Evaluation of Hypoglycemic Activity of Boswellia carterii and Cissus rotundifolia in Streptozotocin/Nicotinamide-Induced Diabetic Rats

Objective: To evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of Boswellia carterii and Cissus rotundifolia in rats compared to that of glibenclamide and metformin as common oral hypoglycemic drugs.Methods: Thirty-six male Wistar rats, divided into six groups of six rats each, were assigned into diabetic and non-diabetic groups. Diabetes was induced in rats by single intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg b.w.) and nicotinamide (110 mg/kg b.w.). The first two groups were normal and diabetic controls, whereas the other four diabetic groups were treated with water extracts of the medicinal plants; B. carterii (100 mg/kg b.w.) and C. rotundifolia (100 mg/kg b.w.), glibenclamide (5 mg/kg b.w.) and metformin (150 mg/kg b.w.). Body weight and serum glucose were measured on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were also measured.Results: Treatment of diabetic rats with the water extracts of B. carterii and C. rotundifolia for four weeks resulted in a significant (p<0.05) increase in their body weights and a significant decrease in the levels of serum glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. The effects of the two plant extracts were almost similar to those of glibenclamide and metformin.Conclusion: Water extracts of B. carterii or C. rotundifolia have a hypoglycemic effect resembling those of glibenclamide and metformin, and these findings provide a pharmacological evidence for their anti-diabetic claims in folk medicine

Sclerodactyly and Diabetic Complications among Egyptian Adolescent Type 1 Diabetic Patient

BACKGROUND: One of the common complications of diabetic patients is sclerodactyly which is considered as a part of limited joint mobility. AIM: To assess sclerodactyly in adolescent type 1 diabetics and to detect its relation to other diabetic complications. METHODS: Sixty-three diabetics and 60 controls were studied. Clinical, laboratory assessment, ultrasonography of the skin, carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) & renal colour duplex were done for all participants. RESULTS: Sclerodactyly was positive in 12 (19%) of diabetics. Patients with sclerodactyly had a significantly thickened skin compared to patients without sclerodactyly and controls, P = 0.0001. Male diabetics had significantly thickened skin (p = 0.0001). Diabetic patients with sclerodactyly had significant higher systolic blood pressure (p = 0.03), cholesterol (p = 0.05) and triglyceride (p = 0.004) and lower HDL-c (p = 0.04). Skin thickness had a significant positive correlation with age of diabetic patients (p = 0.02), waist/height ratio (p = 0.04), glycosylated hemoglobin (p = 0.03), albumin/creatinine ratio (p = 0.03), and cIMT (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound easily diagnoses sclerodactyly. Diabetic patients had a high prevalence of sclerodactyly with increased macrovascular and microvascular complications. Sclerodactyly may be a marker for diabetic vascular complications. Frequent follow up of diabetic patients for early detection of sclerodactyly in uncontrolled diabetic patients is recommended. It could be an alarming sign for microalbuminuria, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and atherosclerosis

Copeptin as a Biomarker of Atherosclerosis in Type 1 Diabetic Patients

AIM: To evaluate copeptin as an early marker of atherosclerosis in adolescent type 1 diabetics. METHODS: Sixty-two type 1 diabetic patients and 50 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Serum copeptin, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, oxidised low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, carotid intimal medial thickness (cIMT), aortic intimal medial thickness (aIMT) and resistivity index were assessed for all participant in the study. RESULTS: HbA1, albumin/creatinine ratio, lipid profile, OxlDL, copeptin, cIMT and aIMT were significantly higher in diabetic patients. Copeptin was higher in patients with positive cIMT and aIMT. Copeptin correlated with cIMT and aIMT. Stepwise multiple regression analysis found that copeptin correlated with aIMT. ROC curve showed that copeptin had 100 % specificity with aIMT and cIMT and 95.2 and 60,7 sensitivity with aIMT and cIMT respectively. CONCLUSION: Copeptin can be used as a marker for early detection of atherosclerosis of type 1 diabetic patients

Nitric Oxide Gene Polymorphism is a Risk Factor for Diabetic Nephropathy and Atherosclerosis in Type 1 Diabetic Patients

AIM: To assess the risk factor for diabetic atherosclerosis nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty healthy volunteers age and sex-matched and Sixty-five type 1 diabetic patient were in rolled in the study. The mean age of patients was 17.99 ± 2.59 years, mean age of onset of diabetes was 7.00 ± 3.28 years, mean duration of diabetes was 10.91 ± 3.54 years. Glycosylated sex-matched (HbA1c) was assessed in blood samples, serum lipid profile was determined, and serum level of oxidised low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), and nitric oxide was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Nitric oxide 894G > T genotype was analysed by (PCR-RFLP) method and confirmed by Sequencing. Assessment of the albumin / creatinine ratio was done in urine samples. Renal Doppler and Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) via ultrasound was also performed. RESULTS: OxLDL, lipid profile, albumin/creatinine ratio, cIMT and resistivity index were significantly higher in diabetic patients while nitric oxide was significantly lower. Nitric oxide genotype shows no significant difference between diabetic’s patients and controls. Diabetic patients with homozygous NO had a significantly lower serum level of Nitric oxide, a significantly higher OxLDL, albumin / creatinine ratio and lipid profile. CONCLUSION: diabetic patients are liable for the occurrence of early diabetic nephropathy and atherosclerosis as a result of the presence of low level of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide gene polymorphism 894G > T in diabetic patients is a risk factor for diabetic nephropathy and atherosclerosis

Osteopontin for Early Detection of Microvascular and Macrovascular Type 1 Diabetic Complication

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between osteopontin and diabetes complication in type 1 diabetic patient. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy types 1 diabetic and 60 healthy volunteers were studied. Full history, examination, laboratory tests of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serum lipids {cholesterol, triglyceride (Tg), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein – cholesterol (LDL-c)}, oxidised low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), Osteopontin and urinary microalbuminuria (albumin/creatinine ratio) were done. Image study in the form of a carotid intimal medial thickness (cIMT) and aortic intimal medial thickness (aIMT), renal doppler for resistivity index was also done for all participant included in the study. RESULTS: Urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, lipid profile, osteopontin, cIMT and aIMT were higher in people with diabetes. Osteopontin was higher in people with diabetes with positive microalbuminuria and cIMT. Systolic blood pressure, microalbuminuria and cIMT had a positive correlation with osteopontin in people with diabetes. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that osteopontin had a significant correlation with cIMT. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the cut off value of Osteopontin for detection of cIMT was > 60 with a specificity of 100% and sensitivity 80.5%, while that of albumin/creatinine ratio was > 64 with a specificity of 66.7 and sensitivity of 92.3. CONCLUSION: Osteopontin is higher in type 1 diabetics and is useful for early detection of diabetic microvascular and macrovascular complication

Irisin in Adolescent Type 1 Diabetic Patients and its Relation to Diabetes Control and Atherosclerosis

AIM: The objective of this was to determine the role of irisin in adolescent type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients. METHODS: This study was conducted on 65 patients with T1D and 50 healthy individuals as control group. Serum irisin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), urinary albumin/creatinine ratio; carotid intimal medial thickness (cIMT), and aortic intimal medial thickness (aIMT) were evaluated for all participant. RESULTS: HbA1c, lipid profile, albumin/creatinine ratio, OxLDL, irisin, aIMT and cIMT were significantly higher in diabetic patients. Irisin had a positive correlation with age of diabetic patients, onset of diabetes, mid arm circumference, waist/height ratio, body mass index, HbA1c, and cIMT. CONCLUSION: Irisin is a marker for detection of diabetes control and early detection of subclinical atherosclerosis. Irisin had a relation with obesity

Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy and Early Atherosclerosis in Adolescent Type 1 Diabetic Patient

Abstract AIM: To evaluate cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in type 1 Diabetics and to detect its relation to coronary artery calcification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: It is a cross sectional study included 62 diabetics and 30 controls. Clinical, laboratory assessment and 24 Hr holter were done for all patients and controls and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring by multisclice CT was done for all patients only. T-test, Mann Whitney U test, and stepwise multiple regression were used for statistical analyses

Assessment of Increase in Aortic and Carotid Intimal Medial Thickness in Type 1 Diabetic Patients

AIM: To assess aortic and carotid intima-media thickness (aIMT and cIMT) in diabetic patients.PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 75 type 1 diabetic patients and 30 age and sex matched healthy volunteer. A blood sample was taken for analysis of HbA1 and lipid profile and the urine sample was taken for analysis of albumin/ creatinine ratio. aIMT and cIMT via ultrasound were also done.RESULTS: cIMT & aIMT were significantly higher in diabetics. aIMT was found to be significantly higher than cIMT in diabetic patients (0.72 ± 0.11 vs. 0.52 ± 0.06, P = 0.0001). Ten of our patients (14%) with normal cIMT revealed significantly increased aIMT. aIMT had a significant positive correlation with age of patients, waist/hip ratio & cIMT.CONCLUSION: Diabetic patients had increased aIMT and cIMT with a relatively greater increase in the aIMT than in the cIMT. Because atherosclerosis begins first in the intima of the aorta, these data suggest that the aIMT might provide the best currently available noninvasive marker of preclinical atherosclerosis in children. We recommend frequent follow up of diabetic patients for early detection of diabetic complication