Circulating fractalkine levels predict the development of the metabolic syndrome.

The fractalkine/CX3CR1 axis plays an important role in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the role of fractalkine in metabolic disorders remains to be fully elucidated. We selected 887 Chinese (40-65 years old) at baseline, with a subgroup of 459 participants examined again 2 years later. The relationship of serum fractalkine levels with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components was investigated. At baseline, participants with MetS had higher fractalkine concentrations than their counterparts without MetS (P < 0.001). At the 2-year follow-up, participants in the highest quartile of baseline fractalkine exhibited higher values for body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage, glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and lower value for high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) (all P < 0.05). Among 390 participants without MetS at baseline, 45 developed it at year 2. Even after multiple adjustments for visceral adipose tissue area, HOMA-IR, C-reactive protein (CRP), or TG and HDL-c, baseline fractalkine predicted the development of MetS (OR = 7.18, 95%CI: 2.28-18.59). In conclusion, circulating fractalkine predicts the development of the MetS independently of central obesity, CRP, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia.

The correlation between serum uric acid level and abdominal obesity or metabolic syndrome / 中华内科杂志

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum uric acid (UA) level and abdominal obesity or metabolic syndrome (MS).Methods A total of 875 subjects,with 350 males and 525 females,aged 40-65 years old,were enrolled in this study.The clinical and biochemical data were collected and MRI was used to assess the visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues.The relationships between UA level and abdominal obesity or MS were analyzed,and the cut-off values of UA for abdominal obesity and MS were determined.Results Raised risks of abdominal obesity (OR =4.35,95％ CI 1.91-9.90 in males; OR =5.44,95％ CI 2.41-12.31 in females) and MS (OR =4.47,95 ％ CI 2.08-9.62 in males; OR =11.62,95％ CI 3.43-39.37 in females) were observed with the increase of UA level.The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that UA was an independent risk factor for hypertriglyceridemia (OR =2.23,95％ CI 1.02-4.87 in males ; OR =3.04,95％ CI 1.49-6.23 in females) in all subjects and for abdominal obesity(OR =3.23,95％ CI 1.32-7.91) and hypertension (OR =2.35,95％ CI 1.37-4.05)in the females.Among the females,the regression line analyzed by simple correlation indicated that the UA level of 244.0 μmol/L was corresponded to the visceral adipose tissue area of 80 cm2.The optimal cut-off point of UA for the diagnosis of MS was 258.8 μmol/L determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve.Conclusions The level of UA is closely correlated with abdominal obesity and MS in the middleaged Chinese.The elevated UA level is an independent risk factor for abdominal obesity and MS in the female.

AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism is associated with risk of diabetic nephropathy / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether the angiotensin II type I receptor gene (AGTR1) A1166C polymorphism is associated with a high risk of diabetic nephropathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The allele frequency and the genotype distribution of the AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism were studied in normal controls (157 cases), simple diabetes (141 cases, duration of diabetes >10 years), and diabetic nephropathy (152 cases) by means of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Patients with diabetic nephropathy had a higher frequency of C allele of the AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism than that of normal controls and simple diabetes (P<0.05); but there was no significant difference in frequency of C allele between the normal controls and patients with simple diabetes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The diabetic patients with AGTR1 C allele may be more susceptible to diabetic nephropathy than diabetic patients with A allele.</p>

Increased expression and possible roles of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in pancreatic islets of STZ-induced diabetic monkeys / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM: To verify and localize the expression of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) in pancreas of streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic monkeys and understand its important role in ?-cell destruction in the pathogenesis of diabetes. METHODS: Through an olig-microarray gene chip, NNMT was identified as the most obviously up-regulated genes in pancreas of STZ-induced diabetic monkeys versus controls. Semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to verify the differential expression at mRNA and protein level respectively. Then the cellular localization of NNMT expression within pancreas was identified by immunohistochemical(IHC) staining.RESULTS: An obvious high expression of NNMT at both mRNA and protein levels was shown in pancreas of STZ-induced diabetic monkeys compared to that of controls. Further localization of the protein by IHC staining in pancreas specimens showed that its altered expression was restricted to central islets, most of which were ? cells.CONCLUSION: Expression of NNMT is increased in islets of STZ- induced diabetic monkeys, which infers that NNMT might participate in the process of ? cell damage in diabetes probably through the mechanism of energy metabolism disturbance.

Measurement and analysis of microcirculation dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM: To measure microcirculation function in type 2 diabetic patients and non-diabetic subjects with a new measurement method called capillary recruitment. METHODS: 276 type 2 diabetic patients in Shanghai downtown were enrolled and categorized into several groups, those with diabetes duration