Stem cells with the capacity of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation are promising sources for generation of pancreatic cells for cell replacement therapy in diabetes mellitus.Stem cells also show their potential in the studies regarding the embryonic development of several endocrine organs including pancreatic islets,thyroid,parathyroid,and adrenal glands.Moreover,they would be much useful for investigation of pathogenesis and drug screening in endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Metformin has been recommended as the first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes.Besides its ideal glucose-lowering effect,metformin has also been shown to exert beneficial effects on cardiovascular system,including preventing the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis,reducing risk for cardiovascular events,attenuating myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury,improving ventricular remodeling,and slowing the progress of heart failure.The activation of adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the protective cardiovascular effects resulted from metformin.

[Summary] Glucagon-like peptide-1 ( GLP-1 ) agents play important roles in glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Moreover, these agents also show various protective effects on cardiovascular system. GLP-1 agents improve vascular endothelial function, ameliorate the risk factors of cardiovascular disease including obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and hypertension, delay the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis, and protect against cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury and heart failure. Therefore, GLP-1 agents may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases at different stages and in multiple aspects.

Proinsulin is the precursor of mature insulin.Proinsulin to insulin ratio reflects the degree of pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and the progression of type 2 diabetes, and may predict the risk of diabetes development.Some variants in susceptibility genes of diabetes are associated with the elevation of proinsulin to insulin ratio.Moreover, several antidiabetic drugs are able to decrease the proinsulin to insulin ratio in patients with type 2 diabetes.Therefore, the proinsulin to insulin ratio may act as a simple and useful indicator in the etiological study, risk prediction, disease progression and therapeutical evaluation in type 2 diabetes.

Islet β cell protection is one of the key strategies for diabetes treatment. The new antidiabetic drug sodium-glucose cotransporter 2(SGLT2)inhibitor decreases blood glucose by inhibiting glucose reabsorption in the renal tubule, independent of insulin. Various clinical studies have shown that SGLT2 inhibitors improve β cell function. Furthermore, animal experiments have indicated that SGLT2 inhibitors increase β cell mass. SGLT2 inhibitors promote islet regeneration through stimulating β cell proliferation, inhibiting β cell apoptosis and dedifferentiation, enhancing transdifferentiation of α cells to β cells, and initiating progenitor-derived β cell neogenisis. Indirect effects of metabolic improvement(i.e.lowering glucose, losing weight, improving lipid metabolism), inhibiting inflammatory reaction, inducing glucagon-like peptide-1 secreted from α cells, and regulating gene changes might be involved in the β cell protection of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Objective To evaluate the effect of Alprostsdil combined with Magnesium Isoglycyrrhizinate on hepatocirrhosis at active phase. Method 74 inpatients collected from our hospital were randomly divided into control group(37 cases)and treatment group(37 cases). The patients in control group were given conventional liver protecting treatment. In addition to routine therapy of the control group, the patients in treatment group received intravenous Alprostadil and Magnesium Isoglycyrrhizinate injection once a day for 4 weeks. Results The total effective rate of treatment group was 67. 6%, and that of control group was 40. 5%, and the difference was significant (P ＜ 0. 05).Conclusion Alprostadil combined with Magnesium Isoglycyrrhizinate has good clinical therapeutic effect on hepatocirrhosis at active phase.

The plasma levels of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the patients with unstable angina or stable angina were determined and compared. In 30 patients with unstable angina and 22 patients with stable angina, plasma levels of IL-10 and IL-6 were detected by ELISA and plasma lipid parameters by lipid research clinical methods respectively. The results showed plasma levels of IL-10 were significantly lower in unstable angina group than in stable angina group (P = 0.005), while those of IL-6 were significantly increased in unstable angina group as compared with those in stable angina group (P = 0.039). There was a significantly negative correlation between IL-10 and IL-6 in patients with unstable angina (r = -0.41, P = 0.003). In the unstable angina group, IL-6 levels were obviously positively correlated with TC (r = 0.314, P = 0.023), but not with TG and HDL. There were no significant correlations between IL-10 and plasma lipid parameters. It was suggested that the decreased IL-10 and increased IL-6 might be associated with the atheromatous plaque stability and progression of coronary heart diseases. IL-10 may play an important role in preventing coronary vascular lesions.
Angina, Unstable/*blood ; Interleukin-10/*blood ; Interleukin-6/*blood

Objective:To investigate the effect of miR-154 on the apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6). Methods:Hepat-ic stellate cells (HSC-T6) were transfected with miR-154 mimics and miR-154 inhibitor, and the cells were trandfected with mimics NC and inhibitor NC as the negative control. The effects of miR-154 on the proliferation of HSC-T6 were detected at different time points by CCK-8. A flow cytometry with double staining of Annexin and PI was used to detect the cell cycle and apoptosis rate of HSC-T6. Results:The proliferation ability of the cells was increased,the apoptosis rate was decreased significantly, and the proportion of cells in G0/G1 phase were decreased, and those in G2/M phase were increased significantly after transfected with miR-154 mimics. The proliferation ability of the cells was decreased,the apoptosis rate was increased significantly, and the proportion of cells in G0/G1 phase were increased, and those in G2/M phase were decreased significantly after transfected with miR-154 inhibitor. Conclusion:MiR-154 can promote the proliferation of HSC-T6 and inhibit the apoptosis of HSC-T6.

Objective:To summarize the single nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNPs) in ABCC2 and the effect on clinical drug appli-cation. Methods:According to the related articles published in domestic and abroad, the correlation between the single nucleotide pol-ymorphisms in ABCC2 and drug responses was classified and summarized. Results:ABCC2 translocator played an important role in the transmembrane transport of many physiological compounds and exogenous compounds. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the single nucleotide polymorphisms in ABCC2 possibly affected the expression or activity of ABCC2, which leading to the variation in the absorption, distribution and excretion of certain drugs and toxicants. However, the limitation and controversy were still emerged in the results. Conclusion:The influence of ABCC2 single nucleotide polymorphisms on clinical drug application shows significantly referen-tial value for the guidance of medication and the evaluation of efficacy, however, it can not be used as the only indicator yet.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection 1 week before pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients. METHODS: A retrospective research was done on 46 PDR patients who were divided into PPV group (n=28) and IVB group (n=18, PPV with preoperative IVB). Bevacizumab was injected 1 week before PPV. Main outcome measures were visual acuity, incidence of iatrogenic retinal breaks, intraoperative and postoperative bleeding. RESULTS: At 1 month after surgery, visual acuity in PPV (82.1%) and IVB group (88.9%) improved significantly (P<0.01) and the difference between the two groups was not significant. Iatrogenic retinal breaks were reported in 18 cases (64.3%) in PPV group and 4 cases (22.2%) in IVB group (P<0.05). Intraoperative bleeding was encountered in all cases in PPV group and 7 cases (39%) in IVB group (P<0.01). Postoperative bleeding was reported in 9 cases (32.1%) in PPV group and none in IVB group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: IVB injection before PPV is helpful in reducing iatrogenic retinal breaks, intraoperative and postoperative bleeding in PDR patients.