Effects of pectin on glycaemia and insulinaemia after starch loading in normal, alloxan diabetic, and pancreatic duct-occluded rats

Physiological and pathological growth hormone secretion

Growth hormone (GH) secretion is normally episodic, with discrete bursts of GH super-imposed on a minimal basal level of production. This pattern of GH production yields a dynamic state between a low baseline and intervening peaks, posing a challenge for the clinician attempting to understand the 'true GH status' in a specific patient. This pulsatile pattern is maintained throughout the day, but there are clear differences between different segments of the day, with approximately two-thirds of the total daily secretion produced at night. The dynamic nature of GH production has led many investigators to suggest that when evaluating short stature, parameters of spontaneous GH production be applied rather than the GH response to artificial stimulation. GH secretory patterns in healthy control populations are compared to those in patients with several conditions seen by the pediatric endocrinologist (classical GH deficiency, GH neurosecretory dysfunction, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, hypothyroidism, small for gestational age, Russell-Silver syndrome, constitutional delay of growth and puberty and Fanconi's anemia) and variables used for analysis of these patterns are described. Inferences made from comprehensive evaluations of the GH axis in Fanconi's anemia provide unique insight into general GH pathophysiology.

Effect of Wainan Rogo on body weight and plasma glucose in Wistar rats

Wainan Rogo (WR) is a deep-fat fried dough made from grated fresh cassava. It was found in a cross sectional case-control study to have a risk factor 3.2 times higher in diabetic than non diabetic indigenes of Borno State of Nigeria. This study examines the chemical composition, and effects of WR on body weight and blood glucose in Wistar rats. The study found a higher fat and lower protein composition of the WR diet, and found a higher plasma glucose in the WR fed rats and a more significant weight loss in this group than in the control (CF) fed rats. The findings of this study seem to support the high risk for diabetes associated with WR in the cross sectional study. The chemical composition of WR and its effect on body weight and blood glucose are further discussed, with a call for further studies of the food as a marker in the search for the pathophysiology of Malnutrition-Related Diabetes Mellitus (MRDM).