Pancreatic islets are responsible for blood glucose homeostasis. Reduced numbers of functional (insulin-secreting) beta-cells in pancreatic islets underlies diabetes. Restoration of the secretion of the proper amount of insulin is a goal. Beta-cell mass is increased by neogenesis, proliferation and cell hypertrophy, and is decreased by beta-cell death primarily through apoptosis. Many hormones and nutrients affect beta-cell mass, and glucose and free fatty acid are thought to be the most important determinants of beta-cell equilibrium. A number of molecular pathways have been implicated in beta-cell mass regulation and have been studied. This review will focus on the role of the principle metabolites, glucose and free fatty acid, and the downstream signaling pathways regulating beta-cell mass by these metabolites.
Apoptosis ; Blood Glucose ; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified* ; Glucose* ; Homeostasis ; Hypertrophy ; Insulin ; Islets of Langerhans

Capsule contraction syndrome is severe constriction of the anterior capsular opening and equatorial capsular bag diameter after extracapsular cataract surgery. It is relatively common in patients with continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis, but rarely in can-opener capsulotomy or anterior radial capsular tears. It is due to capsular bag contraction from fibrous dysplasia of residual lens epithelial cells with weakened zonular resistance. We experienced a case of capsule contraction syndrome in a 72-year old woman with retinitis pigmentosa, who had phacoemulsification following an intact 5.0mm-continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis 4 months before. After successful YAG laser radial anterior relaxing capsulotomy, her visual acuity restored to 0.3, limited by cystoid macular edema.
Aged ; Capsulorhexis* ; Cataract ; Constriction ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Macular Edema ; Phacoemulsification ; Retinitis Pigmentosa ; Visual Acuity

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a group of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid (LA) and exhibits anticarcinogenic activity in a variety of animal models. We have previously observed that CLA inhibited the growth of Caco-2 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line. The present study was performed to determine whether the growth inhibitory effect of CLA is related to change in secretion of IGF- II and/or IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) that have been shown to regulate Caco-2 cell proliferation by an autocrine mechanism. Cells were incubated in serum-free medium with various concentrations of CLA or linoleic acid (LA). Immunoblot analysis of 24-hours, serum-free, conditioned medium using a monoclonal anti-IGF-IIantibody revealed that Caco-2 cells secreted both mature 6,500 Mr and higher Mr forms of pro IGF-II. The levels of pro IGF-II and mature IGF-IIwere decreased by 43+/-2% and 53+/-6%, respectively by treatment with 50 micrometer CLA. LA slightly increased pro IGF- II levels. Results from Northern blot analysis showed that CLA decreased IGF-II mRNA levels at 50 micrometer concentration suggesting that CLA regulation of IGF-II protein expression occurs partly at the transcriptional level. Ligand blot analysis of conditioned media using 1251-IGF-II revealed that CLA slightly decreased IGFBP-2 levels and increased IGFBP-4 levels. We confirmed our previous results that CLA inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner but LA slightly increased cell growth. Exogenous IGF-II mitigated the growth inhibitory effect of CLA. These results indicate that the growth inhibitory effect of CLA may be at least in part mediated by decreasing IGF-II and IGFBP-2 secretion and increasing IGFBP-4 secretion in Caco-2 cells.
Adenocarcinoma ; Blotting, Northern ; Caco-2 Cells ; Cell Line ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Linoleic Acid* ; Models, Animal ; RNA, Messenger

A case of Agenesis of gallbladder in 73-year old female patient who had an emergent operation due to obstructive jaundice with impacted CBD stones is reported. The patient suffered from icteric sclera and abdominal pain which waxed and waned for three days. Impacted CBD stones and an agenesis of the gallbladder was suggested by a computed tomogram of the abdomen. In the operating field, multiple adhesions around the biliary tree was noticed, but we could not find the gallbladder and cystic duct. She underwent choledocholithotomy, T-tube choledochostomy, operative cholangiography, and drainage. Operative cholangiogaphy showed no remained stones, and there was no structures suggesting gallbladder and cystic duct. The authors described the case with a recent review from the literature.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Biliary Tract ; Cholangiography ; Choledochostomy ; Cystic Duct ; Drainage ; Female ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Sclera

Purpose: Increasing levels of domestic fine dust (DFD) have emerged as a serious problem that threatens public health by causing chronic respiratory diseases and skin aging. The present study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effects of Gryllus bimaculatus (the two-spotted cricket), which has recently attracted attention as an edible insect in South Korea, on DFD-induced aging and inflammation. Methods: To verify that DFD causes skin aging and investigate the anti-aging effect of an aqueous ethanolic-Gryllus bimaculatus extract (AE-GBE), human diploid fibroblasts (HDF) were treated with 100 μg/mL of European reference material (ERM)-CZ100 dust for 24 hrs in the presence or absence of 100 μg/ml AE-GBE. Aging and cellular toxicities were assessed by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, DNA fragmentation, and β-galactosidase activity. The protein levels of cyclooxygenase (COX) 2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and collagen were measured by western blot, and the mRNA expressions of inflammationrelated genes were assayed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results: Treatment with ERM-CZ100 induced an aged phenotype in HDF cells, as evidenced by increased ROS levels, DNA fragmentation, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, but cotreatment with AE-GBE significantly reduced these inductions. The mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, induced by ERM-CZ100 were also reduced by AE-GBE cotreatment, which also reduced COX2 expression. Moreover, ERM-CZ100-induced MMP-1 expression and reduced collagen type I expression were recovered by AE-GBE treatment. Conclusion These results suggest that AE-GBE is a potential treatment for domestic fine dust-induced skin inflammation and inflammaging.

The patient is a 62-year-old man with known diabetes mellitus who presented with a two-weeks-history of dyspnea, cough, and fever. He was diagnosed with a lung abscess in the right upper lobe and was treated with intravenous antibiotics. The patient's clinical and radiological findings improved within seven days after medical treatment. However, newly developed ground-glass opacity and infiltrations were observed in the right lower lung. Fourteen days after admission, the patient's symptoms and imaging finding became aggravated despite trestment with susceptible antibiotics for lung abscess. Trans-bronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) was performed in the lateral basal segment of the right lower lobe of the lung. A histologic photomicrograph showed organizing pneumonia, also called bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia(BOOP), that became more definite as the terminal bronchioles and alveoli became occluded with masses of inflammatory cells and fibrotic tissue. The clinical symptoms and radiograph findings resolved quickly with prednisone treatment. We report a case of secondary organizing pneumonia diagnosed after TBLB following lung abscess treatment and provide a review of the literature.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Bronchioles ; Bronchiolitis Obliterans ; Cough ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyspnea ; Fever ; Humans ; Lung Abscess* ; Lung* ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia* ; Prednisone

Tracheostomy is one of the oldest surgical procedures in medical history. The indications for a tracheostomy include the relief of an upper airway obstruction, long-term mechanical ventilation, and decreased airway resistance to help wean the patient from mechanical ventilator support. Unfortunately, tracheostomy is also associated with a number of problems including, bleeding, infection, pneumothorax, and tracheal stenosis. A pneumothorax is an uncommon complication of a tracheostomy, and can result from direct injury to the pleura or positive pressure ventilation through a dislocation of the tracheostomy tube. We report an uncommon case of a tracheostomy-induced bilateral tension pneumothorax with a review of the literature.
Airway Obstruction ; Airway Resistance ; Dislocations ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pleura ; Pneumothorax* ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; Respiration, Artificial ; Tracheal Stenosis ; Tracheostomy* ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUND: The improvement in social economic standard of living and aging bring high attention to osteoporosis in women. Many studies have been released so far about how effectively Hormone Replacement Therapy(HRT) in postmenopausal women works for the increase in Bone Mineral Density(BMD) in hip and vertebrae with the different rate of bone formation. In addition, it has been believed that HRT could increase BMD of hip and lumbar vertebrae reduce fractures caused by osteoporosis. In this study, we will find the effect of HRT on the increase in BMD of lumbar vertebrae and hip in postmenopausal women, by measuring and comparing BMD of lumbar vertebrae with high rate of trabecular bone to that of hip with high rate of cortical bone one year after HRT in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Subjects were 48 out of 325 postmenopausal women patients who visited osteoporosis clinic, Sun Hospital, Taejeon, from January, 1995 to December, 1995 and had the osteoporosis test and the vertebrae osteoporosis test one year after. We compared and analyzed the change of BMD in each part by retesting BMD of lumbar vertebrae and hip one year after the continuous HRT in women. SPSS/PC was used for statistical procedure. RESULTS: Subjects have mean age of 54.8+/-4.5 years, mean menopausal age of 48.4+/-3.5 years, mean postmenopause period of 6.5 +/- 5.9 years, mean body mass index 23.4+/-3.1kg/m2, mean weight of 56.7 +/- 7.8kg and mean height of 154715.4cm. No correlation was observed of their age, menopausal age, the number of years since menopause and body mass index to the changing rate of BMD in lumbar vertebrae and femur one year after HRT in women. The BMD prior to treatment was, respectively, as follows , L2-L4(0.8983710.llg/cm2), Hip(neck, 0.7597+/-0.10g/cm2 ; trochanter, 0.6259+/-0.08g/cm2 ; Ward's triangle,0.5186+/-0.90g/cm2), and that one year after treatment ; L2-L4(0.9277+/-0.llg/cm2), Hip(neck,0.7592710.llg/cm2 ; trochanter, 0.63227:0.08g/cm" ; Ward's triangle,0.5340+/-0.09g/cm2). There was significant increase in BMD of lumbar vertebrae and femur Ward's triangle(P<0.01) among BMD of each part one year after HRT, but BMD of femur neck and that of trochanter region has no significant incense. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that one year treatment with HRT in postmenopausal women resulted in significant increase in BMD of not only lumbar vertebrae with lots of trabecular bone but also Ward's triangle regions of femur, regardless of age and postmenopausal period of postmenopausal women at the beginning of treatment. It is considered that HRT may be effective in preventing osteoporotic fractures of lumbar vertebrae and hip on postmenopausal women, and that postmenopausal period would not be an important factor in the beginning of HRT treatment.
Aging ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density* ; Daejeon ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Hip* ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Menopause ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Postmenopause ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Solar System ; Spine*

PURPOSE: Epidemiological and laboratory studies suggest that nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce the risk of colon cancer and that the inhibition of colon cancer is mediated through modulation of eicosanoid production. The present study examined the effect of cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors on colon cancer cell growth and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) or leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) secretion by these cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines, Caco-2 and HT-29 cells, were cultured in serum-free medium with various concentrations of indomethacin, piroxicam or esculetin in the presence of 0.15nM or 10nM linoleic acid. Cell number was estimated by MTT assay and PGE(2) and LTB(4) were analyzed by enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The NSAIDs inhibited cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. However, the potency and efficacy of each drug varied in the two cell lines. In Caco-2 cells, the effect of esculetin was higher than that of indomethacin, and piroxicam had no effect. In HT-29 cells, only indomethacin significantly inhibited cell proliferation. All three agents inhibited PGE(2) secretion in a dose-dependent manner; the effect of indomethacin was highest and that of esculetin lowest. The secretion of LTB4 was increased by indomethacin and piroxicam but decreased by esculetin. The effects of these drugs on cell proliferation and eicosanoid secretion were not influenced by linoleic acid concentrations in the culture media. Neither exogenous PGE2 nor LTB4 affected cell proliferation. The results of Pearson correlation analyses revealed that changes in cell proliferation were somewhat related to both concentrations of NSAIDs in the culture medium and production of PGE(2) and LTB(4). CONCLUSION: The present data suggests that the anti-proliferative effect of NSAIDs may not be entirely attributed to changes in the production of PGE2 and/or LTB4 in the two colon cancer cell lines. These NSAIDs may inhibit cell proliferation largely independent of their ability to modulate eicosanoid synthesis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Caco-2 Cells ; Cell Count ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Culture Media ; Dinoprostone ; Eicosanoids* ; HT29 Cells ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Indomethacin ; Leukotriene B4 ; Linoleic Acid ; Lipoxygenase Inhibitors* ; Lipoxygenase* ; Piroxicam ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases*

Purpose: Allomyrina dichotoma larvae are one of the approved edible insects with nutritional value and various functional and medicinal properties. Previously we have demonstrated that the Allomyrina dichotoma larval extract (ADLE) ameliorates hepatic insulin resistance in highfat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mice through the activation of adenosine monophosphateactivated protein kinase (AMPK). This study investigated the effects of ADLE on insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle and explored mechanisms for enhancing the glucose uptake in palmitate (PAL)-treated C2C12 myotubes. Methods: To induce insulin resistance, the differentiated C2C12 myotubes were treated with PAL (0.5 mM) for 24 hours, and then treated with a 0.5 mg/ml concentration of ADLE, and the resultant effects were measured. The expression levels of glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4), AMPK, and the mitochondrial metabolism-related proteins were analyzed by western blotting. The mRNA expression levels of lipogenesis- related genes were determined by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR. Results: The exposure of C2C12 myotubes to 0.5 mg/ml of ADLE increased cell viability significantly compared to PAL-treated cells. ADLE upregulated the protein expression of GLUT4 and enhanced glucose uptake in the PAL-treated cells. ADLE increased the phosphorylated AMPK in both the PAL-treated C2C12 myotubes and HFD-treated skeletal muscle. The reduced expression levels of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator-1 alpha (PGC1α) and uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) due to the PAL and HFD treatment were reversed by the ADLE treatment. The citrate synthase activity was also significantly increased with the PAL and ADLE co-treatment. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expressions of fatty acid synthesis-related factors were reduced in the PAL and HFDtreated muscle cells, and this effect was significantly attenuated by the ADLE treatment. Conclusion ADLE activates AMPK, which in turn induces mitochondrial metabolism and reduces fatty acid synthesis in C2C12 myotubes. Therefore, ADLE could be useful for preventing or treating insulin resistance of skeletal muscles in diabetes.