Background: Beta-adrenergic blocking agents have been broadly used for treatment of many cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension and ischemic heart failure. Anti-tumoral, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenesis effects of propranolol (a non-selective beta-adrenergic blocker) have been shown. Angiogenesis (replenish of the pre-existing vascular networks) plays a critical role in s...

Amyloid beta-protein (A beta), the principal constituent of the senile plaques seen in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is derived by proteolysis from the beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta PP). The distribution and trafficking of cell surface beta PP are of particular interest because some of these molecules are direct precursors of secreted A beta and because the localization of beta PP at the cel...

Nondiabetic obese humans adapt to insulin resistance by increasing beta-cell mass. In contrast, obese humans with type 2 diabetes have an approximately 60% deficit in beta-cell mass. Recent studies in rodents reveal that beta-cell mass is regulated, increasing in response to insulin resistance through increased beta-cell supply (islet neogenesis and beta-cell replication) and/or decreased beta-...

Type 1 diabetic patients are diagnosed when beta-cell destruction is almost complete. Reversal of type 1 diabetes will require beta-cell regeneration from islet cell precursors and prevention of recurring autoimmunity. IGF-I expression in beta-cells of streptozotocin (STZ)-treated transgenic mice regenerates the endocrine pancreas by increasing beta-cell replication and neogenesis. Here, we exa...

The pancreatic beta cell functions as a key regulator of blood glucose levels by integrating a variety of signals in response to changing metabolic demands. Variations in beta cell identity that translate into functionally different subpopulations represent an interesting mechanism to allow beta cells to efficiently respond to diverse physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Recently, t...

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from insulin resistance in the setting of inadequate beta-cell compensation. Impaired beta-cell function and possibly beta-cell mass appear to be reversible, particularly at early stages of the disease. Pancreatic beta-cells possess the potential to greatly expand their function and mass in both physiologic and pathologic states by sev...

introduction: it has been shown that gama-ifn is one of the major cytokines involved in lung fibrosis. it has also been demonstrated that nitric oxide (no) may exert vasodilation, edema and cytotoxicity, and it may stimulate cytokinedependent processes in the lungs. in this study, the effect of 17-beta estradiol (17-betae2) and five alpha dihydrotestosterone (5alfa-dht) on no release by tgf bet...