Anti-inflammatory and atheroprotective properties of glucagon

Metabolic Blood Hormones in Young People With Electrocardiographic Signs of Ischemic Myocardial Changes

Aim    To study changes in blood concentrations of metabolic hormones and adipocytokines in people aged 25-44 years with electrocardiographic (ECG) signs of ischemic changes in the myocardium.Material and methods This study was a part of a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of Novosibirsk population aged 25-44 years. The study included 1363 people divided into two groups: group 1, subjects with ECG signs of ischemic changes in the myocardium and group 2, subjects without ECG changes. Blood serum concentrations of adipocytokines and metabolic hormones were measured by multiplex assay on a Luminex MAGPIX flow-through fluorometer.Results    The group with ECG signs of myocardial ischemia had higher blood concentrations of adiponectin, resistin, glucagon, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) than in the comparison group. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the glucagon concentration was associated with the presence of ECG signs of myocardial ischemia (OR, 1.019; CI, 1.018-1.034; p=0.017).Conclusion    In young people aged 25-44 years, higher blood concentrations of glucagon are associated with the presence of ECG signs of myocardial ischemia.

Cytokine Profile and Concentrations of Metabolic Hormones in the Blood of Overweight Men with Coronary Arteriosclerosis

Plasma concentrations of cytokines and metabolic hormones and their association with vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques were studied in 36 overweight men (age 40-77 years; BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m²) with coronary atherosclerosis who underwent coronary endarterectomy. According to histological analysis, the patients were divided into two groups: with stable (17 (47.2%) men) and vulnerable (19 (52.8%) men) plaques in the coronary arteries. The plasma levels of cytokines and metabolic hormones were measured by multiplex analysis: C-peptide, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon, IL-6, insulin, leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and TNFα. In overweight patients with vulnerable plaques, the level of glucagon was lower by 4.17 times, GIP - by 2.47 times, and insulin - by 2.1 times. At the same time, the risk of occurrence of a vulnerable plaque increases by 5.4% with a decrease in GIP concentration by 1 pg/ml irrespectively of age, as well as by 3.1% with an increase in insulin concentration by 10 pg/ml, without achieving statistical significance when included in the age model. Overweight men with coronary atherosclerosis and vulnerable plaques have lower levels of insulin, glucagon, and GIP. The levels of GIP and insulin are inversely associated with the risk of having vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque.

The role of hormones in sepsis: an integrated overview with a focus on mitochondrial and immune cell dysfunction

Sepsis is a dysregulated host response to infection that results in life-threatening organ dysfunction. Virtually every body system can be affected by this syndrome to greater or lesser extents. Gene transcription and downstream pathways are either up- or downregulated, albeit with considerable fluctuation over the course of the patient's illness. This multi-system complexity contributes to a pathophysiology that remains to be fully elucidated. Consequentially, little progress has been made to date in developing new outcome-improving therapeutics. Endocrine alterations are well characterised in sepsis with variations in circulating blood levels and/or receptor resistance. However, little attention has been paid to an integrated view of how these hormonal changes impact upon the development of organ dysfunction and recovery. Here, we present a narrative review describing the impact of the altered endocrine system on mitochondrial dysfunction and immune suppression, two interlinked and key aspects of sepsis pathophysiology.

Adipokine Levels in Men with Coronary Atherosclerosis on the Background of Abdominal Obesity

Background. Obesity is associated with dyslipidemia, and excess body fat is associated with unfavorable levels of adipokines and markers of inflammation. The goal of research. To study the level of adipokines and markers of inflammation, their associations with unstable atherosclerotic plaques in men with coronary atherosclerosis on the background of abdominal obesity. Materials and methods. The study involved 82 men aged 40–77 years with coronary atherosclerosis after endarterectomy from the coronary arteries. We divided all men into two groups: 37 men (45.1%) with unstable atherosclerotic plaques, and 45 men (54.9%) who had stable plaques. Obesity was established at a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2. The levels of adipokines and markers of inflammation in the blood were determined by multiplex analysis. Results. In patients with obesity and unstable plaques, the levels of C-peptide, TNFa and IL-6 were 1.8, 1.6, and 2.8 times higher, respectively, than in patients with obesity and stable plaques. The chance of having an unstable plaque increases with an increase in TNFa by 49% in obese patients and decreases with an increase in insulin by 3% in non-obese patients. Conclusions. In men with coronary atherosclerosis and obesity, unstable atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries are directly associated with the level of TNF-α.