Gestational Diabetes research studies for holistic treatments

Background:
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used chemical in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Recent animal studies have suggested that BPA exposure may have a role in the development of weight gain, insulin resistance, pancreatic endocrine dysfunction, thyroid hormone disruption, and several other mechanisms involved in the development of diabetes. However, few human studies have examined the association between markers of BPA exposure and diabetes mellitus.
METHODS:
We examined the association between urinary BPA levels and diabetes mellitus in the National Health and diet therapyal Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2008. Urinary BPA levels were examined in quartiles. The main outcome of interest was diabetes mellitus defined according the latest American Diabetes Association guidelines.
Results:
Overall, we observed a positive association between increasing levels of urinary BPA and diabetes mellitus, independent of confounding factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and serum cholesterol levels. Compared to quartile 1 (referent), the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of diabetes associated with quartile 4 was 1.50 (1.05-2.14) (p-trend = 0.03). The association was present among normal-weight as well as overweight and obese subjects.Conclusions:Urinary BPA levels are found to be associated with diabetes mellitus independent of traditional diabetes risk factors. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm or disprove this finding.

Colorectal cancer is a major health problem worldwide with urgent need for new and effective anti-cancer approaches that allow treating, increasing survival and improving life quality of patients. At pharmacological concentrations, ascorbic acid (AA) exerts a selective cytotoxic effect, whose mechanism of cytotoxicity remains unsolved. It has been suggested that it depends on the production of extracellular hydrogen peroxide, using ascorbate radical as an intermediate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects induced by AA in three colon cancer cell lines, as well as, possible cell death mechanisms involved. Our results showed that pharmacological concentrations of AA induce anti-proliferative, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on three colon cancer cell lines under study. We also found that AA can induce cell death by an increment of oxidative stress, but also mediating a ROS-independent mechanism, as observed in LS1034 cells. This work explores AA anti-tumoral effects and highlights its applicability in the treatment of CC, underlying the importance of proceeding to clinical trials.

OBJECTIVES:
Limited data are available for assessing the effects of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co-supplementation on metabolic profiles and pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes (GDM). This study was designed to determine the effects of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co-supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation and pregnancy outcomes in women with GDM.
METHODS:
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 60 patients with GDM who were not taking oral hypoglycemic agents. Patients were randomly allocated to intake either 1000?mg omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil plus 400?IU vitamin E supplements (n=30) or placebo (n=30) for 6 weeks. Fasting blood samples were obtained from the women at the beginning of the study and after the 6-week intervention to quantify related markers.
Results:
After 6 weeks of intervention, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E co-supplementation, compared with the placebo, resulted in a significant rise in total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (+187.5±224.9 vs. -32.5±136.1?mmol/L; p

Esophageal cancer is the fourth most common gastrointestinal cancer, it generally has a poor prognosis and novel strategies are required for prevention and treatment. Vitamin E succinate (VES) is a potential chemical agent for cancer prevention and therapy as it exerts anti?tumor effects in a variety of cancers. However, the role of VES in tumorigenesis and progression of cancer remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to determine the effects of VES in regulating the survival and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer cells. EC109 human esophageal cancer cells were used to investigate the anti?proliferative effects of VES. The MTT and Annexin V?fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide assays demonstrated that VES inhibited cell proliferation andinduced apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells. Furthermore, VES downregulated constitutively active basal levels of phosphorylated (p)?serine?threonine kinase AKT (AKT) and p?mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and decreased the phosphorylation of AKT substrates Bcl?2?associated death receptor and caspase?9, in addition to mTOR effectors, ribosomal protein S6 kinase ?1 and eIF4E?binding protein 1. Phosphoinositide?3?kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, LY294002 suppressed p?AKT and p?mTOR, indicating PI3K is a common upstream mediator. The apoptosis induced by VES was increasedby inhibition of AKT or mTOR with their respective inhibitor in esophageal cancer cells. The results of the present study suggested that VES targeted the PI3K/AKT signaling pathways and induced apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells. Furthermore, the current study suggests that VES may be useful in acombinational therapeutic strategy employing an mTOR inhibitor.

OBJECTIVE:
To examine whether low maternal dietary intake of vitamin C and low maternal plasma ascorbic acid (AA) concentrations are associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
METHODS:
Cases were 67 women with GDM meeting National Diabetes Data Group criteria. Controls were 260 women without such a diagnosis. Maternal dietary vitamin C consumption during the periconceptional period and during pregnancy was assessed using a 121-item, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Maternal plasma AA concentrations were determined using automated enzymatic procedures on specimens collected during the intrapartum period.
Results:
Mean maternal daily consumption of vitamin C and plasma AA concentrations were 10% and 31% lower, respectively, among GDM cases as compared with controls (130.7 +/- 10.2 vs. 145 +/- 4.9 mg/d, P = .190; 36 +/- 2.0 vs. 53 +/- 1.0 micromol/L, P12-fold increased risk of GDM (OR = 12.8, 95% CI 3.5-46.2).
Conclusion:
Low maternal dietary vitamin C intake and low plasma AA concentrations are associated with an increased risk of GDM. Large, prospective, cohort studies are needed to further evaluate the potential beneficial role of vitamin C and other antioxidants in the prevention of impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE:
Iron supplementation in pregnancy seems beneficial for neonatal/maternal outcomes, but it was associated with diabetes and hypertension in the general population.
STUDY DESIGN:
We investigated the association between iron supplementation during midpregnancy and metabolic/hypertensive abnormalities in 500 consecutive gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 500 normoglycemic women.
Results:
Iron-supplement users (n = 212/1000) showed significantly higher values of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), actual BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, Homeostasis-Model-Assessment-Insulin-Resistance, and lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol than nonusers. The prevalence of GDM (70.8% vs 44.4%), hypertension (25.9% vs 9.8%), metabolic syndrome (25.9% vs 10.4%) was significantly higher in the former with a 2- to 3-fold-increased risk at multiple regression analyses. Most glucose values of the oral glucose tolerance test were significantly higher in iron supplemented women, both in GDM and normoglycemic individuals.
Conclusion:
Iron supplementation is associated with glucose impairment and hypertension in mid-pregnancy; its potentially harmful effects might be carefully debated regarding its effectiveness.