The adipocyte-derived hormone adiponectin has been shown to play important roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. In this study, we analyzed globular domain adiponectin (gAd) transgenic (Tg) mice crossed with leptin-deficient ob/ob or apoE-deficient mice. Interestingly, despite an unexpected similar body weight, gAd Tg ob/ob mice showed amelioration of insulin resistance and ␤-cell degranulation as well as diabetes, indicating that globular adiponectin and leptin appeared to have both distinct and overlapping functions. Amelioration of diabetes and insulin resistance was associated with increased expression of molecules involved in fatty acid oxidation such as acyl-CoA oxidase, and molecules involved in energy dissipation such as uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 and increased fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle of gAd Tg ob/ob mice. Moreover, despite similar plasma glucose and lipid levels on an apoE-deficient background, gAd Tg apoE-deficient mice showed amelioration of atherosclerosis, which was associated with decreased expression of class A scavenger receptor and tumor necrosis factor ␣. This is the first demonstration that globular adiponectin can protect against atherosclerosis in vivo.In conclusion, replenishment of globular adiponectin may provide a novel treatment modality for both type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis.

The CBP protein (cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) binding protein) is a co-activator for several transcription factors with a wide range of important biological functions, such as sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs), CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs), nuclear receptors (including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, PPARs), and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs). In contrast to these individual transcription factors, the biological roles of CBP are poorly understood. CBP enhances transcriptional activities via histone acetylation and the recruitment of additional co-activators such as SRC (steroid coactivator)-1 (ref. 9). To identify its physiological functions using a loss-of-function mutant, we analyzed CBP-deficient mice. As Crebbp null mice (Crebbp-/-) died during embryogenesis, we used Crebbp+/- mice. Unexpectedly, Crebbp+/- mice showed markedly reduced weight of white adipose tissue (WAT) but not of other tissues. Despite this lipodystrophy, Crebbp+/- mice showed increased insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance and were completely protected from body weight gain induced by a high-fat (HF) diet. We observed increased leptin sensitivity and increased serum adiponectin levels in Crebbp+/- mice. These increased effects of insulin-sensitizing hormones secreted from WAT may explain, at least in part, the phenotypes of Crebbp+/- mice. This study demonstrates that CBP may function as a 'master-switch' between energy storage and expenditure.

LBA1 Background: PARADIGM is the first prospective trial to test the superiority of PAN vs. BEV in combination with standard doublet first-line chemotherapy for patients (pts) with RAS WT mCRC and left-sided primary tumors. Methods: This open-label, multicenter trial in Japan (NCT02394795) randomly selected pts with chemotherapy-naive RAS WT mCRC to PAN + mFOLFOX6 or BEV + mFOLFOX6. Overall survival (OS) as primary endpoint was hierarchically tested in patients with left-sided tumors, followed by those in the full-analysis set (FAS) population. Key secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), and curative resection (R0) rate. Results: From May 2015 to June 2017, 823 pts were randomized; 12 did not receive protocol treatment and 9 were excluded due to major deviation of inclusion criteria. A total of 400 pts received PAN and 402 pts received BEV as FAS; 312 and 292 pts had left-sided primary tumors, respectively. OS was analyzed after 448 OS events in left-sided pts with a median follow-up of 61 months. PAN significantly improved OS vs. BEV in both populations: left-sided (HR, 0.82; 95.798% CI, 0.68-0.99, p = .031, which crossed the boundary of significance [0.042]), and FAS (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72-0.98; p = .030, with < 0.05 as the boundary). Although PFS was comparable between treatment groups, RR and R0 resection rates were higher with PAN compared with BEV (Table). HR for OS in the right-sided population was 1.09. No new safety signal was observed. Conclusions: PAN significantly improved OS vs. BEV in combination with mFOLFOX6 in pts with RAS WT and left-sided mCRC, establishing a standard first-line combination regimen for this population. Clinical trial information: NCT02394795. [Table: see text]

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ABSTRACT-Inhibitory effects of cnidium rhizome-derived phthalides on competence and progression phases of fetal bovine serum (10%)-induced proliferation were compared in primary cultures of mouse aorta smooth muscle cells (SMC). Their potencies for the competence inhibition were in the order of senkyunolide L ((Z)-6-hydroxy-7-chloro-6,7-dihydroligustilide)> senkyunolide H ((Z)-6,7-dihydroxy-6,7 dihydroligustilide) > senkyunolide J ((3S)-(E)-6,7-dihydroxy-3,6,7,8-tetrahydroligustilide) > senkyunolide I ((E)-6,7-dihydroxy-6,7-dihydroligustilide) > ligustilide = senkyunolide A ((3S)-3,8-dihydroligustilide) > butylidenephthalide. The order of their potencies for the progression inhibition was parallel with that for the competence inhibition. Senkyunolide L is considered to have been formed during the extraction of cnidium. These results demonstrate that the (Z)-6,7-dihydroxy isomer of the dihydroligustilide derivatives is essential for the anti-competent effect on proliferation of the SMC in primary culture. Senkyunolide H in cnidium rhizome may be a prototype for a new anti-atherosclerotic drug.