Analysis of time-dependent alterations of parameters related to erythrocytes after ipragliflozin initiation.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors often increase the hematocrit. It remains unclear whether this increase would be observed in all patients administered SGLT2 inhibitors, however. We therefore used the data from the previous study and investigated time-dependent alterations of various outcomes related to erythrocytes, erythropoiesis, and clinical outcome in type 2 diabetes subjects (n = 89) treated with ipragliflozin for 16 weeks. Among a total of 89 participants, 71 subjects (80.0% of total participants) showed the elevation of the hematocrit and 18 subjects (20.0% of total participants) did not at 16 weeks. Although the hematocrit levels at baseline were significantly lower in hematocrit-elevated group than non-elevated group, they reached the same levels 4 weeks after the onset of treatment. Binomial logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a lower baseline hematocrit level was related to the elevation of hematocrit at 16 weeks. Optimal cutoff hematocrit levels at baseline to predict hematocrit elevation were 46.9% (male) and 41.7% (female) in ROC analysis. Random intercept model analysis revealed the serum erythropoietin level increased in both hematocrit-elevated and non-elevated groups, whereas only the former group showed an increase in the percentage of reticulocytes during the first 4 weeks. These results suggest that the ipragliflozin-induced increase in hematocrit which is affected by the baseline hematocrit level is attributable to the responsiveness to, but not to the production of, erythropoietin. Collectively, Ht elevation observed in administration of SGLT2 inhibitors can result from erythropoietin-induced erythropoiesis, which is determined by the pre-treatment Ht level. Trial registration: This trial has been registered with University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN-CTR no. 000015478).

Relationship between glycated hemoglobin level and duration of hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients treated with sulfonylureas: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Sulfonylurea-related hypoglycemia increases the risk of cardiovascular sequela, such as cardiac arrhythmia. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c ) and the duration of hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients treated with sulfonylureas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Glucose levels in the enrolled patients (n = 300) were investigated with a professional continuous glucose monitoring device in the outpatient setting at six diabetes centers in Japan. RESULTS: A total of 269 participants completed the study. The duration of hypoglycemia with glucose values of <54 mg/dL was significantly longer in patients with an HbA1c level of ≤6.4% than in those with an HbA1c level of ≥8.0%, and that of hypoglycemia with glucose values of <70 mg/dL was significantly longer in patients with an HbA1c level of ≤6.4%, 6.5-6.9% or 7.0-7.4% than in those with an HbA1c level of ≥8.0%. Patients with an HbA1c level of ≤6.4% were exposed to glucose values of <70 mg/dL for >10% of the time in daily life (6.8 ± 5.6 min/h). The duration of hypoglycemia with glucose values of <70 mg/dL was longer at night than during the daytime, and the nadir of glucose values occurred between 03.00 and 05.00 hours irrespective of HbA1c level. The duration of hypoglycemia was associated with the duration of diabetes and sulfonylurea dose. CONCLUSIONS: The duration of hypoglycemia was inversely correlated with HbA1c level and was longer during the night-time than daytime in type 2 diabetes patients treated with sulfonylureas.

Effects of ipragliflozin on glycemic control, appetite and its related hormones: A prospective, multicenter, open-label study (SOAR-KOBE Study).

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors improve blood glucose control, as well as reducing bodyweight by promoting urinary glucose excretion. The weight loss is less than expected from urinary glucose loss, however, likely because of an increase in food intake. To investigate whether SGLT-2 inhibitors might increase appetite by affecting related hormones, we examined the effects of the SGLT-2 inhibitor, ipragliflozin, including those on appetite-regulating hormones, in individuals with suboptimally controlled type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present prospective, multicenter, open-label study was carried out with 96 patients with a body mass index of ≥22 kg/m2 who were treated with ipragliflozin (50 mg/day) for 16 weeks. Parameters including glycated hemoglobin level, bodyweight, circulating leptin and active ghrelin concentrations, and appetite as assessed with a visual analog scale were measured before and during treatment. RESULTS: Both glycated hemoglobin level (from 7.9 ± 0.8 to 7.1 ± 0.7%) and bodyweight (from 75.2 ± 12.6 to 72.6 ± 12.4 kg) were significantly decreased after treatment for 16 weeks. The fasting serum leptin level was significantly decreased after 2 weeks (from 19.5 ± 13.1 to 18.1 ± 12.4 ng/mL) and remained decreased up to 16 weeks, even after adjustment for bodyweight, whereas the plasma active ghrelin level showed no significant change. The visual analog scale score for hunger was significantly increased at 2 and 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that ipragliflozin improved glycemic control and reduced bodyweight, but also reduced serum leptin levels and might thereby have increased appetite.

Effects of Insulin Degludec and Insulin Glargine U300 on Day-to-Day Fasting Plasma Glucose Variability in Individuals with Type 1 Diabetes: A Multicenter, Randomized, Crossover Study (Kobe Best Basal Insulin Study 2).

INTRODUCTION: Administered basal insulin markedly influences the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level of individuals with type 1 diabetes. Insulin degludec (IDeg) and insulin glargine U300 (IGlar U300) are now available as ultra-long-acting insulin formulations, but whether or how their glucose-stabilizing effects differ remains unclear. We will compare the effects of these basal insulins on parameters related to blood glucose control, with a focus on day-to-day glycemic variability, in individuals with type 1 diabetes treated with multiple daily injections. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized, open-label, crossover, comparative study (Kobe Best Basal Insulin Study 2) will be performed at 13 participating institutions in Japan. A total of 46 C-peptide-negative adult outpatients with type 1 diabetes will be randomly assigned 1:1 by a centralized allocation process to IGlar U300 (first period)/IDeg (second period) or IDeg (first period)/IGlar U300 (second period) groups, in which subjects will be treated with the corresponding basal insulin for consecutive 4-week periods. The basal insulin will be titrated to achieve an FPG of less than 130 mg/dL initially and then less than 110 mg/dL if feasible. In the last week of each period, plasma glucose will be determined seven times a day by self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and intraday and day-to-day glucose excursions will be determined by flash glucose monitoring (FGM). The primary end point is comparison of day-to-day glycemic variability as evaluated by the standard deviation (SD) of FPG during the last week of each treatment period. Secondary end points include the coefficient of variance of FPG, the frequency of severe hypoglycemia as evaluated by SMBG, the duration of hypoglycemia as evaluated by FGM, intraday glycemic variability calculated from both SMBG and FGM data, and the administered insulin dose. PLANNED OUTCOMES: The results of the study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal to report differences in the effects of two ultra-long-acting basal insulins, IDeg and IGlar U300. CONCLUSION: This head-to-head comparison will be the first study to compare the effects of IDeg and IGlar U300 on day-to-day FPG variability in C-peptide-negative individuals with type 1 diabetes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered in University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trials Registry as 000029630 on 20 June 2017. FUNDING: Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd.

The Improvement of the Hepatic Histological Findings in a Patient with Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis with Type 2 Diabetes after the Administration of the Sodium-glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitor Ipragliflozin.

The patient was a 67-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The administration of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, ipragliflozin improved her liver dysfunction clinically and histologically. The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and ferritin levels decreased to normal limits after treatment for four months. Type IV collagen and hyaluronic acid, both of which were serum fibrotic markers, decreased after treatment. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a decrease in the fat deposits in her liver. Her liver sample showed marked improvement, especially in steatosis, inflammation, and ballooning. The SGLT2 inhibitor ipragliflozin may be useful as a specific therapeutic drug for NASH.

ALEX1 suppresses colony formation ability of human colorectal carcinoma cell lines.

Arm protein lost in epithelial cancers, on chromosome X (ALEX; also known as armadillo repeat containing, X-linked [ARMCX]) is a novel subgroup within the armadillo (ARM) family, which has several ARM repeat domains. The biological function of classical ARM family members such as ß-catenin is well understood, but that of the ALEX/ARMCX family members is largely unknown. Here we evaluate the effects of ALEX1 overexpression on in vitro colony formation ability and expression of ALEX1 mRNA in human colorectal tumor. Overexpression of ALEX1 suppressed the anchorage-dependent and -independent colony formation of human colorectal carcinoma cell lines by the study of stable clones of HCT116 cells expressing ALEX1 protein. Bisulfite genomic sequencing revealed that the promoter region of ALEX1 gene was highly methylated in both HCT116 and SW480 cells in comparison with PANC-1 and MCF-7 cells, which express endogenous ALEX1 mRNA, indicating the capability of promoter methylation to silence ALEX1 gene in HCT116 and SW480 cells. Our current findings suggest that overexpression of ALEX1 play a negative role in human colorectal tumorigenesis.

[A very elderly case of advanced gastric cancer with disseminated carcinomatosis of bone marrow and multiple bone metastasis, diagnosed by extremely elevated serum alkaline phosphatase levels, and treated with low-dose S-1 to avoid disseminated intravascular coagulation].

We report an 87-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital due to anemia and extremely elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels. We diagnosed advanced gastric cancer with disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow and multiple bone metastasis. She was immediately treated with low-dose S-1 (50mg/body, p.o., days 1-14) and zoledronic acid hydrate (4mg/body, i.v., day 1) to avoid disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). After 1 course of the treatment, she could completely avoid DIC and we found the primary lesion and the metastasis had decreased. Now she is an outpatient and continues treatment without relapse for about 6 months. We consider low-dose S-1 and zoledronic acid hydrate combination therapy to be an effective strategy against advanced gastric cancer with disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow and multiple bone metastasis in very elderly cases.

Reconstruction system of rat lymphatic tracts after total iliac lymphadenectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The lymphatic network is capable of reconstruction after the regional lymphadenectomy; however, the biological reconstruction system has not been fully elucidated. Our aim is to evaluate the reconstruction system after bilateral iliac lymphadenectomy using rat models and to establish and characterize rat lymphatic endothelial cells (rLECs) from the reconstructed tracts, compared with those from pre-existing vessels. METHODOLOGY: Under general anesthesia, we excised the dyed bilateral lymphatic vessels. We reopened the treated rats again after 2-10 weeks to observe the reconstruction system. We isolated and cultured rLECs from afferent, efferent and reconstructed lymphatic vessels. We characterized them morphologically and biologically, and examined their activity of proliferation, migration and invasion. RESULTS: We demonstrated that lymph vessels were reconstructed at 4-10 weeks at the site of surgical removal of iliac lymphatic channels, which occurred mainly at the left side of abdomen of the rat (86% on the left side). Isolated cells were all confirmed to be rLECs by expression of lymphatic vessel-specific markers. Proliferative activity of reconstructed rLECs was significantly higher than the other two strains of rLECs. CONCLUSIONS: We first established the reconstruction system after rat total iliac lymphadenectomy and characterized rLECs from the three strains of lymphatic vessels.

Giant Gastric Antral Ulcer Developing After Short-Term NSAID Administration.

A 61-year-old man took loxoprofen sodium hydrate, a prodrug NSAID, for acute upper respiratory infection for 5 days, developed melena 2 days later, and was admitted to our hospital. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a giant and deeply undermined ulcer mainly in the greater curvature of the antrum, which occupied halfway around the lumen. His medical history was unremarkable. He was negative for Helicobacter pylori infection, and was diagnosed with NSAID-induced acute gastric ulcer in the absence of other causes of gastric ulcer. Giant gastric ulcers, as in this patient, are rare. Moreover, deeply undermined or huge gastric ulcers sometimes develop during the long-term administration of NSAIDs, but very rarely after their short-term administration, which prompted us to report this case.

Age-dependent eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Japanese patients.

AIM: To determine the general risk factors affecting the failure rate of first-line eradication therapy in Japanese patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. METHODS: The present study enrolled 253 patients who had an H. pylori infection, underwent gastro-endoscopy, and were treated with H. pylori eradication therapy. Eradication therapy consisted of 30 mg lansoprazole plus 750 mg amoxicillin and 400 mg clarithromycin twice daily for 7 d. All of the patients underwent a 13C urea breath test at least 1 mo after the completion of eradication therapy. The current study investigated the independent factors associated with successful H. pylori eradication using a multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall success rate in the patients was 85.8%. Among the general factors examined in the multivariate analyses, only having an age less than 50 years was found to be significantly associated with a poor response to H. pylori eradication. Moreover, side effects were the only clinical factors in the patients who were under 50 years of age that significantly influenced the poor response to H. pylori eradication. CONCLUSION: H. pylori-positive elderly patients should undergo eradication therapy. In addition, it is necessary to improve H. pylori eradication therapy in younger patients.

Human Arm protein lost in epithelial cancers, on chromosome X 1 (ALEX1) gene is transcriptionally regulated by CREB and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling.

The aberrant activation of Wnt signaling is a key process in colorectal tumorigenesis. Canonical Wnt signaling controls transcription of target genes via beta-catenin and T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor family transcription factor complex. Arm protein lost in epithelial cancers, on chromosome X 1 (ALEX1) is a novel member of the Armadillo family which has two Armadillo repeats as opposed to more than six repeats in the classical Armadillo family members. Here we examine cis-regulatory elements and trans-acting factors involved in the transcriptional regulation of the ALEX1 gene. Site-directed mutations of a cyclic AMP response element (CRE) and an E-box impaired the basal activity of human ALEX1 promoter in colorectal and pancreatic cancer cell lines. Moreover, overexpression of CRE-binding protein (CREB) increased the ALEX1 promoter activity in these cell lines, whereas knockdown of CREB expression decreased the expression level of ALEX1 mRNA. Interestingly, luciferase reporter analysis and quantitative real-time RT-PCR demonstrated that the ALEX1 promoter was up-regulated in a CRE-dependent manner by continuous activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling induced by a glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor and overexpression of beta-catenin. These results indicate that the CRE and E-box sites are essential cis-regulatory elements for ALEX1 promoter activity, and ALEX1 expression is regulated by CREB and Wntk/beta-catenin signaling.

Ablation of C/EBPbeta alleviates ER stress and pancreatic beta cell failure through the GRP78 chaperone in mice.

Pancreatic beta cell failure is thought to underlie the progression from glucose intolerance to overt diabetes, and ER stress is implicated in such beta cell dysfunction. We have now shown that the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPbeta) accumulated in the islets of diabetic animal models as a result of ER stress before the onset of hyperglycemia. Transgenic overexpression of C/EBPbeta specifically in beta cells of mice reduced beta cell mass and lowered plasma insulin levels, resulting in the development of diabetes. Conversely, genetic ablation of C/EBPbeta in the beta cells of mouse models of diabetes, including Akita mice, which harbor a heterozygous mutation in Ins2 (Ins2WT/C96Y), and leptin receptor-deficient (Lepr-/-) mice, resulted in an increase in beta cell mass and ameliorated hyperglycemia. The accumulation of C/EBPbeta in pancreatic beta cells reduced the abundance of the molecular chaperone glucose-regulated protein of 78 kDa (GRP78) as a result of suppression of the transactivation activity of the transcription factor ATF6alpha, thereby increasing the vulnerability of these cells to excess ER stress. Our results thus indicate that the accumulation of C/EBPbeta in pancreatic beta cells contributes to beta cell failure in mice by enhancing susceptibility to ER stress.

Establishment and characterization of the human SaTM-1 anal canal squamous cell carcinoma cell line derived from lymph node metastasis.

Human anal canal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell line has not yet been reported due to the rarity of this disease. Since cell lines to study this malignancy were not available, we attempted to establish and characterize anal canal SCC cell line from primary culture of lymph node metastasis. Six sublines were cloned and isolated from parental cells. They were designated as SaTM-1A, B, C, D, E and F. The features of the six sublines were characterized by reverse transcription-PCR, chemosensitivity test to 5-Fu and CDDP, immunohistochemistry, cDNA microarray analysis and tumorigenicity using immunodeficient mice. All sublines were proliferated in multiple layers at an average doubling time of 24.5 h. VEGF-A, -B, VEGFR-1, -R3 and EGFR were expressed in all sublines, whereas VEGF-D and EGF were not detected in all. SaTM-1 was proven to retain the characteristics of SCC by detection of p63 and cytokeratin 5/6. The cytotoxic effects of 5-Fu were almost similar, although those of CDDP showed different behavior, which was divided into two groups (SaTM-1A, B, E and SaTM-1C, D, F). The differences in gene expression between two groups were analyzed according to susceptibility to cytotoxic effects of CDDP. Thirty-six genes were successfully identified, which may be potentially associated with CDDP resistance. SaTM-1 cells formed tumors easily in vivo, therefore all subclones had tumorigenic property. This is the first report of successful establishment and characterization of a human anal canal SCC cell line, which may provide beneficial resources for investigating the biological features of human anal canal SCC.

Perioperative changes of serum p53 antibody titer is a predictor for survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Although the presence of serum p53 antibody (s-p53-Abs) before treatment has been shown to correlate with poor prognosis and lymph node metastasis in esophageal cancer, there has been little information about postoperative s-p53-Abs titer and perioperative changes of s-p53-Abs titers in patients with esophageal carcinoma. METHODS: A highly specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze s-p53-Abs in 110 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma before and 1 month after surgery. The cutoff level of 1.3 U/ml was used to indicate seropositive patients. Impact of postoperative s-p53-Abs titer and perioperative changes of s-p53-Abs on survival was evaluated. RESULTS: Forty (36%) of 110 patients were positive for s-p53-Abs before surgery and 35 patients (32%) were positive after surgery. s-p53-Abs titer generally decreased after surgery. Among sero-positive patients, the patients who remained sero-positive after surgery (n = 28) had a worse prognosis than patients who showed sero-conversion (P = 0.02). Among sero-positive patients, the nondecreased titer group showed significantly unfavorable survival (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that postoperative s-p53-Abs was an independent risk factor for worse overall survival (adjusted hazard ratio = 3.05; 95% confidence interval = 1.11-8.33; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative monitoring of s-p53-Abs titers was useful to identify patients with esophageal cancer with a high risk for tumor recurrence and a poor prognosis. Continuous sero-positive patients and/or nondecreased titer group, even after surgery, showed significantly unfavorable survival.

Biphasic response of pancreatic beta-cell mass to ablation of tuberous sclerosis complex 2 in mice.

Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of insulin or insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) for regulation of pancreatic beta-cell mass. Given the role of tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) as an upstream molecule of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), we examined the effect of TSC2 deficiency on beta-cell function. Here, we show that mice deficient in TSC2, specifically in pancreatic beta cells (betaTSC2(-/-) mice), manifest increased IGF-1-dependent phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase and 4E-BP1 in islets as well as an initial increased islet mass attributable in large part to increases in the sizes of individual beta cells. These mice also exhibit hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia at young ages (4 to 28 weeks). After 40 weeks of age, however, the betaTSC2(-/-) mice develop progressive hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia accompanied by a reduction in islet mass due predominantly to a decrease in the number of beta cells. These results thus indicate that TSC2 regulates pancreatic beta-cell mass in a biphasic manner.

Preclinical assessment and pilot study using anti-CEA monoclonal antibody 1B2 for colorectal carcinoma imaging.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Preclinical assessment of radio-labeled monoclonal antibodies is essential to the understanding of target-specific tumor localization. The purpose of this study is to prepare for fundamental evaluation of antibodies and to validate the clinical usefulness of the candidate considered useful for practice through preclinical assessment. METHODOLOGY: The immunoreactivity and affinity constant of three kinds of monoclonal antibody (1A4, 1B2, 4H11: CEA-specific) were evaluated with the method of cell binding assay. Tumor localization and biodisrtibution were performed in tumor-bearing athymic mice. Five patients of colorectal cancer underwent radioimmunodetection with 99mTc. Histological analysis was performed to evaluate the tumor localization of injected antibody. RESULTS: The immunoreactive fraction value of 1B2 is the highest than the other antibodies. The difference between the antibody affinities among three antibodies although were rather small. In an animal model, 1B2 obtained more highly tumor targeting and cleared more rapidly from the blood than the other two antibodies did. Pilot study using 1B2 was successful in all cases without background imaging. Visualization of tumor sites surgically removed revealed positive CEA and IgG immunostaining. CONCLUSION: The preparation for preclinical assessment of the characteristic parameters is practically valuable for clinical application of radiolabeled antibodies.

Pancreatic beta cell mass preserved in heterozygous PDK1 knockout mice.

We have demonstrated that 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) contributes to signaling by insulin or insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) that is responsible for the regulation of both the number and size of pancreatic beta cells in mice. Complete ablation of PDK1 in pancreatic beta cells leads to progressive hyperglycemia as a result of loss of beta cell mass. In this study, we generated heterozygous pancreatic beta cell-specific PDK1 knockout (betaPDK1+/-) mice and fed them a high-fat diet as a model of human type 2 diabetes. The betaPDK1+/- mice exhibited normal glucose tolerance even on a high-fat diet. Further, islet morphology and beta cell mass were normal in betaPDK1+/- mice, and haploinsufficiency of PDK1 did not impair the compensatory hyperplasia of beta cells on a high-fat diet. The phosphorylation and expression of the molecules that are expressed downstream of PDK1 were similar in the islets of the betaPDK1+/- and control mice. Eventually, we concluded that glucose homeostasis and islet mass were maintained in betaPDK1+/- mice.

[A case of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated remnant gastric carcinoma arising 7 years after distal gastrectomy for EBV associated gastric carcinoma].

A 52-year-old man undergoing distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer in July 1998 was found to have a 0-IIa type gastric tumor near EC junction in January 2005. Histological examination showed the tumor was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. As the tumor was diagnosed as mucosal cancer, endoscopic mucosal dissection was performed. But pathological findings showed the depth of cancer cell invasion into deep submucosal layer. Then total resection of remnant stomach was performed. Both tumors were diagnosed as EBV-associated carcinoma. It is speculated that the mucosa changing after initial operation would give risk to a new occurrence of EBV-associated remnant gastric carcinoma. And then follow up after operation is important. Although some cases of EBV-associated remnant gastric carcinoma is found for short period after the primary surgery, our case second primary cancer was found 7 year after primary surgery. Long term follow-up by Endoscopy seems to be important.