Objective To investigate the effect and underling mechanism of genistein(GEN)on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.Method 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate in the presence of vehicle(MDI),GEN or SB203580.On D 6 after induction of differentiation,lipid accumulation was assessed using the dye Oil Red O,medium was collected and assayed for the content of NEFA and TG,and fatty acid synthase(FAS) expression was analyzed by Western blotting.After pretreatment with GEN for 30 min,3T3-L1 preadipocytes were stimulated with insulin for 5 or 10 min.The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK(p38) was analyzed by Western blotting.Results GEN inhibited lipid accumulation and decreased NEFA and TG content of 3T3-L1 on D 6 after the induction of differentiation.Pretreatment with GEN inhibited phosphorylation of p38 when stimulated with insulin.Furthermore,GEN inhibited the expression of FAS.SB203580,a p38 inhibitor,mimicked the FAS inhibition effect of genistein,which suggested that the inhibitory effect of GEN on FAS was partially via the p38 pathway.Conclusion Geinstein attenuates the differentiation of 3T3-L1 via the inhibition of p38 and FAS.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the opinions of healthcare professional regarding the contributions of the Medical Affairs department. Furthermore, we aimed to identify factors influencing and reasons for the contributions in the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic situation.Design/Methods: A web-based survey was conducted among healthcare professionals (Key Opinion Leader/Key Thought Leader, KOL/KTL) who had multiple contacts with the Medical Affairs department, Japan.Results: The responses of 141 KOL/KTLs in Japan were collected; 77.3% of the respondents indicated that the contributions of the Medical Affairs department exceeded their expectations (achieved the expected level of contribution). The most common responses were “the identification of unmet medical needs” and “the dissemination of medical and scientific information, providing advanced medical and scientific information;” other responses included “promoting sales of the company's drugs.” The requests from KOL/KTLs regarding quality were “knowledge about biological and clinical statistics” and “proposal and quick response ability from the perspective of medical staff and patients,” but these responses were partially different between physicians and pharmacists. COVID-19 has resulted in substantial changes, for example, “face-to-face” interactions have significantly decreased from 91.5 to 50.4% and “Online” interactions have significantly increased from 20.6 to 70.9%. However, the effects of the declaration of emergency state could not be identified. The KOL/KTLs requested to make the meeting times more appropriate, conduct in-depth two-way discussions, provide latest information, and discuss about professional manners and behaviors.Conclusion: In summary, regardless of the changes in the types of activities caused by COVID-19, the Medical Affairs department has made substantial contributions to healthcare professionals, who highly appreciated them. Furthermore, depending on responses of individuals whose expectations could not be met, areas of improvements have been suggested.

The increase in the proportion of elderly people in the population is one of the most remarkable sociodemographic phenomena of the twenty-first century. The number of patients with diabetes is also increasing worldwide with this demographic change. Given these facts, consideration of the problems the general elderly population is facing in the management of diabetes is essential. In this review article, we focus on sarcopenia, which is the decrease in lower extremity muscle mass and muscle strength accompanying aging, describe the relationship between sarcopenia and diabetes, and highlight the specific factors through which diabetes contributes to loss of muscle strength. The quantitative methods for evaluating lower extremity muscle strength will also be described. These methods hold the key to assessing the effectiveness of exercise therapy and optimizing the assessment of the degree of autonomy in the activities of daily living. Exercise is one of the basic treatments for type 2 diabetes and may also prevent and improve sarcopenia. This review discusses the aspects common to the two health conditions and elucidates the effectiveness and necessity of exercise as a preventive measure against diabetes among the elderly.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Exercise Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Leg ; physiopathology ; Male ; Muscle Strength ; physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology ; Sarcopenia ; physiopathology ; prevention & control