Effects of dextromethorphan as add-on to sitagliptin on blood glucose and serum insulin concentrations in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, multiple crossover, single-dose clinical trial.

In this clinical trial, we investigated the blood glucose (BG)-lowering effects of 30, 60 and 90 mg dextromethorphan (DXM) as well as 100 mg sitagliptin alone versus combinations of DXM and sitagliptin during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 20 men with T2DM. The combination of 60 mg DXM plus 100 mg sitagliptin was observed to have the strongest effect in the OGTT. It lowered maximum BG concentrations and increased the baseline-adjusted area under the curve for serum insulin concentrations in the first 30 min of the OGTT (mean ± standard deviation 240 ± 47 mg/dl and 8.1 ± 6.1 mU/l/h, respectively) to a significantly larger extent than did 100 mg sitagliptin alone (254 ± 50 mg/dl and 5.8 ± 2.5 mU/l/h, respectively; p < 0.05) and placebo (272 ± 49 mg/dl and 3.9 ± 3.0 mU/l/h, respectively; p < 0.001). All study drugs were well tolerated, alone and in combination, without serious adverse events or hypoglycaemia. Long-term clinical trials are now warranted to investigate the potential of the combination of 30 or 60 mg DXM and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in the treatment of individuals with T2DM, in particular as preclinical studies have identified the ß-cell protective properties of DXM.

2.1-watts intracavity-frequency-doubled all-solid-state light source at 671 nm for laser cooling of lithium.

We present an all-solid-state laser source emitting up to 2.1 W of single-frequency light at 671 nm developed for laser cooling of lithium atoms. It is based on a diode-pumped, neodymium-doped orthovanadate (Nd:YVO(4)) ring laser operating at 1342 nm. Optimization of the thermal management in the gain medium results in a maximum multi-frequency output power of 2.5 W at the fundamental wavelength. We develop a simple theory for the efficient implementation of intracavity second harmonic generation, and its application to our system allows us to obtain nonlinear conversion efficiencies of up to 88%. Single-mode operation and tuning is established by adding an etalon to the resonator. The second-harmonic wavelength can be tuned over 0.5 nm, and mode-hop-free scanning over more than 6 GHz is demonstrated, corresponding to around ten times the laser cavity free spectral range. The output frequency can be locked with respect to the lithium D-line transitions for atomic physics applications. Furthermore, we observe parametric Kerr-lens mode-locking when detuning the phase-matching temperature sufficiently far from the optimum value.

[Effect of duration of sexual abstinence on the quality of human sperm in andrologic patients]. / Uber den Einfluss der Karenzdauer auf die Qualität des menschlichen Spermas bei andrologischen Patienten.

Between 1981 and 1984, 1063 patients (average age 32 years) were examined because of childlessness in marriage. The following parameters were evaluated in a first and second investigation: amount of ejaculate (ml), number of spermatozoa (mill./ml), motility (percentage of highly motile, motile, and non-motile spermatozoa immediately, 30, and 240 minutes after ejaculation), morphology (percentage of normally shaped spermatozoa), pH value, and fructose concentration (micrograms/ml), with special interest in the abstinence period. In a between subject test (n = 1001), the mean values of the first and second investigation concerning ejaculate parameters were compared according to the abstinence period. In a within subject test, the mean values after a short (one to four days) and longer (greater than four days) abstinence were analyzed. Regarding the between subject test, there could not be proved any difference between the first and second investigation. In the between subject test, the mean values of ejaculate amount and sperm density increased with advanced periods of abstinence, which reached statistical significance (p less than 0.001) in the within subject test. pH value and the concentration of fructose were not influenced by the abstinence period. In the between subject test, the number of motile and normally shaped spermatozoa decreased with advancing period of abstinence; the within subject test showed no influence at all. Our studies revealed that abstinence results in improvement of the sperm quality, especially in patients with oligospermia.