Dr. House

Dr. House
Dr. House

Monday, November 5, 2018

Testosterone Replacement Therapy May Reduce Risk For Early Mortality In Men With T2D

reported that research indicates “testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may reduce the risk for early mortality in men with type 2 diabetes.” But, “this potential benefit does not stem from improvement in conventional cardiovascular risk factors.” The research was published in BJU International. https://www.renalandurologynews.com/hypogonadism/testosterone-replacement-therapy-diabetes-lower-death-risk/article/812348/

Friday, November 2, 2018

Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease Who Take Diabetes Medicines May Have Fewer Signs Of Dementia, Postmortem Study Indicates.

reports that in a small postmortem study involving brain examinations, researchers found that people with Alzheimer’s disease who take diabetes medications “may have fewer signs of dementia in their brains than similar patients not taking the” medicines. The findings were published online in PLOS One. https://consumer.healthday.com/cognitive-health-information-26/alzheimer-s-news-20/could-diabetes-drugs-help-curb-alzheimer-s-739173.html

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Patients With GH Deficiency Due To Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenoma May Experience Excessive Morbidity Due To Cerebral Infarction, Sepsis Regardless Of Whether They Received Long-Term GH Therapy.

reports, “Patients with growth hormone [GH] deficiency due to nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma experienced excessive morbidity due to cerebral infarction and sepsis regardless of whether they received long-term GH therapy, whereas treatment was associated with a normal incidence of type 2 diabetes [T2D], despite higher” body mass index “and more severe hypopituitarism in treated patients,” researchers concluded in a 426-patient study. The findings were published in the European Journal of Endocrinology. https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/neuroendocrinology/news/in-the-journals/%7B0739a3a3-f592-4352-93f0-2ee5b5a89251%7D/no-association-between-long-term-gh-replacement-comorbidities-in-nonfunctioning-pituitary-adenoma

Biomarker for Most Common Form of Heart Failure

https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/biomarker-for-most-common-form-of-heart-failure-311310?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=67155703&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_qb_1wF69DOC19iPGOfTE2I5pOf9POZOBtoCfaupivs-9A8ZzNbx0c3aBESLn467lW7al-j6XT8cq73UEj8ivGVJbvXw&_hsmi=67155703

Appendix Removal Lowers Parkinson's Disease Risk by up to 25%

https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/appendix-removal-lowers-parkinsons-disease-risk-by-up-to-25-311316?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=67155703&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_qb_1wF69DOC19iPGOfTE2I5pOf9POZOBtoCfaupivs-9A8ZzNbx0c3aBESLn467lW7al-j6XT8cq73UEj8ivGVJbvXw&_hsmi=67155703

News Nov 01, 2018 | Original Story from the National Institutes of Health. Animal Movement Controlled by Gut Bacteria Credit: Pixabay. AddThis Sharing Buttons Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to RedditShare to LinkedInShare to WhatsAppShare to Google+Share to More A new study puts a fresh spin on what it means to “go with your gut.” The findings, published in Nature, suggest that gut bacteria may control movement in fruit flies and identify the neurons involved in this response. The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health. “This study provides additional evidence for a connection between the gut and the brain, and in particular outlines how gut bacteria may influence behavior, including movement,” said Margaret Sutherland, Ph.D., program director at NINDS. Researchers led by Sarkis K. Mazmanian, Ph.D., professor of microbiology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, and graduate student Catherine E. Schretter, observed that germ-free flies, which did not carry bacteria, were hyperactive. For instance, they walked faster, over greater distances, and took shorter rests than flies that had normal levels of microbes. Dr. Mazmanian and his team investigated ways in which gut bacteria may affect behavior in fruit flies. “Locomotion is important for a number of activities such as mating and searching for food. It turns out that gut bacteria may be critical for fundamental behaviors in animals,” said Dr. Mazmanian. Fruit flies carry between five and 20 different species of bacteria and Dr. Mazmanian’s team treated the germ-free animals with individual strains of those microbes. When the flies received Lactobacillus brevis, their movements slowed down to normal speed. L. brevis was one of only two species of bacteria that restored normal behavior in the germ-free flies. Dr. Mazmanian’s group also discovered that the molecule xylose isomerase (Xi), a protein that breaks down sugar and is found in L. brevis, may be critical to this process. Isolating the molecule and treating germ-free flies with it was sufficient to slow down the speedwalkers. Additional experiments showed that Xi may regulate movement by fine-tuning levels of certain carbohydrates, such as trehalose, which is the main sugar found in flies and is similar to mammalian glucose. Flies that were given Xi had lower levels of trehalose than did untreated germ-free flies. When Xi-treated flies, which showed normal behavior, were given trehalose alone, they resumed fast movements suggesting that the sugar was able to reverse the effects of Xi. Next, the researchers looked into the flies’ nervous system to see what cells were involved in bacteria-directed movement. When Dr. Mazmanian’s team turned on neurons that produce the chemical octopamine, that activation canceled out the effect of L. brevis on the germ-free flies. As a result, the flies, which had previously slowed down after receiving the bacterium or Xi, resumed their speedwalking behavior. Turning on octopamine-producing nerve cells in flies with normal levels of bacteria also caused them to move faster. However, activating neurons that produce other brain chemicals did not influence the flies’ movements. According to Dr. Mazmanian, Schretter and their colleagues, Xi may be monitoring the flies’ metabolic state, including levels of nutrients, and then signaling to octopamine neurons whether they should turn on or off, resulting in changes in behavior. Instead of octopamine, mammals produce a comparable chemical called noradrenaline, which has been shown to control movement. “Gut bacteria may play a similar role in mammalian locomotion, and even in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Mazmanian. More research is needed to see whether bacteria control movement in other species, including mammals. In addition, future studies will further investigate how Xi is involved in these behaviors. This article has been republished from materials provided by the National Institutes of Health. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source. Reference Schretter CE. et al. A gut microbial factor modulates locomotor behavior in Drosophila. Nature. October 24, 2018. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0634-9. RELATED ARTICLES In-Depth Analysis Sorts Mouse Cortex into 133 "Cell Types" In-Depth Analysis Sorts Mouse Cortex into 133 "Cell Types" News Neuroscientists have moved one step closer to understanding the complete list of cell types in the brain. In the most comprehensive study of its kind to date, the researchers sorted cells from the cortex, the outermost shell and the cognitive center of the brain, into 133 different “cell types” based on the genes the cells switch on and off. READ MORE Wireless Sensor Could Save Hydrocephalus Patients From Unnecessary Surgery Wireless Sensor Could Save Hydrocephalus Patients From Unnecessary Surgery News For someone with hydrocephalus – a potentially life-threatening condition in which excess fluid builds up in the brain – even something as benign as a headache can indicate a serious problem that can result in a hospital visit and sometimes surgery. A new wireless, Band-Aid-like sensor could revolutionize the way patients manage hydrocephalus and potentially save the U.S. health care system millions of dollars. READ MORE 1 In 4 Statisticians Asked To Commit Scientific Fraud 1 In 4 Statisticians Asked To Commit Scientific Fraud News A stunning report concludes that researchers often ask statisticians to make "inappropriate requests." Not accidental requests for incorrect statistical analyses; but unscrupulous data manipulation or even fraud. READ MORE Like what you just read? You can find similar content on the communities below. To personalize the content you see on Technology Networks homepage, Log In or Subscribe for Free

https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/animal-movement-controlled-by-gut-bacteria-311302?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=67155703&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_qb_1wF69DOC19iPGOfTE2I5pOf9POZOBtoCfaupivs-9A8ZzNbx0c3aBESLn467lW7al-j6XT8cq73UEj8ivGVJbvXw&_hsmi=67155703

A New Way to Treat Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?

Maria Lindahl and her team at the University of Helsinki have found that the removal of mesencephalic astrocyte–derived neurotrophic factor MANF specifically from β-cells in adult mice results in the loss of β-cells in diabetes. "This indicates that MANF expression is needed for the survival, maintenance and function of pancreatic β-cells in mice. MANF was also found to protect stressed β-cells from death and to induce the proliferation of β-cells from old mice," Maria Lindahl says. “This discovery further suggests that MANF has therapeutic potential for the treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, where β-cell protecting and regenerating therapies are not available,” says Tatiana Danilova from Maria Lindahl's team. In previous collaboration studies at the University of Helsinki by the groups directed by Professor Mart Saarma and Professor Timo Otonkoski, MANF deficiency in mice led to diabetes due to the progressive loss of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. MANF was found to be important for the survival and proliferation of both human and mouse β-cells in culture. https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/a-new-way-to-treat-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes-311298?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=67155703&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_qb_1wF69DOC19iPGOfTE2I5pOf9POZOBtoCfaupivs-9A8ZzNbx0c3aBESLn467lW7al-j6XT8cq73UEj8ivGVJbvXw&_hsmi=67155703