Testosterone replacement elevates the serum uric acid levels in patients with female to male gender identity disorder

Gender identity disorder (GID) results from a disagreement between a person's biological sex and the gender to which he or she identifies. With respect to the treatment of female to male GID, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is available. The uric acid (UA) level can be influenced by testosterone; however, the early effects and dose-dependency of TRT on the serum UA concentration have not been evaluated in this population. We herein conducted a dose-response analysis of TRT in 160 patients with female to male GID. The TRT consisted of three treatment groups who received intramuscular injections of testosterone enanthate: 125 mg every two weeks, 250 mg every three weeks and 250 mg every two weeks. Consequently, serum UA elevation was observed after three months of TRT and there was a tendency toward testosterone dose-dependency. The onset of hyperuricemia was more prevalent in the group who received the higher dose. We also demonstrated a positive correlation between increased levels of serum UA and serum creatinine. Since the level of serum creatinine represents an individual's muscle volume and the muscle is a major source of purine, which induces UA upregulation, the serum UA elevation observed during TRT is at least partially attributed to an increase in muscle mass. This is the first study showing an association between serum UA elevation and a TRT-induced increase in muscle mass. The current study provides important information regarding TRT for the follow-up and management of the serum UA levels in GID patients

Role of Rho-kinase in regulation of insulin action and glucose homeostasis

SummaryAccumulating evidence indicates an important role for serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 in the regulation of insulin action. Recent studies suggest that Rho-kinase (ROK) is a mediator of insulin signaling, via interaction with IRS-1. Here we show that insulin stimulation of glucose transport is impaired when ROK is chemically or biologically inhibited in cultured adipocytes and myotubes and in isolated soleus muscle ex vivo. Inactivation of ROK also reduces insulin-stimulated IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and PI3K activity. Moreover, inhibition of ROK activity in mice causes insulin resistance by reducing insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle in vivo. Mass spectrometry analysis identifies IRS-1 Ser632/635 as substrates of ROK in vitro, and mutation of these sites inhibits insulin signaling. These results strongly suggest that ROK regulates insulin-stimulated glucose transport in vitro and in vivo. Thus, ROK is an important regulator of insulin signaling and glucose metabolism

地震発生帯における深部掘削孔を用いた長期計測

Large earthquakes occur frequently in subduction zones. Most earthquakes are generated in the seismogenic zone, a fairly limited area confined to the shallower regions of the subduction plate boundary. To understand the processes of earthquake generation, it is essential to monitor the physical and mechanical properties of the seismogenic zone over long periods. At present, there are no deep borehole observations of the seismogenic zone more than 3km below seafloor, because it has, until now, been impossible to penetrate to such depths below the sea floor. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), scheduled to begin in 2003, plans to drill boreholes beneath the ocean floor using a multiple-drilling platform operation. The IODP riser-quipped drilling ship (Chikyu) enables the emplacement of boreholes up to 0km beneath the ocean floor, and will provide opportunities to conduct long-term deep borehole observations in the seismogenic zone. Long-term borehole observations in the seismogenic zone are expected to require the development of advanced sampling, monitoring, and recording technology. Here, we discuss the scientific objectives, engineering and technical challenges, and experimental design for a deep borehole, long-term deepborehole monitoring system aimed at understanding the processes of earthquake generation in the seismogenic zone of subduction plate boundaries. We focus specifically on the relationships between environmental conditions in the deep subsurface, details of monitoring and recording, and design and implementation of scientific tools and programs

The Possibility of Suppression of Increased Postprandial Blood Glucose Levels by Gamma-Polyglutamic Acid-Rich Natto in the Early Phase after Eating: A Randomized Crossover Pilot Study

The natto containing high levels of gamma-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA) was recently developed. We investigated the effect of γ-PGA-rich natto consumption on postprandial glycemic excursion in humans. A randomized crossover meal test study was performed on healthy volunteers aged 20–64 years using the following test meals: (1) white rice (WR), (2) low-γ-PGA natto meal (WR + low-γ-PGA natto), and (3) high-γ-PGA natto meal (WR + high-γ-PGA natto). Blood samples were obtained at each visit before and for 120 min after loading. The incremental area under the curve (IAUC) of blood glucose and insulin levels was calculated and compared among the test meals. The blood glucose’s IAUC at 0–120 min, the primary endpoint, was 20.1% and 15.4% lower for the high- and low-γ-PGA natto meal than for the WR, with a significant difference only between the high-γ-PGA natto meal and WR (p < 0.05). The blood glucose’s IAUC at 0–15, 0–30, and 0–45 min was lower for the high-γ-PGA natto meal than for the low-γ-PGA natto meal (all p < 0.05). The possibility that high-γ-PGA natto might suppress blood glucose elevations in the early phase after eating is indicated

Association between low muscle mass and metabolic syndrome in elderly Japanese women.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an important predictor of mortality in older adulthood, but it is not reliably related to measures of body composition such as body mass index in older adults, as opposed to those in earlier life stages. Previous research suggests that skeletal muscle mass is related to cardiovascular risk in older adulthood, but it is difficult to measure muscle mass accurately and independently of body fat. This study aimed to examine the relationship between body composition and cardiovascular risk factors among women in older adulthood. A cross-sectional observational clinical study was conducted at a single medical clinic in Tokyo, Japan. Participants included 90 healthy Japanese women aged 65 years and older. MetS risk factors were assessed. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was assessed using dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry. Visceral fat area (VFA) was measured using computed tomography. VFA positively correlated with ASM and MetS, whereas ASM and MetS did not correlate with each other. Using VFA and ASM data in a MetS multiple linear regression model, the association between VFA and MetS remained positive, whereas a significant negative relationship emerged between ASM and MetS. Lower muscle mass was independently associated with higher cardiovascular risk after controlling for VFA. Clinical interventions to reduce muscle loss in older adulthood may be beneficial for reducing the risk of MetS and improving cardiovascular health