The effect of ubiquinone in diabetic polyneuropathy: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic polyneuropathy aetiology is based on oxidative stress generation due to production of reactive oxygen species. Ubiquinone is reduced to ubiquinol and redistributed into lipoproteins, possibly to protect them from oxidation. AIMS: To evaluate the impact of oral ubiquinone in diabetic polyneuropathy, and the role of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nerve growth factor (NGF-ß). METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, patients were randomized to ubiquinone (400 mg) or placebo daily for 12 weeks. Main outcomes were clinical scores, nerve conduction studies, LPO, NGF-ß and safety. RESULTS: Twenty four patients on experimental group and twenty five on control group met the inclusion criteria (mean age 56 years, 22% male and 78% female, mean evolution of type 2 diabetes mellitus 10.7 years). Significant improvement on experimental vs control group was found in neuropathy symptoms score (from 2.5 ± 0.7 to 1 ± 0.8, p<0.001), neuropathy impairment score (5.5 ± 4 to 3.1 ± 2.6, p<0.001), sural sensory nerve amplitude (13.0 ± 6.1 to 15.8 ± 5.1 µV, p=0.049), peroneal motor nerve conduction velocity (39.7 ± 5.0 to 47.8 ± 4.9 m/s, p=0.047), and ulnar motor nerve conduction velocity (48.8 ± 6.8 to 54.5 ± 6.1m/s, p=0.046). There was a significant reduction of LPO in subjects treated with ubiquinone vs placebo (16.7 ± 8.6 and 23.2 ± 15.8 nmol/mL, respectively) with p<0.05, and NGF-ß did not change (control 66.5 ± 26.7 vs. experimental 66.8 ± 28.4 pg/mL, p=0.856). No drug-related adverse reactions were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Twelve weeks treatment with ubiquinone improves clinical outcomes and nerve conduction parameters of diabetic polyneuropathy; furthermore, it reduces oxidative stress without significant adverse events.

Association of LEP and ADIPOQ common variants with colorectal cancer in Mexican patients.

Leptin and adiponectin are cytokines produced by adipose tissue with opposite effects on tumor growth: the former stimulate whereas the latter inhibit it. The objective was to analyze the association of LEP A19G and ADIPOQ+45 T/G and +276 G/T polymorphisms in Mexican patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). 68 unrelated patients with CRC (study group) and 102 blood donors (control group); all subjects were Mestizos from western Mexico. The polymorphisms were established by PCR-RFLP on DNA samples obtained from peripheral blood. The LEP A19G polymorphism showed significant differences between CRC patients and control group (p= 0.01 for G/A genotype and p= 0.02 for the recessive model G/G +G/A); yet, in the analysis stratified by gender, this difference remained significant only in males. The ADIPOQ polymorphisms did not shown any significant differences. Our results suggest that the A19G LEP polymorphism is associated with CRC in Mexican patients.

[Associated factors to abnormal glucosylated hemoglobin in the postpartum period]. / Factores relacionados con la hemoglobina glucosilada anormal en el puerperio inmediato.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the association between risk factors and abnormal glucosylated hemoglobin detected in women during the postpartum period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case and control study was carried out at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca during six months. Glucosylated hemoglobin and glucose concentration from 160 fasting women with a pregnancy > or =28 weeks was obtained during the postpartum period. With an odds ratio and confidence interval (95%) the epidemiological meaning of risk factors was identified. RESULTS: The abnormal glucosylated hemoglobin was significantly associated to: single, separated and divorced women (p < 0.05); major frequency of previous caesarean (OR: 2.78, IC 95%:1.25-6.22), p = 0.006, and higher proportion of children with congenital malformations (OR: 12, IC 95%: 1.38-104), p = 0.01. In the group cases 48% of caesareans was associated to probable gestational diabetes: moderate preeclampsia, eclampsia, fetal macrosomy, and preterm deliveries. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to make an early detection of risk factors associated to abnormal glucosylated hemoglobin and to prevent adverse effects as congenital malformations and clinical complications that increase the incidence of caesarean.