[Summary] The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in China is increasing significantly in recent decades. According to the results from the diabetes survey of 2010 China Noncommunicable Disease Surveillance Group, the overall prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be 11. 6% ( about 113. 9 millions ) in the Chinese adult population. Despite of the various available treatments, there is still a significant number of diabetes mellitus patients that cannot achieve or maintain their glycemic controls. Additionally, several side effects of these therapies have also been observed, including hypoglycemia, weight gain, fluid retention, and gastrointestinal reactions. Sodium-glucose transporter-2 inhibitors ( SGLT-2is) refer to a new type of antidiabetic drug with its unique mechanism. SGLT-2is inhibit glucose reabsorption in kidney through inhibition of SGLT-2 receptors and thereby reduce plasma glucose by enhancing glucosuria in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition to the efficacy in reducing blood glucose, SGLT-2is also show salutary benefits in lowering the body weight, blood pressure, and the risk of cardiovascular events, which have been confirmed recently, providing a promising therapeutic weapon for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In this study, phagocytic function of circulating neutrophils from diabetic rats induced by alloXan was investigated .The results showed that, (a)phagccytic rate and index of neutrophils from the diabetic rats significantly decreased(P

The peripheral T-lymphocyte number and phagocytic function of peritoneal macro-phages were studied in diabetic C57 mice induced by streptozotocin.. No significant difference in the peripheral lymphcyte number was found, but the percentage of T-lymphocytes quantitated by ANAE staining significantly decreased in diabetic mice. The phagocytic activity of yeasts by peritoneal macrophages was apparently lower in diabetic mice than in normal control. The decrease of T-lymphocytes and depressed phagocytosis of macrophages suggest impaired function of cell-mediated immunity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Human sex glands (ovary and testis) play extremely important roles in reproductive function and sexual behavior by secreting various hormones.However,complex changes in the structure and the function of sex gland occur with ageing,resulting in a series of clinical consequences.This article explores these changes and discuss about their diagnosis and treatment.

Primary aldosteronism is caused by adrenocortical lesions characterized with autonomous secretion of aldosterone and inhibited renin-angiotensin system.Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) integrates the advantages of multiple clinical specialists,and is important for improving the diagnosis and treatment of primary aldosteronism.Here,we briefly reviewed the role of MDT in primary aldosteronism.

An article entitled "Adrenal incidentalomas are tied to increased risk of diabetes: findings from a prospective study" published in JCEM in April 2020, was hereby translated into Chinese after obtaining the copyright [Giuseppe R, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2020, 105(4): dgz284]. This is a prospective study to explore the frequency of adrenal incidentalomas and their association with comorbid diseases. It recruited 601 patients who underwent abdominal CT scan in the radiology department at a public hospital. Those with any history or doubt of adrenal diseases or malignancy were considered as non-eligible. In 7.3% of the patients, adrenal incidentalomas were serendipitously found. The patients with an adrenal incidentaloma were with higher body mass index( P=0.009) and higher waist circumference( P=0.007) and were more frequently diabetic(31.8% vs 14.2%, P=0.003 8). Multivariate regression analysis showed that diabetes was significantly associated with the presence of adrenal incidentalomas( P=0.003). Autonomous cortisol secretion was observed in 50% of patients(plasma cortisol≥50 nmol/L after 1 mg dexamethasone). This is the first study showing that the frequency of adrenal incidentalomas is 7.3% in a prospective radiological series avoiding ascertainment bias and adrenal incidentalomas are tied to increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

AIM: To observe the direct effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on secretion of endothelin-1(ET-1) and nitric oxide by human umbilical vein endothelial cell and cell viability of the secretor. METHODS: The third passage of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with different concentrations of LPS(1 g/L, 100 mg/L, 10 mg/L, 1 mg/L, 100 ?g/L, 10 ?g/L, 1 ?g/L) for 6 hours, and the culture supernatants were collected. The concentrations of ET-1 were determined by radioimmunoassay, the concentrations of nitric oxide were determined using Greiss's method. The viabilities of cells were measured by MTT method. RESULTS: The concentration of ET-1 (pg/L) of normal control group was 251 64?10 90. The concentrations of ET-1(pg/L) of LPS treated groups were 220 85?19 14, 278 67?15 45, 306 40?11 60, 312 87?33 50, 324 38?17 02, 291 49?14 30, 282 11?13 38, respectively. (each group compared with normal control group, P

AIM: To observe the direct effect of LPS on expressions of ET-1, eNOS, and iNOS mRNA in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and further research the molecular mechanism of effect of LPS on production of ET-1 and NO. METHODS: The third passage of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells was incubated with low concentration (100 ?g/L) of LPS for 6 hours. Total RNA was extracted. The expressions of ET-1, eNOS, and iNOS mRNA were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR method. RESULTS: ET-1 mRNA experession increased significantly, while expression of eNOS mRNA decreased significantly, and there was no significant change in expression of iNOS mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: In human umbilical vein endothelial cells, low concentration of LPS enhanced the expression of ET-1 mRNA, inhibited the expression of eNOS mRNA, and had no significant effect on the expression of iNOS mRNA.

AIM and METHODS: To investigate the effect of endotoxin on the celluar activity and secretion of endothelin-1 by radioimmunoassay and MTT methods in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells stimulated by E coli endotoxin (E coli O55:B5, Sigma) of various concentrations (1 g/L, 100 mg/L， 10 mg/L，1 mg/L，100 μg/L，10 μg/L, 1 μg/L) and at the same time interval (HUVEC stimulated by endotoxin for 6 hours) in vitro.RESULTS:Endotoxin showed a slightly inhibitory effect on the viability of endothelial cells at low doses (1 μg/L， 10 μg/L, 100 μg/L, 1 mg/L). The viabilities were 92.00%±1.45%， 91.81%±2.03%, 89.52%±1.49%, 88.35%±1.88%, respectively, versus control group, P＜0.01. The cells were impaired significantly at the higher dose of LPS (100 mg/L), the viability was 80.49%±8.76%, versus control group, P＜0.01. The cells were killed evidently at the concentration of LPS (1 g/L), the viability was 73%±8%, versus control group, P＜0.01. The secretion of ET-1 increased gradually with the concentration of endotoxin manifolding. The concentration of ET-1 reached its peak at the dose of 100 μg/L, and it was (324.384±17.023) ng/L, versus control group (251.636±17.023) ng/L, P＜0.01. Endotoxin was effective in stimulating the endothelial cells to secret ET-1 in a dose dependent manner. CONCLUSION: These findings suggested ET-1 may be one of the important factors in endotoxic shock, and the increase in plasma ET-1 level in endotoxemia may be associated with increase in ET-1 secretion.

To study the direct effect of E.Coli endotoxin on the production of nitric oxide by endothelial cells, the second passage of cultured human umbilical cells was stimulated by serial doses of endotoxin (1 g/L, 10 mg/L, 100 μg/L, 10 μg/L, 1 μg/L), and the content of nitric oxide in supematant of culture and the viability of endothelial cells 6 hours after the stimulation were obcerved. The result showed that endotoxin had a slightly inhibitory effect on both the production of nitric oxide and the viability of endothelial cells at low doses (1 μg/L, 10 μg/L, 100 μg/L), especially the dose of 100 μg/L ［(608.63±11.64) μmol/L, versus that of unstimulated grouop (629.46±13.36) μmol/L, P＜0.05］. While the high doses of endotoxin exerted a big increasing in production of nitric oxide and a big decrease in the viability of endothelial cells, especially the dose of 1 g/L (NO: 722.58 μmol/L±32.18 μmol/L, versus that of unstimulated group P＜0.01; viability: 73.63%±8.50%, versus that of unstimulated group, P＜0.01). These could be concluded that low doses of endotoxin mainly resulted in functional changes in endothelial cells, such as decrease in relaxing factor (nitrc oxide), while high doses endotoxin exerted lethal effects on endothelial cells accompanied with high production of nitric oxide, which might be related to the death of cells.