To investigate the correlation of the total testosterone (TT) level with insulin secretion and resistance in patients with acanthosis nigricans (AN) and non-acanthosis nigricans (NAN).This study was conducted in a total of 639 overweight patients (body mass index ≥24 kg/m2), including 137 female AN patients, 277 female NAN patients, 129 male AN patients, and 146 male NAN patients. Each group was further divided into 4 subgroups according to the quartile of TT level for comparison of insulin secretion and insulin resistance parameters.Both female and male patients with AN showed obvious hyperinsulinemia with increased area under the curve for insulin (AUC-INS) (P < 0.05), increased homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index (P < 0.05) and decreased whole-body insulin sensitivity index (WBISI) (P < 0.01) as compared with those in NAN groups, but these parameters did not show significant variations with the change of TT levels. In female patients with NAN, insulin secretion level increased progressively as the TT level increased; the AUC-INS increased (P < 0.01) and WBISI decreased significantly (P < 0.05) when the TT levels increased to Q4. In male patients with NAN, insulin secretion level increased progressively as the TT levels decreased, and the AUC-INS increased (P < 0.05) and the WBISI decreased significantly (P < 0.05) when the TT levels decreased to Q1.The TT level has a significant effect on insulin resistance and insulin secretion, but its effect varies between genders and is more significant in NAN patients than in AN patients.
Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mass and a degenerative bone microarchitecture. Apigenin (API), a flavonoid derived mainly from celery, has been reported to be beneficial for the treatment of OP; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Moreover, the effects of API on bone-forming cells, including mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblasts, remain unclear. In the present study, we first determined that API treatment could promote bone formation, improve bone metabolism in ovariectomized (OVX) mice, and effectively ameliorate bone loss, as supported by micro-CT scanning and histological staining of mouse femurs. In vitro investigations have confirmed that API has a bidirectional regulatory effect on bone metabolism, promoteing osteogenic differentiation and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis. The further study displayed that the promotion of osteogenesis of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells from OVX mice mainly through regulating SIRT1 and its downstream HIF1α signaling. In summary, API treatment may be a novel and promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of OP.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality and is increasingly prevalent in our population. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) can safely and effectively lower glucose levels while concurrently managing the full spectrum of ASCVD risk factors and improving patients' long-term prognosis. Several cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) have been carried out to further investigate the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RAs. Analyzing data from CVOTs can provide insights into the pathophysiologic mechanisms by which GLP-1RAs are linked to ASCVD and define the use of GLP-1RAs in clinical practice. Here, we discussed various mechanisms hypothesized in previous animal and preclinical human studies, including blockade of the production of adhesion molecules and inflammatory factors, induction of endothelial cells' synthesis of nitric oxide, protection of mitochondrial function and restriction of oxidative stress, suppression of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein three inflammasome, reduction of foam cell formation and macrophage inflammation, and amelioration of vascular smooth muscle cell dysfunction, to help explain the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RAs in CVOTs. This paper provides an overview of the clinical research, molecular processes, and possible therapeutic applications of GLP-1RAs in ASCVD, while also addressing current limitations in the literature and suggesting future research directions.
Purpose Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells contributes to the epiretinal membrane development in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). This study aimed at investigating changes in mitochondrial function during EMT in PVR.
Summary This study aims to compare the prevalence of hypogonadism between male patients with early‐onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM ) and late‐onset type 2 diabetes. A total of 122 male patients with early‐onset T2 DM (diagnosis age ≤40 years) and 100 male patients with late‐onset T2 DM (diagnosis age >40 years) were recruited from our in‐patient department between 1 January 2013 and 28 December 2015. Serum FSH , LH , testosterone, lipid profile, uric acid, HbA1c, and beta‐cell function were determined in blood samples. The diagnosis of hypogonadism was based on the levels of LH , FSH , and total testosterone. The mean onset age was 29.86 ± 6.31 and 54.47 ± 9.97 years old in the early‐onset group and late‐onset group, respectively. Compared with late‐onset T2 DM , those with early‐onset T2 DM had a higher proportion of new‐onset diabetes, were more likely to be obese, and had worse glycemic control, lipid control, and lower sex hormone‐binding globulin ( SHBG ). The prevalence of hypogonadism was much higher in the early‐onset group than in the late‐onset group (48.0% vs. 26.7%, p < 0.05). The rate of secondary hypogonadism in the early‐onset group and late‐onset group were 44.3% and 25.0%, respectively ( p < 0.05). Obesity, waist circumference, and SHBG were significantly associated with serum total testosterone level in all, early‐onset, and late‐onset T2 DM . Both all and early‐onset T2 DM groups had positive correlations between total testosterone and fasting C‐peptide, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric acid. Our results indicate that in a population of admission to a large urban hospital in China, the prevalence of hypogonadism was higher in the patients with early‐onset T2 DM than that of late‐onset T2 DM . This prevalence might be attributable to greater obesity, worse lipid control, and lower SHBG levels in those patients.
Purtscher-like retinopathy is a rare and vision-threatening eye disease, which is usually associated with acute pancreatitis, autoimmune diseases, and renal failure. We here reported a case of Purtscher-like retinopathy after dupilumab treatment in atopic dermatitis.
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