Association of genetic variants in the adiponectin encoding gene (ADIPOQ) with type 2 diabetes in Japanese Brazilians

Aim: The objective of this study is to assess the contribution of ADIPOQ variants to type 2 diabetes in Japanese Brazilians. Methods: We genotyped 200 patients with diabetes mellitus (100 male and 100 female, aged 55.0 years [47.5-64.0 years]) and 200 control subjects with normal glucose tolerant (NGT) (72 male and 128 female, aged 52.0 years [43.5-64.5 years]). Results: Whereas each polymorphism studied (T45G, G276T, and A349G) was not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the haplotype GGA was overrepresented in our diabetic population (9.3% against 3.1% in NGT individuals, P=.0003). Also, this haplotype was associated with decreased levels of adiponectin. We also identified three mutations in exon 3: I164T, R221S, and H241P, but, owing to the low frequencies of them, associations with type 2 diabetes could not be evaluated. The subjects carrying the R221S mutation had plasma adiponectin levels lower than those without the mutation (2.10 mu g/ml [1.35-2.55 mu g/ml] vs. 6.68 mu g/ml [3.90-11.23 mu g/ml], P=.015). Similarly, the I164T mutation carriers had mean plasma adiponectin levels lower than those noncarriers (3.73 mu g/ml [3.10-4.35 mu g/ml] vs. 6.68 mu g/ml [3.90-11.23 mu g/ml]), but this difference was not significant (P=.17). Conclusions: We identified in the ADIPOQ gene a risk haplotype for type 2 diabetes in the Japanese Brazilian population. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of NAD(P)H Oxidase with Glucose-Induced Insulin Secretion by Pancreatic beta-Cells

We previously described the presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reduced form [NAD(P)H] oxidase components in pancreatic beta-cells and its activation by glucose, palmitic acid, and proinflammatory cytokines. In the present study, the importance of the NAD(P)H oxidase complex for pancreatic beta-cell function was examined. Rat pancreatic islets were incubated in the presence of glucose plus diphenyleneiodonium, a NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor, for 1 h or with the antisense oligonucleotide for p47(PHOX) during 24 h. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was determined by a fluorescence assay using 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate. Insulin secretion, intracellular calcium responses, [U-(14)C] glucose oxidation, and expression of glucose transporter-2, glucokinase and insulin genes were examined. Antisense oligonucleotide reduced p47(PHOX) expression [an important NAD(P)H oxidase cytosolic subunit] and similarly to diphenyleneiodonium also blunted the enzyme activity as indicated by reduction of ROS production. Suppression of NAD(P)H oxidase activity had an inhibitory effect on intracellular calcium responses to glucose and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by isolated islets. NAD(P)H oxidase inhibition also reduced glucose oxidation and gene expression of glucose transporter-2 and glucokinase. These findings indicate that NAD(P)H oxidase activation plays an important role for ROS production by pancreatic beta-cells during glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The importance of this enzyme complex for the beta-cell metabolism and the machinery involved in insulin secretion were also shown. (Endocrinology 150: 2197-2201, 2009)

Chronic action of association of zidovudine, lamivudine and ritonavir on pregnant rats. A biologic assay

Purpose: To evaluate at term the effects of a highly active antiretroviral (HAAR) drug association administered during the entire period of rat pregnancy. Methods: Three groups (n = 10 each) of adult pregnant rats were treated with an oral solution of HAAR (Exp 1 = 10/5/20 mg/kg b.w.; Exp 2 = 30/15/60 mg/kg b.w.; Exp 3 = 90/45/180 mg/kg b.w.) from day ""0"" up to the 20th day of pregnancy. A fourth group served as a control. At term (20th day) the rats were killed under deep anesthesia and the number of implantations, resorptions, living fetuses, placentae and intrauterine deaths were recorded. Results: The highest HAAR doses caused lower maternal weight gain, lower litter weights, and lower placental weights compared to the control group. Conclusions: HAAR during the entire period of rat pregnancy can reduce maternal body weight gain and lower term placental weight.

Association of complement factor H Y402H polymorphism and age-related macular degeneration in Brazilian patients

Purpose: The aim of this study was investigate the association between complement Factor H polymorphism (Y402H) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Brazilian patients. Methods: Patients with AMD aged 50 or more and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Genomic DNA was isolated from leucocytes of patients and controls; the Y402H polymorphism of complement Factor H gene (CFH) was determined by polymerase chain reaction directed sequencing. Results: The frequency of 1277C allele of Factor H was 56.30% in patients with AMD compared with 36.51% in controls (p-value = 0.001). The genotypic distribution differed significantly between the two groups (1277CC 36.98%, 1277CT 38.65% and 1277TT 24.37% for AMD group; 1277CC 13.16%, 1277CT 46.71% and 1277TT 40.13% for controls, p-value = 0.001). The odds ratio for patients with AMD carrying only one 1277C allele was 1.36 and for those carrying two 1277C alleles was 4.63, when compared to the control group. Conclusions: These results suggest the Y402H polymorphism of CFH is a risk factor to the development of AMD in Brazilian patients. This is in accordance with findings from the majority of previous study population in Europe and North American.

Association of Human T Lymphotropic Virus 1 Amplification of Periodontitis Severity with Altered Cytokine Expression in Response to a Standard Periodontopathogen Infection

Background. Periodontal diseases (PDs) are infectious diseases in which periodontopathogens trigger chronic inflammatory and immune responses that lead to tissue destruction. Recently, viruses have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PDs. Individuals infected with human T lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) present with abnormal oral health and a marked increased prevalence of periodontal disease. Methods. In this study, we investigated the patterns of periodontopathogen infection and local inflammatory immune markers in HTLV-1-seropositive individuals with chronic periodontitis (CP/HTLV-1 group) compared with HTLV-1 -seronegative individuals with chronic periodontitis (CP group) and periodontally healthy, HTLV-1 -seronegative individuals (control group). Results. Patients in the CP/HTLV-1 group had significantly higher values of bleeding on probing, mean probing depth, and attachment loss than patients in the CP group. The expression of tumor necrosis factor a and interleukin (IL) 4 was found to be similar in the CP and CP/HTLV-1 groups, whereas IL-12 and IL-17 levels trended toward a higher expression in the CP/HTLV-1 group. A significant increase was seen in the levels of IL-1 beta and interferon gamma in the CP/HTLV-1 group compared with the CP group, whereas expression of the regulatory T cell marker FOXp3 and IL-10 was significantly decreased in the lesions from the CP/HTLV-1 group. Interestingly, similar frequency and/or load of periodontopathogens (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans) and frequency of viruses (herpes simplex virus 1, human cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus) characteristically associated with PDs were found in the CP/HTLV and CP groups. Conclusions. HTLV-1 may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease through the deregulation of the local cytokine network, resulting in an exacerbated response against a standard periodontopathogen infection.

Solid-state NMR characterization of a series of copolymers containing fluorene, phenylene and thiophene units

Fluorene and thiophene units are commonly used in polymeric materials for electro-optical applications. Due to differences in reactivity, the final composition of polymers containing these components often differs from that used in their preparation. This contribution describes the synthesis of PPV type terpolymers built by fluorene, phenylene and thiophene units and their quantification by CPMAS NMR. The similarity of the three aromatic co-monomers makes it difficult to separate the analytical responses that would allow quantification of each copolymer unit in the chain. In this sense, we show that the combination of dipolar dephased CPMAS with radiofrequency ramp and proper spectral treatment allows a good estimation and quantification of the copolymer constitution. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The bar-radical of a class of almost alternative baric algebras

In this article we prove that, if (U, ) is a finite dimensional baric algebra of (gamma, delta) type over a field F of characteristic not equal 2,3,5 such that gamma(2) - delta(2) + delta = 1 and 0,1, then rad(U) = R(U)boolean AND(bar(U))(2), where R(U) is the nilradical (maximal nil ideal) of U.