TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
PROBLEM: Context: To determine whether older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and cognitive dysfunction have poorer metabolic control of glycosylated hemoglobin, systolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than those without cognitive dysfunction.', 'Prospective cohort study.', 'A minority cohort in New York City previously recruited for a trial of telemedicine.', 'Persons aged 73.0 ± 3.0 (N = 613; 69.5% female; 82.5% Hispanic, 15.5% non-Hispanic black).', 'Participants were classified with executive or memory dysfunction based on standardized score cutoffs (<16th percentile) for the Color Trails Test and Selective Reminding Test. Linear mixed models were used to compare repeated measures of the metabolic measures and evaluate the rates of change in individuals with and without dysfunction.', 'Of the 613 participants, 331 (54%) had executive dysfunction, 202 (33%) had memory dysfunction, and 96 (16%) had both. Over a median of 2 years, participants with executive or memory dysfunction did not exhibit significantly poorer metabolic control than those without executive function or memory type cognitive dysfunction.\Question: Does mild cognitive dysfunction affect diabetes mellitus control in minority elderly adults?

SOLUTION: Cognitive dysfunction in the mild range did not seem to affect diabetes mellitus control parameters in this multiethnic cohort of older adults with diabetes mellitus, although it cannot be excluded that cognitive impairment was overcome through assistance from formal or informal caregivers. It is possible that more-severe cognitive dysfunction could affect control.

PROBLEM: Context: Increased expression of chemokine mRNA is observed in allogeneic but not syngeneic skin grafts 3-4 days after transplantation. The recipient cells mediating this early inflammatory response in allografts remain unidentified.', 'Isogeneic and allogeneic skin grafts were transplanted to euthymic and athymic nude mice. mRNA expression and protein production of macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), MIP-1beta, and the murine homolog of Gro(alpha), i.e. KC, from graft homogenates retrieved 3-4 days posttransplantation was tested by Northern blot hybridization and ELISA. To deplete NK cells, recipients were treated with antiasialo GM1 (ASGM1) antisera or with anti-NK1.1 mAb before transplantation.', 'Expression of KC, MIP-1alpha, and MIP-1beta mRNA was equivalent in C57BL/6 allogeneic skin grafts and BALB/c isografts at day 2 posttransplant. At day 3 posttransplant, chemokine mRNA levels decreased in isografts but were maintained at high levels in the allografts. Increased early chemokine mRNA was also observed in C57BL/6, but not BALB/c++ grafts on BALB/c athymi(nu/nu) recipients. Treatment of allograft recipients with ASGM1 or with anti-NK1.1 antibody eliminated NK cells from the spleen and allograft infiltrating cell populations and decreased early chemokine mRNA levels in allografts 60-70%. Analyses of allograft homogenates indicated increased levels of KC, MIP-1alpha, and MIP-1beta protein at day 4 posttransplant that were decreased in recipients depleted of NK cells. Early chemokine mRNA levels were equivalent in isogeneic and semiallogeneic F1 grafts.\Question: Is early increased chemokine expression and production in murine allogeneic skin grafts mediated by natural killer cells?

SOLUTION: Early chemokine mRNA expression and protein production in allogeneic skin grafts is amplified by recipient natural killer (NK) cells. These results indicate a novel function for infiltrating NK cells in mediating early increased intra-allograft chemokine production and inflammation during the initiation of acute rejection.

PROBLEM: Context: Adipocytes express inflammatory mediators that contribute to the low-level, chronic inflammation found in obese subjects and have been linked to the onset of cardiovascular disorders and insulin resistance associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A reduction in inflammatory gene expression in adipocytes would be expected to reverse this low-level, inflammatory state and improve cardiovascular function and insulin sensitivity. The natural products, curcumin and resveratrol, are established anti-inflammatory compounds that mediate their effects by inhibiting activation of NF-kappaB signaling. In the present study, we examined if these natural products can inhibit NF-kappaB activation in adipocytes and in doing so reduce cytokine expression.', 'Cytokine (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6) and COX-2 gene expression in 3T3-L1-derived adipocytes was measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) with or without TNFalpha-stimulation. Cytokine protein and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) expression were measured by ELISA. Effects of curcumin and resveratrol were evaluated by treating TNFalpha-stimulated adipocytes with each compound and 1) assessing the activation state of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway and 2) measuring inflammatory gene expression by qRT-PCR and ELISA.', 'Both preadipocytes and differentiated adipocytes express the genes for TNF-alpha, IL-6, and COX-2, key mediators of the inflammatory response. Preadipocytes were also found to express IL-1beta; however, IL-1beta expression was absent in differentiated adipocytes. TNF-alpha treatment activated NF-kappaB signaling in differentiated adipocytes by inducing IkappaB degradation and NF-kappaB translocation to the nucleus, and as a result increased IL-6 (6-fold) and COX-2 (2.5-fold) mRNA levels. TNF-alpha also activated IL-1beta gene expression in differentiated adipocytes, but had no effect on endogenous TNF-alpha mRNA levels. No detectable TNFalpha or IL-1beta was secreted by adipocytes. Curcumin and resveratrol treatment inhibited NF-kappaB activation and resulted in a reduction of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and COX-2 gene expression (IC50 = 2 muM) and a reduction of secreted IL-6 and PGE2 (IC50 ~ 20 muM).\Question: Do curcumin and resveratrol inhibit nuclear factor-kappaB-mediated cytokine expression in adipocytes?

SOLUTION:
Curcumin and resveratrol are able to inhibit TNFalpha-activated NF-kappaB signaling in adipocytes and as a result significantly reduce cytokine expression. These data suggest that curcumin and resveratrol may provide a novel and safe approach to reduce or inhibit the chronic inflammatory properties of adipose tissue.