Toshihiro Murai

Increased insulin sensitivity in patients with aldosterone producing adenoma

OBJECTIVE Primary aldosteronism is a recognized endocrine cause of glucose intolerance. A blunted insulin response to glucose in patients with primary aldosteronism is well known, but insulin sensitivity has not been thoroughly determined. We investigated insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in patients with aldosterone producing adenoma.

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate is increased and dehydroepiandrosterone‐response to corticotrophin‐releasing hormone is decreased in the hyperthyroid state compared with the euthyroid state

OBJECTIVE Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA‐sulphate (S) have been suggested to play protective roles in many pathological states, some of which are observed in hyperthyroidism. If DHEA and DHEA‐S levels change in hyperthyroidism, they might participate as a possible causative link with such pathophysiological changes in hyperthyroidism. However, the CRH–ACTH–DHEA system in hyperthyroidism has not been clearly defined. We examined plasma levels of DHEA and DHEA‐S together with ACTH and cortisol in both hyperthyroid (Hyper) and euthyroid states (Eu).

Localization of multidomain adaptor proteins, p140Cap and vinexin, in the pancreatic islet of a spontaneous diabetes mellitus model, Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats

We have shown that two multidomain adaptor proteins, p140Cap and vinexin, interact with each other and are likely to be involved in neurotransmitter release. Because the basic molecular mechanism governing neurotransmitter and insulin secretion is conserved, these two proteins may also to play pivotal roles in insulin secretion. We therefore performed some characterization of p140Cap and vinexin in pancreas of a wild-type rat or a spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) model, the Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat. These two proteins were detected in Wistar rat pancreas by Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry revealed that p140Cap and vinexin are enriched in β and α cells, respectively, in the rat pancreas. We then found that pancreatic islet structure was disorganized in the OLETF rat with hyperinsulinemia or with hyperglycemia, based on immunohistochemical analyses of vinexin. In β cells of these model rats, p140Cap was distributed in a cytoplasmic granular pattern as in the control rats, although its expression was reduced to various extents from cell to cell. These results may suggest possible involvement of p140Cap in insulin secretion, and reduction of p140Cap might be related to abnormal insulin secretion in DM.

[A case of Sheehan's syndrome and her two family members associated with anti-anterior pituitary cell autoantibodies].

Sheehan症候群の1例と,下垂体機能に異常を認めない血族(検索者6例)中患者の次兄およびその長男の血清中に,いずれも抗下垂体細胞抗体が認められた.患者のHLAと他の2人の陽性者(患者次兄,その長男)との間に共通のhaplotypeはなかった.以上より,本症候群の成因に, HLAと連関しない自己免疫機序の関与の可能性も示唆された.