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This study shows the beneficial effects of ketogenic diet in obese diabetic subjects following its long-term administration. Furthermore, it demonstrates that in addition to its therapeutic value, low carbohydrate diet is safe to use for a longer period of time in obese diabetic subjects.

This study shows the beneficial effects of ketogenic diet following its long term administration in obese subjects with a high level of total cholesterol. Moreover, this study demonstrates that low carbohydrate diet is safe to use for a longer period of time in obese subjects with a high total cholesterol level and those with normocholesterolemia.

Late deaths (after more than 1 year) after liver transplantation were analyzed in a series of 464 consecutive patients who received liver grafts between 1982 and 1993. Recipients who survived the first posttransplant year (n = 365) had actuarial 5- and 10-year survival rates of 92% and 84%, respectively. Thirty-five patients died between 1.1 and 7.6 years after transplantation (mean, 3.2 +/- 1.9 years). The most common causes of death were related to immunosuppression (40%), namely, chronic rejection, opportunistic infection, and lymphoma. The second most common causes of death were related to the primary disease for which liver transplantation was performed (34.3%), mainly recurrence of hepatobiliary malignancy and hepatitis B. Eight patients (22.9%) died of unrelated and unpredicted causes, most commonly of cardiovascular disease. Although the survival of liver recipients who live beyond the first posttransplant year is excellent, control of rejection and the consequences of chronic immunosuppression are continual threats. Modification of immunosuppression may help in decreasing the mortality of long-term survivors. In addition, better selection of recipients and effective adjuvant therapies (antiviral and antineoplastic) are needed in patients in whom the primary liver disease is notorious for recurrence.

It has been documented that green tea (GT) and its catechin components improve renal failure and inhibit the growth of mesangial cells. In the present study we examined the long-term effect of GT extract on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy and on the glycogen accumulation in the kidney tubules. Male Sprague -Dawley rats were randomly assigned to normal control groups (2, 6, 8 and 12 weeks) and five diabetic groups (n 10) of comparable age. A GT diabetic group received 16 % concentration of GT for 12 weeks post-diabetes induction as their sole source of drinking water. GT treatment significantly (P,0·01) reduced the serum glucose, glycosylated protein, serum creatinine and blood urea N levels by 29·6 (SEM 3·7), 22·7 (SEM 5·2), 38·9 (SEM 10) and 41·7 (SEM 1·9) %, respectively, compared with the diabetic group of comparable age. In addition, the GT-treated group showed a significant 44 (SEM 10·8) % higher creatinine clearance (Ccr) compared with the untreated diabetic group. Likewise, GT reduced the urea N, creatinine, glucose and protein excretion rates by 30 (SEM 7·6), 35·4 (SEM 5·3), 34·0 (SEM 5·3) and 46·0 (SEM 13·0) % compared with the 12 weeks diabetic group. Administration of GT to 12 weeks diabetic rats significantly (P, 0·001) prevented (99·98 (SEM 0·27) % less) the accumulation of glycogen in the kidney tubules. These results indicate that in STZ diabetes, kidney function appears to be improved with GT consumption which also prevents glycogen accumulation in the renal tubules, probably by lowering blood levels of glucose. Therefore, GT could be beneficial additional therapy in the management of diabetic nephropathy. Green tea: Polyphenols: Diabetic nephropathy: Proximal tubulesDiabetes mellitus is characterised by hyperglycaemia, which has been strongly linked to diabetic complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy. Above all, diabetics are at augmented risk for end-stage renal disease consequent to diabetic nephropathy (1,2) . Stringent control of the hyperglycaemia by insulin treatment has been shown to avert hypertrophy and hyperfiltration and the subsequent rise in urinary protein excretion (3) . Clinical studies suggest that there is yet no completely effective treatment for diabetic nephropathy (4) . Hyperglycaemia is the principal factor responsible for structural alterations at the renal level and is directly linked to diabetic microvascular complications, particularly in the kidney (4) ; therefore, glycaemic control remains the main target of treatment. Prevention of nephropathy is a very important concern and many studies have been focused on traditional and herbal medicines to find novel therapeutic agents for diabetic nephropathy.Green tea (Camellia sinensis; GT) is a rich source of polyphenols, particularly flavonoids, which have been shown to have numerous pharmacological effects. Studies using animal models show that GT catechins could be beneficial in suppressing high-fat diet-induced obesity by modulating lipid metabolism and providing some protection ag...