Internal medicine
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We studied the effects of glycated lipoproteins of low- and high-density (LDL and HDL) on platelets and vascular endothelial cells. After pretreatment for 5 minutes at 37 degrees C, the thrombin-induced synthesis of thromboxane B2 in washed platelets was significantly increased by glycated LDL as compared with native LDL (198.9 +/- 16.2 vs 90.3 +/- 29.4 ng/10(9) platelets, n = 8, p less than 0.01). ⋯ Abnormalities in the release of 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha and lactate dehydrogenase from vascular endothelial cells were also induced by glycated LDL and/or HDL. These observations suggest that abnormalities induced in platelets and vascular endothelial cells by glycated lipoproteins may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes mellitus.
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The effects of the metabolic changes of type 2 diabetic patients on ventricular function, especially diastolic ventricular function were investigated. An examination was performed before and after treatment of 18 diabetic patients divided into 3 groups: insulin therapy, oral hypoglycemic drugs and diet therapy (6 patients each). The results indicated that both systolic and diastolic ventricular dysfunctions observed were improved by the correction of hyperglycemia. Therefore it is necessary to treat diabetes mellitus as early as possible for the prevention of both cardiac dysfunction and microangiopathy.