Elabela and Apelin actions in healthy and pathological pregnancies

Pregnancy is a dynamic and precisely organized process during which one or more baby develops. Embryonic development relies on the formation of the placenta, allowing nutrient and oxygen exchange between the mother and the fetus. Dysfunction of placental formation lead to pregnancy disorders such as preeclampsia (PE) with serious deleterious consequences for fetal and maternal health. Identifying factors involved in fetoplacental homeostasis could inform better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for these pathological pregnancies. Here, we summarize actions of elabela, apelin and their common receptor APJ in the fetoplacental unit. Studies indicate that elabela is crucial for embryo cardiovascular system formation and early placental development, while apelin acts in mid/late gestation to modulate fetal angiogenesis and energy homeostasis. Most of these findings, drawn from animal models, indicate a key role of elabela/apelin-APJ system in the fetoplacental unit. This review also provides an overview of clinical studies investigating elabela/apelin-APJ system in pathological complicated pregnancies such as PE and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). While elabela-deficient mice display all the features of PE, current clinical studies show no difference in circulating elabela levels between PE and control patients which does not support a role in PE development. Conversely, apelin levels are increased during PE, but the use of apelin as an early PE marker remains to be fully investigated.     

Novel nonapeptide GLP (28–36) amide derivatives with improved hypoglycemic and body weight lowering effects

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has emerged as a major therapeutic target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The nonapeptide GLP-1 (28–36) amide is one of the biological C-terminal products of GLP-1 modified by the neutral endopeptidase (NEP) 24.11 with limited hypoglycemic activity. In this study, we focused on the modification of GLP-1 (28–36) amide for the first time and synthesized a series of GLP-1 (28–36) amide analogues. Results of biological activity evaluation in INS-1 cell, STZ-induced diabetic and diet induced obesity (DIO) mice indicated that S3 as a promising candidate to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.     

从临床调查看开展糖尿病健康教育的重要性

目的:探讨对糖尿病患者进行健康教育的重要性。方法:采用自制的调查表,以问卷的方式对520名糖尿病人进行调查。结果:77．2%的病人是因体检或因其他疾病而意外被发现的,31．5%的病人会坚持定期检查血糖,28．9%的病人检查过餐后血糖, 45．9%和76．6%的病人还在用副作用很大的降糖灵和优降糖,只有29．3%的病人能够正确了解胰岛素,63．4%的病人相信或是相信过虚假的广告宣传。结论:对糖尿病人群进行糖尿病知识的健康教育是很必要的。     

C肽对糖尿病大鼠肾脏的影响

比较C肽和胰岛素对大鼠糖尿病肾病的治疗作用。方法:选取Wistar大鼠40只,分为正常对照组(NG组)和糖尿病组(DM组),糖尿病组链脲佐菌素诱发大鼠成模后,随机分为三组:糖尿病组(DM组)、胰岛素组(IG组)和C肽组(ICG组)。治疗8周后测定各组大鼠24小时尿白蛋白排泄率(UAER)、肾重/体重,并观察糖尿病大鼠肾脏超微结构变化。结果:24小时尿白蛋白排泄率:糖尿病组明显增加,C肽组明显低于糖尿病组和胰岛素组,差异具有显著性。大鼠肾脏超微结构变化:各组大鼠肾小球截面积、肾小球平均体积(MGV)、细胞外基质/肾小球截面积比值、细胞外基质截面积、肾小球基底膜厚度相比,糖尿病组明显升高,C肽组较胰岛素组和糖尿病组明显下降,差异具有显著性。结论:C肽治疗可以降低24小时尿白蛋白排泄率,改善糖尿病大鼠肾脏超微结构病变。     

妊娠期糖耐量标准与妊娠结局的关系

目的:探讨不同的诊断标准的妊娠期糖尿病的妊娠结局。方法:回顾性分析我院2001-2004年产前检查并分娩,无显性糖尿病及其他内分泌疾病的单胎孕妇共337例,按糖尿痛不同的诊断标准分成三组进行比较:干预组78例(OGTT(oral glucose toler- ante test)血糖值达到妊娠期糖尿病诊断标准,予饮食调整、运动指导,和或胰岛素治疗);未干预组91例(OGTT值小于妊娠期糖尿病诊断标准,但第2小时血糖≥7.8mmol/L,一般产科检查,无相应血糖的检测与治疗);对照组168例(OGTT正常,且第2小时血糖<7.8mmol/L一般产科检查)。结果:未干预组在巨大胎与干预组及对照组间有显著差异。干预组在妊娠周数与对照组及未干预组之间有差异。三组在年龄、分娩前体重指数、分娩方式等方面无显著差异。结论:未干预糖尿病组与巨大胎有关。建议诊断妊娠期糖尿病标准采用空腹血糖≥5.8mmol/L和或75克糖耐量试验2小时血糖≥7.8mmol/L。     

Analysis of mouse skin reveals proteins that are altered in a diet-induced diabetic state: a new method for detection of type 2 diabetes

In this study, proteomic analysis was performed on the skin of C57BL/6J mice with type 2 diabetes and compared to nondiabetic controls. To induce obesity and subsequent diabetes, mice were placed on a high-fat diet for 16 wk. After 16 wk, both diabetic and nondiabetic control mice were sacrificed and their skin removed for analysis. Following 2-DE, proteomic profiles from the skin samples were quantified using PDQuest software. Out of more than 1000 distinct protein spots, 28 were shown to be significantly altered with 6 being decreased and 22 increased in the diabetic state compared to controls. The 28 protein spots were removed from the gels and analyzed by MALDI-TOF and MS/MS analyses. Protein identifications revealed that 17 of the 28 proteins were involved in energy metabolism (60.7% of changes observed). Collectively, none of the significantly altered proteins had been shown previously to be altered in diabetic skin. This study not only helps to identify proteins found in skin samples of obese mice with type 2 diabetes, but also shows that skin biopsies coupled with proteomic analysis may be useful as a noninvasive method for the diagnosis of hyperinsulinemia and diabetes.     

Proteome map of normal rat retina and comparison with the proteome of diabetic rat retina: new insight in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy

We have employed proteomics to establish a proteome map of the normal rat retina. This baseline map was then used for comparison with the early diabetic rat retinal proteome. Diabetic rat retinae were obtained from Dark Agouti rats after 10 wk of streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemia. Extracted proteins from normal and diabetic rat retinae were separated and compared using 2-DE. A total of 145 protein spots were identified in the normal rat retina using MALDI-MS and database matching. LC-coupled ESI-MS increased the repertoire of identified proteins by 23 from 145 to 168. Comparison with early diabetic rat retinae revealed 24 proteins unique to the diabetic gels, and 37 proteins absent from diabetic gels. Uniquely expressed proteins identified included the HSPs 70.1A and 8, and platelet activating factor. There were eight spots with increased expression and 27 with decreased expression on diabetic gels. Beta catenin, phosducin and aldehyde reductase were increased in expression in diabetes whilst succinyl coA ligase and dihydropyrimidase-related protein were decreased. Identification of such changes in protein expression has given new insights and a more comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, widening the scope of potential avenues for new therapies for this common cause of blindness.     

3D-QSAR studies on fluoropyrrolidine amides as dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors by CoMFA and CoMSIA

Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) analyses using CoMFA and CoMSIA methods were conducted on a series of fluoropyrrolidine amides as dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP-IV) inhibitors. The selected ligands were docked into the binding site of the 3D model of DP-IV using the GOLD software, and the possible interaction models between DP-IV and the inhibitors were obtained. Based on the binding conformations of these fluoropyrrolidine amides and their alignment inside the binding pocket of DP-IV, predictive 3D-QSAR models were established by CoMFA and CoMSIA analyses, which had conventional r ² and cross-validated coefficient values () up to 0.982 and 0.555 for CoMFA and 0.953 and 0.613 for CoMSIA, respectively. The predictive ability of these models was validated by six compounds that were in the testing set. Structure-based investigations and the final 3D-QSAR results provide the guide for designing new potent inhibitors.