Objective: Mutations in the human HNF4A gene encoding the hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF-4α) are known to cause maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), which is characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic ß-cells. HNF-4α has a key role in regulating the multiple transcriptional factor networks in the islet. Recen...

In the present study we investigated participation of hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) in metabolic programming newborn rats exposed utero to dexamethasone (DEX). On 21st day life, fasted offspring born DEX-treated mothers displayed increased conversion pyruvate into glucose with simultaneous upregulation PEPCK (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykin...

Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus present a different responsiveness in terms of insulin secretion to glucose and body mass index (BMI) from other populations. The genetic background that predisposes Japanese individuals to type 2 diabetes mellitus is under study. Recent genetic studies demonstrated that the locus mapped in macrophage erythroblast attacher (MAEA) increases the sus...