Fasting Blood Glucose-A Missing Variable for GFR-Estimation in Type 1 Diabetes?

Objective

Estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is one of the current clinical methods for identifying risk for diabetic nephropathy in subjects with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Hyperglycemia is known to influence GFR in T1D and variability in blood glucose at the time of eGFR measurement could introduce bias in eGFR. We hypothesized that simultaneously measured blood glucose would influence eGFR in adults with T1D.

Methods

Longitudinal multivariable mixed-models were employed to investigate the relationships between blood glucose and eGFR by CKD-EPI eGFR_{CYSTATIN C} over 6-years in the Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 1 diabetes (CACTI) study. All subjects with T1D and complete data including blood glucose and cystatin C for at least one of the three visits (n = 616, 554, and 521, respectively) were included in the longitudinal analyses.

Results

In mixed-models adjusting for sex, HbA1c, ACEi/ARB, protein and sodium intake positive associations were observed between simultaneous blood glucose and eGFR_{CYSTATIN C} (β±SE:0.14±0.04 per 10 mg/dL of blood glucose, p<0.0001), and hyperfiltration as a dichotomous outcome (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07 per 10 mg/dL of blood glucose, p = 0.02).

Conclusions

In our longitudinal data in subjects with T1D, simultaneous blood glucose has an independent positive effect on eGFR_{CYSTATIN C}. The associations between blood glucose and eGFR_{CYSTATIN C} may bias the accurate detection of early diabetic nephropathy, especially in people with longitudinal variability in blood glucose.     

Iron metabolism pathways in the rat hepatocyte

A small to moderate inhibitory effect of iron uptake by isolated rat hepatocytes in short-term studies was seen with oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport inhibitors, and no inhibition by agents affecting pinocytosis. Intracellular transferrin was able to donate iron to the small-molecular weight iron pool, and the latter was able to transfer, by a process not requiring energy or movement of serum transferrin, iron to ferritin. Serum transferrin was not able to lose iron to any cytosol components. Reducing agents were not able to abstract iron from rat serum transferrin to any great extent. It is concluded that iron is taken up by the rat hepatocyte from serum transferrin by a process not requiring energy or movement of serum transferrin into the cell interior; and that intracellular transferrin is involved in acquiring iron from serum transferrin at the cell surface, with iron then being transferred to the small-molecular weight iron pool and hence to ferritin. It is also proposed that intracellular transferrins may have the general function of interacting with serum transferrin at cell surfaces.     

In vitro-regenerated wetland sedge Eriophorum vaginatum L. is genetically stable

Eriophorum vaginatum L. is a promising species for phytostabilization, restoration, or creation of wetlands, because it can survive in cold, nutrient-poor, or metal-contaminated soils. However, its propagation on a large scale is problematic due to the infrequent production of viable seeds, seed dormancy, and the limitations of reproduction by rhizomes. A technique to rapidly and effectively produce large quantities of outplanting stock of this species was sought. Seeds of E. vaginatum were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with plant growth regulators at different concentrations. The highest regeneration rate was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 2.26???M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2.32???M kinetin (KIN) for callus induction, and 17.76???M BA (6-benzylaminopurine) for shoot regeneration as well as when 2.26???M 2,4-D and 4.65???M KIN was added to the callus-induction medium, and 8.88???M or 17.76???M BA to the shoot-regeneration medium. The regenerated shoots were rooted on MS medium without growth regulators and acclimatized in a greenhouse. Genetic stability of the in vitro regenerants was determined using flow cytometry and random amplified polymorphic DNA. Cytometric analysis revealed that the nuclear DNA content was similar in all plant materials and amounted to about 0.8?pg/2C. The PCR amplification products were monomorphic in callus-derived plants and similar to plants grown in a field. Lack of genome size variation and polymorphism within the regenerants indicates that the detailed E. vaginatum micropropagation protocol allows the production of a large number of genetically stable plants.     

Comparative analysis of phenolic acids and flavonoids in shoot cultures of Eryngium alpinum L.: an endangered and protected species with medicinal value

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - Phenolic acids and flavonoids, important bioactive compounds of polyphenols, play a significant role in plants; their impact, mainly as antioxidants,...