Search

Francisco Javier Ampudia‑Blasco,1 Irene Romera,2 Bernat Ariño,3 Ramón Gomis4 1Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Clinic University Hospital Valencia, Valencia, Spain; 2Eli Lilly and Company España, Madrid, Spain; 3Boehringer Ingelheim España, Barcelona, Spain; 4Endocrinology Department, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Background: The recently published cardiovascular outcomes data for the first sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, empagliflozin, have shown cardiovascular safety and additional benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease. Empagliflozin showed lower rates of death from cardiovascular causes or from any causes and lower hospitalization rates from heart failure compared with placebo, both in addition to standard care. This commentary discusses the existence of a possible class effect considering the available evidence described for other SGLT2 inhibitors. Main text: Empagliflozin, dapagliflozin and canagliflozin share the same mechanism of action, and it is a plausible hypothesis that some of the benefits of empagliflozin treatment could also be expected from other SGLT2 inhibitors. However, the rapid and persistent occurrence of cardiovascular benefits observed with empagliflozin and the different results shown by the three inhibitors in meta-analyses of some of their respective Phase II and III trials might suggest another possible mechanism of action, perhaps related to the different selectivity to inhibit SGLT-2 and other SGLT family members that these compounds present. Conclusion: There is still lack of evidence to answer whether the cardiovascular benefits observed with empagliflozin in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME study could be seen as a “class effect”, which is also attributable to dapagliflozin and canagliflozin. Keywords: cardiovascular, outcome studies, SGLT2 inhibitors, empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, canagliflozin

Rebeca Fernández-Ruiz,1,2 Marc Pino,3 Begoña Hurtado,4 Pablo García de Frutos,4 Carolina Caballo,3 Ginés Escolar,3 Ramón Gomis,1,2,5 Maribel Diaz-Ricart3 1Diabetes and Obesity Research Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Rosellón, Barcelona, 2Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, 3Hemotherapy–Hemostasis, Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Villarroel, Barcelona, 4Institutode Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Institut d’Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer, Rosellón, Barcelona, 5Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Villarroel, Barcelona, Spain Purpose: Platelet inhibition is a key strategy in the management of atherothrombosis. However, the large variability in response to current strategies leads to the search for alternative inhibitors. The antiplatelet effect of the inorganic salt sodium tungstate (Na2O4W), a protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitor, has been investigated in this study.Methods: Wild-type (WT) and PTP1B knockout (PTP1B-/-) mice were treated for 1 week with Na2O4W to study platelet function with the platelet function analyzer PFA-100, a cone-and-plate analyzer, a flat perfusion chamber, and thrombus formation in vivo. Human blood aliquots were incubated with Na2O4W for 1 hour to measure platelet function using the PFA-100 and the annular perfusion chamber. Aggregometry and thromboelastometry were also performed.Results: In WT mice, Na2O4W treatment prolonged closure times in the PFA-100 and decreased the surface covered (%SC) by platelets on collagen. Thrombi formed in a thrombosis mice model were smaller in animals treated with Na2O4W (4.6±0.7 mg vs 8.9±0.7 mg; P

BACKGROUND: Despite the marked increase in cardiovascular risk factors in Spain in recent years, the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular diseases have not risen as expected. Our objective is to examine the association between consumption of olive oil and the presence of cardiometabolic risk factors in the context of a large study representative of the Spanish population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A population-based, cross-sectional, cluster sampling study was conducted. The target population was the whole Spanish population. A total of 4572 individuals aged ≥ 18 years in 100 clusters (health centers) were randomly selected with a probability proportional to population size. The main outcome measures were clinical and demographic structured survey, lifestyle survey, physical examination (weight, height, body mass index, waist, hip and blood pressure) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (75 g). RESULTS: Around 90% of the Spanish population use olive oil, at least for dressing, and slightly fewer for cooking or frying. The preference for olive oil is related to age, educational level, alcohol intake, body mass index and serum glucose, insulin and lipids. People who consume olive oil (vs sunflower oil) had a lower risk of obesity (odds ratio (OR) = 0.62 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.41-0.93, P = 0.02)), impaired glucose regulation (OR = 0.49 (95% CI = 0.28-0.86, P = 0.04)), hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 0.53 (95% CI = 0.33-0.84, P = 0.03)) and low HDL cholesterol levels (OR = 0.40 (95% CI = 0.26-0.59, P = 0.0001)). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that consumption of olive oil has a beneficial effect on different cardiovascular risk factors, particularly in the presence of obesity, impaired glucose tolerance or a sedentary lifestyle. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2013) 67, 911-916; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2013.130; published online 17 July 2013 Keywords: olive oil; diabetes; impaired glucose regulation; obesity; population-based study; cardiovascular risk, INTRODUCTION The high rates of morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases represent one of the greatest social and health care problems in developed countries, as well as in many [...]

Iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) is a lysosomal enzyme expressed in pancreatic islets responsible for the degradation of proteoglycans such as perlecan and dermatan sulfate. Previous findings of our group demonstrated the involvement of IDS in the normal pathway of lysosomal degradation of secretory peptides, suggesting a role of this enzyme in [beta]-cell secretory functionality. The present study was undertaken to characterize the effect of IDS overexpression on insulin release. INS1E cells were transiently transfected with a construct encoding human IDS (hIDS). hIDS overexpression was associated with a gain of function detected by a reduction in heparan sulfate content, bIDS potentiated the glucose-stimulated insulin secretory response compared with controls (61%) with no changes in insulin mRNA levels or insulin peptide content. Results on quantification of the exocytotic process showed a significant increase in hIDS-transfected cells compared with controls. Furthermore, ultramorphological analysis demonstrated an increase in the number of granules in the immediate vicinity of the plasma membrane in hIDS-transfected cells and a decrease in total vesicles per square micrometer. hIDS overexpression induced phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC) [alpha] and its newly myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate, MARCKS. We conclude that IDS has a role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion via a mechanism that involves the activation of exocytosis through phosphorylation of PKCa and MARCKS. exocytosis; insulin secretion; lysosome; phosphorylation; [beta]-cell

This article describes a course for reinforcing the knowledge of biochemistry in secondary school science teachers. The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Barcelona designed a course to bring these teachers up to date with this discipline. In addition to updating their knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology, this course aims to provide teachers with a set of relevant laboratory practices that can be applied in their practical lessons.

Identification of iduronate-2-sulfatase in mouse pancreatic islets. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 287: E983-E990, 2004. First published May 18, 2004; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00528.2003.--The lysosomal enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) is expressed in pancreatic islets and is responsible for degradation of proteoglycans, such as perlecan and dermatan sulfate. To determine the role of IDS in islets, expression and regulation of the gene and localization of the enzyme were investigated in mouse pancreatic islets and clonal cells. The Ids gene was expressed in mouse islets and [beta]- and [alpha]-clonal cells, in which it was localized intracellularly in lysosomes. The transcriptional expression of Ids in mouse islets increased with glucose in a dose-dependent manner (11.5, 40.2, 88, and 179% at 5.5, 11.1, 16.7, and 24.4 mM, respectively, P < 0.01 for 16.7 and 24.4 mM glucose vs. 3 mM glucose). This increase was not produced by glyceraldehyde (1 mM) or 6-deoxyglucose (21.4 mM) and was blocked by the addition of mannoheptulose (21.4 mM). Neither insulin content nor secretory response to glucose (16.7 mM) was altered in mouse islets infected with lentiviral constructs carrying the IDS gene in sense orientation. Furthermore, no decrease in islet cell viability was observed in mouse islets carrying lentiviral contracts compared with controls. However, insulin content was reduced (35% vs. controls, P < 0.001) in islets infected with IDS antisense construct, while the secretory response of those islets to glucose was maintained. Inhibition of IDS by antisense infection led to an increase in lysosomal size and a high rate of insulin granule degradation via the crinophagic route in pancreatic [beta]-cells. We conclude that IDS is localized in lysosomes in pancreatic islet cells and expression is regulated by glucose. IDS has a potential role ein the normal pathway of lysosomal degradation of secretory peptides and is likely to be essential to maintain pancreatic [beta]-cell function. perlecan; islet amyloid polypeptide; insulin content and secretion; lysosomes; apoptosis; [beta]-cell