meanwhile, DR with A/V nicking might be served as a reference indicator of CMD in T2DM patients with chest pain who were unable to be tested for CFR.

COVID-19 and Diabetes: A Comprehensive Review of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2, Mutual Effects and Pharmacotherapy.

The potential relationship between diabetes and COVID-19 has been evaluated. However, new knowledge is rapidly emerging. In this study, we systematically reviewed the relationship between viral cell surface receptors (ACE2, AXL, CD147, DC-SIGN, L-SIGN and DPP4) and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, and emphasized the implications of ACE2 on SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 pathogenesis. Besides, we updated on the two-way interactions between diabetes and COVID-19, as well as the treatment options for COVID-19 comorbid patients from the perspective of ACE2. The efficacies of various clinical chemotherapeutic options, including anti-diabetic drugs, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, lipid-lowering drugs, anticoagulants, and glucocorticoids for COVID-19 positive diabetic patients were discussed. Moreover, we reviewed the significance of two different forms of ACE2 (mACE2 and sACE2) and gender on COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. This review summarizes COVID-19 pathophysiology and the best strategies for clinical management of diabetes patients with COVID-19.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with coronary microvascular dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

AIMS: Our study is aimed to investigate the relationship between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. METHODS: We retrospect the consecutive medical files of 160 T2DM patients and recorded their clinical information and laboratory findings. Patients were divided into CMD group (n = 87) and non-CMD group (n = 73). We compared the NLR values of the two groups. Meanwhile we also observed the prevalence of CMD at different NLR levels. Then, logistic regression and ROC analysis were performed. RESULTS: NLR value of CMD group was significantly lower than non-CMD group (2.01 ± 0.74 vs 2.53 ± 0.69, P＜0.001). Prevalence of CMD in low (NLR ≤ 1.53, n = 30), medium (1.53 < NLR ≤ 2.20, n = 53) and high (NLR > 2.20, n = 77) group were 90%, 61.1%, and 39.2% respectively. The prevalence of CMD significantly increased as NLR level decreased. After adjusting potential related factors, NLR was still significantly correlated with CMD (OR = 0.295, 95 %CI:0.162-0.539, P < 0.001). The area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.707 (95 %CI:0.627-0.786, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that NLR is associated with CMD in T2DM patients, and the prevalence of CMD may increase as NLR level decrease.

Al2O3-coated Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 nanotubes as cathode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Li-rich manganese-based layered cathode Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 (LMNCO) nanotubes are synthesized by electrospinning and surface coated with different amounts of amorphous Al2O3. The effects of the coating content of Al2O3 on the structural and electrochemical performances of LMNCO nanotubes are investigated systematically. The results show that the morphologies and structures of the samples exhibit no apparent changes after being coated with Al2O3. Electrochemical tests indicate that the Al2O3-coated LMNCO nanotubes exhibit obviously enhanced electrochemical performances. The initial coulombic efficiency of surface modified LMNCO nanotubes increased from 74.9% to 85.2%, and the modified LMNCO nanotubes have a high capacity retention of 97.6% after 90 cycles at 1C. The improved electrochemical performances of the coated samples are attributed to the protective function of the uniform Al2O3 coating and the three-dimensional Li+ diffusion channel in the spinel interface layer.

[The study on Raman spectra of Si nanowires].

Phonon confinement effect results in an redshift and asymmetric broadening in the low-frequency side of Raman spectra of intrinsic silicon nanowires (SiNWs), but is not the only factor impacting the Raman spectrum of SiNWs. At high incidence laser power densities, laser heating gives a redshift and symmetric broadening, and Fano interference between the scattering from the k = 0 optic phonon and the electronic continuum scattering from laser-induced carriers gives an asymmetric line shape, i. e. Fano line shape. Furthermore, due to phonon confinement effect, the fundamental k = 0 Raman selection rule is relaxed, allowing phonons away from the Brillouin zone center to participate Raman scattering too, therefore, some new weak Raman signals appear at about 604 and 423 cm(-1) in addition to the usual silicon peaks at 520, 302 and 964 cm(-1) for silicon nanowires with small diameter.