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Biomedical subjects

B J Lin

Publications and source records attributed to B J Lin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The effect of oral buflomedil on microalbuminuria in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

A total of 26 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients were enrolled for a clinical study of the effect of buflomedil on microalbuminuria. None of the subjects had hypertension or macroproteinuria. Sixteen cases without previously known urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) were enrolled as experimental group. Buflomedil (Loftyl) was administered orally 600 mg daily in two divided doses in the experimental group while AER was determined 3 times with 3 weeks apart in all of the subjects. Ten cases with known microalbuminuria (greater than 8.55 micrograms/min) were enrolled as control group to check the extent of fluctuation in AER from collection to collection in the absence of urinary tract infection. Six of the experimental group showed AER of microalbuminuric level at the time before buflomedil administration and the remaining 10 patients were normoalbuminuric. The effects of buflomedil were compared between the microalbuminuric and normoalbuminuric subjects in the experimental group. The microalbuminuric group showed a significant decrease of AER from a baseline of 30.4 micrograms/min to 19.8 and 16.8 micrograms/min, respectively, after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment (P less than 0.05, Friedman two-way ANOVA). However, the respective values in the normoalbuminuric group were 5.3, 5.6 and 5.0 micrograms/min (P greater than 0.05, Friedman two-way ANOVA). The AER in the control group remained stationary during the study period (14.0, 12.1 and 11.4, respectively, Friedman two-way ANOVA, P greater than 0.05). These results suggest that buflomedil might be beneficial for the patients with microalbuminuria.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Inhibitory effect of islet amyloid polypeptide of glucose-induced proinsulin biosynthesis in rat insulinoma cells.

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) has been recently identified as the principal constituent of amyloid deposits in pancreatic islets of patients with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and causes insulin resistance in some target cells. In addition, glucose-induced insulin secretion is inhibited by IAPP. We studied the effect of IAPP on proinsulin biosynthesis in rat insulinoma (RINr) cells. Glucose at concentrations of 0, 15, 30, 60, 100, and 300 mg/dl stimulated proinsulin biosynthesis in a dose-responsive and and actino-mycin D-inhibitable manner after 6 h of incubation. At a glucose concentration of 300 mg/dl, IAPP decreased the mean responses of proinsulin biosynthesis to 61.2 and 29% at concentrations of 0.1 and 1 microM, respectively, compared with the IAPP-free control. In conclusion, IAPP inhibits glucose-induced proinsulin biosynthesis in RINr cells. IAPP might play an important role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Amyloid↗
PubMed1992

Therapeutic effect of guar gum in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Diets with a high-fiber content have been shown to produce some beneficial effects on metabolic factors in subjects with NIDDM. However, some controversies still exist. In this report, the long-term effect of guar gum (Guarina) on both glycemic and blood lipid profiles was assessed in a randomized, double-blind and cross-over study on 16 (seven male and nine female) subjects with NIDDM. Each subject received placebo (P) and Guarina (G) treatment for two eight-week periods separated by a four-week period to facilitate wash-out. Fasting plasma glucose levels showed significant improvement during G treatment but not during P treatment (151.7 +/- 7.9 vs 168.6 +/- 12.2 mg/dl, p less than 0.01 by paired Student's t test). Hemoglobin Alc levels decreased significantly during G treatment but not during P treatment (6.9 +/- 0.2 vs 7.2 +/- 0.8%, p less than 0.001). Fasting insulin concentrations also showed significant lowering during G treatment but not during P treatment (18.3 +/- 2.1 vs 23.1 +/- 2.9 U/ml, p less than 0.005). Other variables, including serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDLc, LDLc, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium levels showed no significant changes during G or P treatment. Ten out of the 16 patients (62.5%) suffered from side effects; these included abdominal cramps (one case), diarrhea (seven cases) and skin itching (one case). In conclusion, guar gum effectively lowers fasting plasma glucose and HbAlc levels in subjects with NIDDM. Hyperinsulinemia could also be ameliorated. The effectiveness and side effects of guar gum treatment should be cautiously evaluated in each NIDDM subject.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Effect of tocopherol on platelet aggregation in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: ex vivo and in vitro studies.

Tocopherol has been shown to have antiplatelet effects in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. However, its antiplatelet effect in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) remains to be established. In this report, the antiplatelet effect of tocopherol was assessed in a randomized, double-blind and crossover study of 15 NIDDM subjects. Each subject received tocopherol (dl-alpha-tocopherol nicotinate, 200 mg, tid) and a placebo for two six-week treatment periods separated by a three-week period in between for wash-out. The mechanisms of the antiplatelet effect of tocopherol were also studied in vitro. A significant decrease in platelet reactivity was observed after tocopherol treatment as compared with the pretest, and the magnitude of the decrease during tocopherol treatment was significantly evident when compared with that of the placebo treatment, as assessed by collagen (5, 10 micrograms/mL)-induced platelet aggregation of whole blood. A dose-dependent reduction in both ADP-and collagen-induced platelet aggregation was observed with tocopherol from 0.1 to 3.0 mM in vitro. No corresponding changes in ATP secretion and thromboxane synthesis were observed. Tocopherol also significantly inhibited fibrinogen-induced aggregation of elastase-treated platelets at a concentration of 0.1 mM. We demonstrated that platelet aggregation of whole blood ex vivo, among 15 NIDDM subjects was suppressed in tocopherol treatment, so tocopherol may have an antiplatelet effect in NIDDM subjects. The inhibitory effect of the platelet aggregation of tocopherol may be partially accomplished through interference with fibrinogen binding towards its receptor.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Bedtime intermediate-acting insulin in the treatment of secondary failure to oral hypoglycemic agents.

Low-dose bedtime insulin therapy in combination with oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) has become an alternative treatment for NIDDM subjects with secondary failure to OHA. To assess its clinical efficacy, patient compliance, and its possible side effects, 33 patients with secondary OHA failure were recruited in this study. All of the subjects had experienced poor glycemic control for at least six months on their maximal OHAs before the institution of the bedtime insulin injection. Monotard HM (human insulin zinc suspension) was given at an initial dose of 0.15-0.2 U/kg body weight and was adjusted thereafter. As a whole, low-dose bedtime insulin with OHAs improved glycemic control. According to the clinical response, 10 patients (30.3%) were graded as responders, 12 (36.4%) were partial responders, 10 (30.3%) were non-responders, and one (3%) discontinued insulin therapy. There was no difference in demographic features among these three groups of patients. During this period, eight (25%) cases experienced mild hypoglycemic symptoms. In conclusion, combination of OHAs with a low-dose bedtime insulin injection is an alternative therapy for NIDDM patients with OHA failure.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2↗
PubMed1992

Endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis in diabetic patients.

We describe 12 patients with endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae seen between 1983 and 1988. Three patients had bilateral involvement. Eleven patients had diabetes mellitus, either newly diagnosed or poorly controlled. In six cases the infection was associated with a liver abscess. In all eyes the outcome was light perception or worse; nine eyes had no light perception. Six eyes were enucleated or eviscerated.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Esterase D and retinoblastoma gene loci are tightly linked to Wilson's disease in Chinese pedigrees from Taiwan.

Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder and has been mapped to the long arm of chromosome 13 (q14.1). We have analyzed the segregation of esterase D (ESD) and retinoblastoma (RB) gene loci in ten families of Chinese WD subjects living in Taiwan. The polymorphic information content (PIC) for ESD and RB was 0.18 and 0.31, respectively. We confirmed a tight linkage between these loci and WD with a lod score of 3.33 by multipoint linkage analysis. The data from this limited number of pedigrees also suggested the following order: centromere-WD-RB-ESD or centromere-ESD-RB-WD. ESD in conjunction with RB polymorphism would be useful in prenatal and presymptomatic diagnosis, as well as in carrier detection in informative pedigrees.

Alleles↗
PubMed1991

A case of basophilic leukemia bearing simultaneous translocations t(8;21) and t(9;22).

We report a case of basophilic leukemia with simultaneous translocations of t(8;21) and t(9;22). The patient's clinical and hematologic findings were characteristic only of t(9;22) but not of t(8;21). This unusual cytogenetic phenomenon raises a challenge to the current concepts of primary chromosomal abnormalities in cancer.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1991

Link between hypertension and diabetes mellitus epidemiological study of Chinese adults in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the relationship between hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The study consisted of a random sample of adults aged greater than or equal to 40 yr from the Ta-An district of Taipei City and 5 of 12 villages of Taiwan province, which had established primary health-care centers since 1984. A total of 11,478 subjects were recruited into the survey with a response rate of 65.3 and 72%, respectively. Blood glucose and blood pressure levels were measured, and a structured questionnaire was given to each participant. Those identified as having diabetes received further blood tests for lipids and creatinine and were evaluated for vascular complications. RESULTS: The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of hypertension among diabetic subjects was twice that of nondiabetic subjects (30.6 vs. 16.4%, P less than 0.0005). Hypertensive subjects had a higher prevalence of diabetes than normotensive subjects (10.2 vs. 4.9%, P less than 0.0005). Among hypertensive subjects, the prevalence of diabetes was 12.7% for those taking antihypertensive drugs and 9.1% for those not taking any drug (P less than 0.05). The prevalence of diabetes significantly increased as mean arterial pressure rose, whether the subjects were stratified by various factors. Multiple regression analysis, including sex, age, body mass index, and other risk factors as independent variables, also showed a significant association between diabetes and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that there seemed to be a tight link between hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Family history of diabetes, diabetes duration, diabetes regimen, control of blood glucose, and the presence of nephropathy, as attested by proteinuria, did not contribute to the risk of hypertension. Further studies are necessary to determine whether these two conditions are causally related.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Lysis of herpes simplex virus-infected cells by lymphokine-activated killer cells.

Activation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or murine splenocytes with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) has been found to be able to generate cells which are lytic in vitro for a variety of cells infected by herpes simplex virus (HSV). Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells were generated by the incubation of human PBMC or murine splenocytes with 500 u/ml of rIL-2 for 3 to 4 days in a CO2 incubator at 37 degrees C. These cells were lytic to cultured tumor cell lines, yet sparing normal primary cell cultures as has been reported. Human PBMC infected with HSV, however, were susceptible to the lytic effect of these LAK cells. From 30 to 50 percent lysis of HSV-infected human PBMC was observed when the effector-to-target ratios were 40:1 and 100:1 respectively by four hr 51Cr-release assays. Similar cytolytic effect was observed when mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) were infected with HSV and used as targets when rIL-2-activated mouse splenocytes were used as effectors. The cytolytic effects of LAK cells on the HSV-infected cells can be demonstrated even after lowering of NK activities by the treatment of effector cells with anti-NK antibody Leu-11b plus complement. Cytolytic effects were not restricted to the autologous system, and could be demonstrated in the heterologous system as well. Human LAK cells killed not only HSV-infected autologous PBMC but also infected mouse embryonic fibroblasts. However, mouse LAK cells exhibit species-specific cytotoxicity. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that LAK cells are cytolytic to HSV-infected cells in both human and murine systems.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Lack of binding effect of insulin on RNA synthesis to isolated nuclei.

Insulin stimulates RNA synthesis in the human hepatoma cell line J5. The mechanisms of insulin action on nuclear functions are not fully understood. To assess the possible action of nuclear insulin binding on RNA synthesis, we studied the insulin action by an in vitro transcription system using the nuclei isolated from control cells and insulin-stimulated J5 cells. Insulin binding was done by ligand binding assay. RNA synthesis was also studied in the nuclei treated with insulin in vitro. We found that a large pool of low-affinity binding sites existed in the isolated nuclei preparation without site-to-site interactions. These data suggest that the majority of nuclear insulin binding sites are located inside the nuclear envelope. Nuclear RNA synthesis was stimulated by the insulin (about a 4-fold increase when compared to the control) added to intact cells but not to isolated nuclei. We conclude that insulin stimulates nuclear RNA synthesis via interaction with plasma membrane receptors.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1991

Effect of treatment of borderline hypertension on microalbuminuria in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The advantage of treatment for borderline hypertension has been a debate. We studied two of the commonly used antihypertensive drugs, i.e., trichlormethiazide (Fluitran 2 mg/tab) and enalapril (Renitec 5 mg/tab) on urinary albumin excretion in seven NIDDM subjects with borderline hypertension, who had never been treated with antihypertensive drugs before entry into this study. The observation period was 2 months, and the treatment period was 6 months. Trichlormethiazide (1 tab qd) or enalapril (1 tab qd) were randomly assigned for the first 3 months and then patients were switched to the other drug for the following 3 months. During the treatment period, blood pressure, body weight, blood chemistry including renal function tests, and urinary albumin excretion rate were regularly followed up every 1 to 3 months. The results showed that both of the regimens significantly lowered blood pressure and the urinary albumin excretion rate [12.72 (2.56-25.95) micrograms/min at baseline, to 5.11 (3.0-13.73) micrograms/min during trichlormethiazide treatment and 4.96 (1.38-11.14) micrograms/min during enalapril treatment, p less than 0.008]. However, no significant difference was noted between the two drugs. The magnitude of change in the urinary albumin excretion rate did not correlate with the changes in blood pressure. Renal function, glycemic control, and lipid profiles did not change significantly during the treatment period. In conclusion, both trichlormethiazide and enalapril are effective in lowering the urinary albumin excretion rate in NIDDM subjects with borderline hypertension.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Isochromosome 11q in a case of acute myelomonocytic leukemia FAB type M4.

The clinical and cytogenetic findings in a 42-year-old female with acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMMoL) were reported. At diagnosis, cytogenetic studies of bone marrow cells revealed the karyotype 45; XX, +8, -11, -17, -18, +i (11q). To our knowledge, this is the second case of AMMoL with i(11q) in the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Microalbuminuria and diabetic complications in Chinese non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients: a prospective study.

Urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) was monitored for periods of up to 3 years and 8 months with an ELISA method in 63 non-insulin-dependent diabetic Chinese subjects and was compared with 50 normal subjects. AER was 3.15 +/- 0.25 micrograms/min (M +/- SE) with a range of 0.27-8.40 micrograms/min for the normal subjects and 7.11 +/- 0.50 (2.11-19.45) micrograms/min for the diabetic subjects. The latter had significantly higher AER (P less than 0.0005). Age, sex, duration of diabetes, HbA1c and BMI did not correlate with AER in the diabetics. The presence of hypertension was found to be accompanied by an accelerated elevation of AER (5.96 +/- 1.58 vs 10.16 +/- 2.17 micrograms/min, at the beginning and at the end of the observation, respectively). Once hypertension became evident, control of blood pressure to a level comparable to that of the non-hypertensive group was not sufficient to halt the deterioration of urinary albumin excretion.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

Continuous blood glucose monitoring with feedback-controlled glucose infusion during surgical management of insulinoma: report of a case.

Perioperative management of insulinoma may be facilitated by the use of a glucose-controlled insulin infusion system (GCIIS; Biostator System, Miles Laboratories Inc., Elkhart, Ind.). We monitored the blood glucose levels and glucose infusion rates before, during and after surgery in a 35-year-old woman with insulinoma. After an overnight fast, glucose was infused according to a preset program and maintained the blood glucose level at around 50 mg/dl. Depression of the blood glucose level and simultaneous elevation of the glucose infusion rate were noted when the tumor was massaged. A sharp decrease in the glucose infusion rate occurred almost immediately after removal of the tumor. It took about 4 minutes for the blood glucose to go up to a level of 90 mg/dl. These results demonstrate the usefulness of GCIIS not only in maintaining stationary blood glucose, but also in localizing the tumor and in providing evidence of complete removal of the tumor. When the infusion system is programmed appropriately, the glucose infusion rate, as compared to the blood glucose level, reacts more quickly and sensitively to sudden changes in insulin levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Polymorphic locus in the 5'-flanking region of human insulin gene and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The etiology of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is still unclear, but appears to involve some genetic factors. There have been disputes over the association between DNA sequences flanking the insulin gene and NIDDM. In order to characterize insulin gene polymorphism in the Chinese population and elucidate its association with NIDDM, 100 unrelated Chinese subjects living in Taiwan were observed for polymorphism of this hypervariable region. Most of them were descendants of immigrants from the southern part of mainland China. Among them, 52 were nondiabetic controls, and 48 were subjects with NIDDM. Insulin gene polymorphism was classified into classes 1, 2 and 3 alleles according to Bell et al. Neither the class 2 allele nor the genotype for the homozygous class 3 allele was not observed in this study. The allelic frequencies of class 1 and 3 genes were 97% and 3% in the nondiabetic subjects, and 99% and 1% in the NIDDM group, respectively. The frequencies of genotypes 1/1 and 1/3 were 94% and 6% in nondiabetics and 98% and 2% in the NIDDM group, respectively. No significant association was found between insulin gene polymorphism and NIDDM. It is concluded that DNA marker flanking the insulin gene may not be associated with the development of NIDDM in Chinese subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in very low birth weight infants treated with dexamethasone.

The effect of dexamethasone therapy on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function was prospectively investigated in very low birth weight infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Ten infants (mean +/- SD birth weight 825 +/- 265 g, gestation 25.8 +/- 1.9 weeks, postnatal age 33.1 +/- 17.7 days) initially received intravenous dexamethasone, 0.5 mg/kg per day for 3 days, and then were weaned over a period of 45 +/- 19.0 days to a replacement dose, followed by a metyrapone test. Morning plasma cortisol and 11-deoxycortisol levels were measured before and after an oral metyrapone dose given at midnight. Five infants (group A: birth weight 876 +/- 313 g, gestation 26.2 +/- 1.3 weeks, age of entry 31.8 +/- 22.8 days) had normal metyrapone test results, and five infants (group B: 778 +/- 234 g, 25.4 +/- 2.5 weeks, 34.4 +/- 13.4 days) had suppressed test results. Group A infants, in comparison with group B infants, had higher basal cortisol plasma levels (14.52 +/- 12.53 and 3.00 +/- 1.38 micrograms/dL, P = .047), higher postmetyrapone 11-deoxycortisol plasma levels (3.11 +/- 3.93 and 0.55 +/- 0.51 micrograms/dL, P = .028), larger differences between basal and postmetyrapone cortisol levels (7.10 +/- 4.67 and 2.12 +/- 1.31 micrograms/dL, P = .047), and larger differences between basal and postmetyrapone 11-deoxycortisol levels (2.99 +/- 3.93 and 0.29 +/- 0.25 micrograms/dL, P = .009). The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in group B infants eventually returned to normal when they continued to receive low-dose dexamethasone therapy after a period of 36.8 +/- 16.6 days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Birth Weight↗