"HEART"

WORKING OF THE HEART AND ITS BLOOD SUPPLY

Heart is a muscular pump, made up of specialized muscles. The right half of the heart receives impure (deoxygenated) blood from the body and pumps it into the lungs. The left half of the heart receives pure (oxygenated) blood and pumps it to the rest of the body. The left half of the heart is stronger and thicker.
In order to function, the heart needs nourishment. The nourishment comes to the heart via blood which is supplied to the heart through two major coronary arteries : left and right coronary arteries. The left coronary artery again divides into two major branches (left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries), from which several smaller branches arise and supply the heart. Thus, there are three major arteries : left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery and right coronary artery.

Coronary Artery Disease and Antherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis means hardening of the arteries. With advancing age, the arteries become stiff and there is deposition of fatty material in the walls of the arteries. When these changes are excessive and abnormal, the lumen of the artery is blocked, and blood flow is reduced. These changes also occur in coronary arteries, as a result, the arteries are blocked and blood supply to the heart muscles is impaired.
Because these changes occur throughout the body, a person may also have other arteries blocked and can have symptoms related to brain, kidney or limbs.

What predisposes to Coronary Artery Disease?


No definite cause is known. However, a number of risk factors are related to development and progression of coronary artery disease. Risk factors can be grouped into two categories :
(a) Non modifiable – These factors can not be changed by a person.
(b) Modifiable – These factors can be changed. (a) Non-modifiable risk factors -
There are 3 main non-modifiable risk factors
(i) Male Gender
(ii) Old Age
(iii) History of coronary artery disease in parents or siblings
(b)Modifiable risk factors
These factors are related to personal habits and lifestyle and can be modified. Modifiable risk factors can be grouped into Primary and Secondary risk factors
(i)Primary modifiable risk factors 1.Smoking 2. High blood pressure 3. Increased levels of cholesterol and other fats in blood 4.Diabetes – uncontrolled
(ii)Secondary modifiable risk factors 1.Obesity2. Lack of exercis3. Stress
More is the number of risk factors, greater are the chances of developing coronary artery disease.

"PIG CELLS" for diabetes treatment

Though researchers have already had success in reversing type 1 diabetes in human through islet transplantations, the demand for islet cells grossly outweighs the supply....now the researchers have developed a method by which they hope to increase islet supply by using pig islets..the procedure which has already successfully reversed diabetes in monkeys..is performed by isolating islet cells from the donor pancreas and transplanting them into portal vein of the liver in people having diabetes..

if successfull, transplanted islets will sense blood glucose levels on a minute to minute basis and release the appropriate amount of insulin to achieve tight blood glucose control...not only do the recipients of successful implants no longer need insulin injections, but transplantations also offers hope in reducing the risk of developing secondary complications of diabetes such as damage to the heart and blood vesels, eyes nerves, and kidneys...

CURE FOR DIABETES "GENE THERAPY"

The 1st photograph shows an islet of Langerhans that demonstrates insulitis with lymphocytic infiltrates in a patient developing type I diabetes mellitus. This lesion precedes clinical onset of diabetes mellitus and is rarely observed....the middle one describes the diabetic retinopathy on funduscopic examination



Today..diabetes is the most common disease affecting all types of human races...the number of patients having diabetes is increasing each year....many experiments and research is going on for finding a permanent cure for this disease so that the coming generations too could be free from diabetes as it is hereditary..


One of the possible cure could be the culture of beta cells of pancreas producing insulin..here we could culture the beta cells artificially...Now the question arises..do these cells have the ability of "totipotency"...that is can these cells grown on thier own if they are cultured artificially under required conditions...on culturing the beta cells...we could then replace the fresh beta cells with the defective once and the cells could again start producing insulin as per required but not as fresh original cells but then too they can overcome the body requirements of insulin... this way we could have a possible cure for diabetes type 2

Next possible solution and one of the most effective one could be the "gene therapy". Here we can replace the faulty gene that is unable to code for protiens(insulin), with a healthy coding gene.This method would not benefit the current patient but the upcoming generations as diabetes is hereditary too.Till now experiments are bieng conducted in animals like mice and pigs whose endocrinology matches with humans.

In one of the experiments done a gene therapy is developed by researchers has apparently cured diabetes in mice by inducing cells in the liver to become beta cells that produce insulin and three other hormones.

in the research done scientist used a neuroD gene..which is a transcription factor that induces the liver to produce cells that make insulin and the three hormones associated with the pancrea's endocrine system. In this process of gene therapy..the gene is attached to an adenovirus acting as a carrier from which all toxic gene is removed. This viral vector is a very efficient way to introduce genes into liver. Combined with beta cell growth factor called Btc, the gene therapy has completely cured diabetes in mice..

An added benefit is that the cells in the liver also produce glucagon, somostatin and pancreatic polypeptide, which may play a role in controlling insulin production and release.
Further research is going on to cure diabetes completely so that the coming generation do not suffer from this disease. If these experiments are done in human body and if the results are positive with no complications then we could have a complete cure for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes........

all about "DIABETES"

DIABETES is the most common and one of the most dangerous disease a person gets either by hereditary or by deficiency of insulin producing beta cells of "islets of langerhans" present in pancreas. 4 types of cells are found in "islets of langerhans" of which insulin is produced by beta cells . Hence diabetes or biologically called "diabetes mellitus" is basically a hormonal disorder where beta cells of pancreas fail to produce sufficient insulin needed by the human body and henceforth insulin has to be injected externallly to the body..the basic function of insulin is to decrease the glucose level of the body. It acts by increasing the rate at which glucose is transported out of the blood and into the cells and by stimulating muscle cells to take up sugar from the blood and convert it to glycogen.

Diabetes is of basically two types...TYPE 1...and TYPE 2..





WHAT IS DIABETES TYPE 1???

Type 1 diabetes is the autoimmune disease where the body attacks and destroys its own insulin producing beta cells of pancreas. With the body's natural supply of insulin cut off, blood sugar level rises. Type 1 occurs more frequently in children and young adults, but accounts for only 5-10% of the total diabetes cases nationwide.

ABOUT DIABETES TYPE 2..

Type 2 is a metabolic disorder where body is unable to properly use insulin to control blood sugar levels and in some cases..to make enough insulin..this is most common form of diabetes found and around 90-95% people have diabetes type 2...many of them bieng unaware of this disease.

Is Diabetes a Serious Health Problem?

Diabetes has:

Consistently ranked as a top-ten leading cause of death since 1932. .

By the year 2020, there will a total of 8 million people with diabetes in India:
4 million diagnosed with diabetes (two times the current number)
4 million with undiagnosed diabetes (three times the current number)



Can diabetes be prevented or controlled???

YES! Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent and control complications caused by diabetes. Regular physical activity is a protective factor against type-2 diabetes and conversely, lack of physical activity is a risk factor for developing diabetes. Researchers suspect that a lack of exercise is one factor contributing to the high rates of diabetes in Latinos.

Many people first become aware that they have diabetes when they develop one of its life-threatening complications:

1. Blindness
2. Kidney Disease and related disorders
3. Nerve Disease and amputations
4. Heart disease and stroke

Risk factors that seem to be more common are:

1. Family history of diabetes
2. Gestational diabetes
3. Impaired glucose tolerance
4. Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance
5. Obesity, and
6. Physical inactivity.