High levels of lipin 1 gene (LPIN1) expression are associated with low body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, triglycerides, and leptin in Chinese women, report researchers.

However, none of seven LPIN1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly associated with Type 2 diabetes.

LPIN1 deficiency results in loss of body fat, fatty liver, hypertriglyceridemia, and severe insulin resistance in mice, and is thought to play a critical role in adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism in humans, explain Lee-Ming Chuang (National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei) and colleagues.

The researchers first measured levels of LPIN1 messenger (m)RNA present in abdominal visceral tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) taken from 102 non-diabetic Chinese women undergoing surgery.

They found that in VAT LPIN1 mRNA levels negatively correlated with BMI, body fat percentage, plasma triglycerides, and plasma leptin levels. In VAT and SAT, LPIN1 mRNA levels also positively correlated with levels of PPARG (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma gene) and ADIPOQ (adiponectin gene) mRNA.

The researchers then genotyped a second cohort consisting of 760 individuals with Type 2 diabetes and 760 controls without Type 2 diabetes for seven LPIN1 SNPs (rs893349, rs4669778, rs11676086, rs10169802, rs7595221, rs6708316, and rs2577256).

They also haplotyped the participants for four combined haplotypes (ATTTG,GCCCA,GCTTG, and ATCCG) derived from the SNP genotypes.

The team found that no single SNP was associated with Type 2 diabetes in the study population, but one rare haplotype (ATCCG) increased the odds for having Type 2 diabetes 4.35-fold compared with other haplotypes.

“We found that VAT LPIN1 gene expression was associated with lower adiposity and favorable metabolic profiles in the Chinese population,” conclude Chuang et al in the journal Obesity.

“However, the LPIN1 gene seemed not to be a major susceptibility gene for Type 2 diabetes or related metabolic phenotypes in the Chinese population,” they add.

“Further confirmatory study is needed to clarify the role of LPIN1 genetic variation in systemic glucose and lipid metabolism.”

MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a part of Springer Science+Business Media. © Current Medicine Group Ltd; 2009

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Symptoms of high blood sugar are very important to know for anyone who is a risk for diabetes or diseases related to blood glucose levels that are out of range. Read this article to learn five important signs of high blood glucose levels. While all of these symptoms together are not telltale signs of diabetes, they can alert you to a potential problem.

Signs of high blood sugar

1) Fatigue
Fatigue occurs when your the glucose in your body is not properly being converted to energy. The result is that the loss of energy in your body makes you tired.

2) Increased urination
When there is excess blood glucose in the bloodstream, and the body cannot convert the blood sugar to energy, it is processed through the urinary tract. Increased urination can be a symptom of high blood sugar and is usually a result of the person consuming more fluids due to increased thirst.

3) Vaginal Yeast Infections (in women)
Increased glucose levels also affects the urinary tract. Not only is yeast infection a sign of high concentration of blood glucose, someone with high glucose levels in their body is also at risk for urinary tract infections, kidney infections, as well as kidney stones.

4) Increased Thirst
This is due to the brain’s response to the excess sugar. It reacts by making the body thirsty so that the bloodstream can be diluted, resulting in an attempt to lower the blood sugar concentration.

5) Blurred Vision
Blurred vision as a result of increased glucose levels can lead to more serious diseases of the eye such as diabetic retinopathy which results from damage to the retinal blood vessels from prolonged periods of high blood sugar.

Note that these symptoms of high blood glucose may or may not occur in any combination. The root cause of these signs is that the excess glucose in the bloodstream has thickened, resulting in various organs responding to the excess sugar.

Untreated high glucose levels (or hyperglycemia can result) can result in in the hardening of the arteries due to the excess levels of glucose in the blood which causes damage to vessels. The longer the signs of high blood sugar go unchecked, the more potential damage that is done to one’s organs (and body). The good news also is that if you are able to get your blood glucose levels under control, you may be able to reverse any adverse affects that prolonged periods of high blood sugar have had on your body.

Is there a connection between diabetes and gum disease? The simplest answer is yes. However, nothing is ever so simple and it pays to take a closer look at this potentially threatening link. By themselves, gum disease and diabetes are already devastating. Having one can make the other worse, and there is no need to allow that to happen.

Diabetic control is one reason for this connection. In many cases, gingival disease is considered to be a complication of diabetes, and diabetic control is the direct link. Basically, if your control over your blood sugar is poor, you are at a higher risk for gum disease. In fact, you may even be more at risk for losing your teeth from the disease.

However, if you have diabetes but have strong control over your blood sugar, you may be in significantly better shape than someone who does not have strong control over this area. Be careful.

Another diabetic complication is thicker blood vessels. This is another complication which can make you more at risk for getting periodontal disease. Basically, thicker blood vessels makes it more difficult for nutrients to flow in and harmful waste products to flow out. The direct result of this is the reduced ability of the gum tissue surrounding your teeth to fight off infection.

Bacteria causes gum disease in the first place. Bacteria love sugar - especially glucose. Of course, if you have diabetes, you see the problem here. The bacteria which can cause gum disease will be attracted to the glucose in your body.

Smoking increases the risk of getting periodontal disease when you have diabetes as well. A smoker who has diabetes is many times more likely to get gum disease than a smoker without diabetes.

What can you do to break this link? Take your medication, in the case of thickening vessels. Maintain strong, solid control of your blood sugar. Do not smoke. Visit your dentist regularly. Of course, brush twice a day and floss. However, these measures alone may not be enough to prevent the occurrence of gum disease. Be sure to follow the links below to learn more about this disease.