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Journal of Primary Care & Community... 2023The purpose of this feasibility pilot study was to evaluate safety and adherence of a wearable brain sensing wellness device designed to reduce stress among healthcare...
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this feasibility pilot study was to evaluate safety and adherence of a wearable brain sensing wellness device designed to reduce stress among healthcare professionals (HCP).
METHODS
A total of 40 HCP were invited to participate in an open-label pilot study. Participants were asked to use a brain sensing wearable device (MUSE-S™) on a daily basis to reduce their stress, for a total of 90 days. Total study participation duration was 180 days. Study enrollment began in August 2021 and ended December 2021. The exploratory outcomes included stress, depression, sleep, burn-out, resilience, quality of life, and cognition.
RESULTS
Among the 40 HCP in study, the majority were female (85%), white (87.5%) and with an average age of 41.3 ± 11.0 years (SD). Participants used the wearable device an average of 23.8 times over a 30-day period with a mean duration of 5.8 min with each use. Study results demonstrate the positive impact of guided mindfulness using the wearable device MUSE-S™ and its accompanying application (APP). A statistically significant improvement was found for a reduction in stress ( < .001) and improvement in resilience ( = .02), quality of life ( = .003), and cognition ( < .001). The majority (91.9%) of the participants indicated they felt more relaxed after using the device, and 73% indicated they would continue to use this device at end-of-study. No adverse effects were reported.
CONCLUSION
Study results show that 3 to 10 min of guided meditation during work hours through the use of a brain sensing wearable device is safe and acceptable, with associated health benefits for HCP.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Adult; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Mindfulness; Quality of Life; Pandemics; Alprostadil; Health Personnel; Brain
PubMed: 36960553
DOI: 10.1177/21501319231162308 -
Sexual Medicine Apr 2023In the evaluation of men presenting for erectile dysfunction (ED), specific diagnostic tests, such as an intracavernous injection test (IIT) with Erection Hardness Score...
BACKGROUND
In the evaluation of men presenting for erectile dysfunction (ED), specific diagnostic tests, such as an intracavernous injection test (IIT) with Erection Hardness Score (EHS) assessment or penile Doppler ultrasound (PDU), may be necessary.
AIM
The study sought to compare the prognostic value of PDU parameters with erection rigidity with EHS during IIT in predicting refractory ED after 5 years.
METHODS
Patients referred for ED were evaluated and had a PDU with at least 15 μg of intracavernous alprostadil and without any sexual stimulation. At 5 years of follow-up, current and past ED treatments were noted. Refractory ED was defined as having a penile prosthesis (PP) implanted, having failed nonsurgical treatments but having refused PP implantation, or having discontinuation of nonsurgical treatments due to loss of efficacy. Patients with hypogonadism and pelvic surgery were excluded. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were drawn and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated.
OUTCOMES
The outcome was the AUC for predicting refractory ED.
RESULTS
At 5 years, 69 men were still in follow-up with a mean age of 58.47 ± 10.39 years, and 13 (18.8%) were classified as having refractory ED. The AUC for the EHS, peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic flow, and resistive index to discriminate refractory ED were 0.820, 0.613, 0.730, and 0.714, respectively.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
EHS can be a good predictor of response to nonsurgical treatments in ED.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
This was a prospective study to compare IIT with PDU, and validated disease-specific questionnaires were used to assess both clinical efficacy and satisfaction. PDU was performed by a blinded third party. However, resulting from a single-center study, our sample size can be considered small, and the number of events observed was also low.
CONCLUSION
Our data suggest that an abnormal EHS during an IIT is, at least, noninferior than an abnormal PDU in predicting those patients that will not respond to nonsurgical treatments and that will need a PP in long-term.
PubMed: 36960301
DOI: 10.1093/sexmed/qfad009 -
BMC Ophthalmology Mar 2023Poly-D, L-lactic acid is (PDLLA) a new cosmetic filler. We reported the first case of PDLLA-related devastating complication of multiple branch retinal artery occlusion...
BACKGROUND
Poly-D, L-lactic acid is (PDLLA) a new cosmetic filler. We reported the first case of PDLLA-related devastating complication of multiple branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO).
CASE PRESENTATION
A 23-year-old female had sudden blindness after injection of PDLLA at the glabella. After emergency intraocular pressure-lowering medicine, ocular massage, steroid pulse therapy, heparin and alprostadil infusion, and subsequent treatments including acupuncture and 40 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, her best-corrected visual acuity improved from hand motion at 30 cm to 0.3 within 2 months.
CONCLUSION
Although safety of PDLLA was evaluated in animal studies and in 16,000 human cases, it could still cause rare but devastating retinal artery occlusion as in the present case. Proper and immediate therapies could still improve patient's vision and scotoma. Surgeons should keep in mind the possibility of iatrogenic filler-related retinal artery occlusion.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Female; Young Adult; Adult; Face; Retinal Artery Occlusion; Eye; Injections; Lactic Acid
PubMed: 36879205
DOI: 10.1186/s12886-023-02821-8 -
Esophagus : Official Journal of the... Jul 2023To evaluate the long-term efficacy of transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) with Medigus Ultrasonic Surgical Endostapler (MUSE) for gastroesophageal reflux disease...
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the long-term efficacy of transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) with Medigus Ultrasonic Surgical Endostapler (MUSE) for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
METHODS
A total of 16 patients with proton pump inhibitor-dependent gastroesophageal reflux disease had undergone TIF by MUSE in Shanghai General Hospital (Shanghai, China)from March 2017 to December 2018. Patients were followed up at 6 months, and the GERD-health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) questionnaire score, the GERD questionnaire (GERD-Q) score, high-resolution esophageal manometry (HREM) and 24 h esophageal pH parameters, the Hill grade of the gastroesophageal flap valve (GEFV) and daily Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) consumption before and after procedure were compared. Patients also were followed up at 3 years and 5 years using a structured questionnaire via phone which evaluated symptoms of reflux, dose of PPI medication and side effects.
RESULTS
Follow-up data were collected from 13 patients, ranging from 38 to 63 months, 53 months on average. 10/13 patients reported symptomatic improvement and daily PPI consumption was stopped or halved in 11/13. After procedure, the mean scores of GERD-HRQL and GERD-Q were significantly increased. The mean DeMeester score, the mean acid exposure time percentage and the mean number of acid reflux episodes were significantly lower. The mean rest pressure at lower esophageal sphincter (LES) had no significant difference.
CONCLUSION
TIF by MUSE has significant efficacy in the treatment of PPI-dependent GERD, which can improve symptoms and life quality of patients, and reduce the acid exposure time for long-term. Chictr.org.cn.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ChiCTR2000034350.
Topics: Humans; Fundoplication; Alprostadil; Quality of Life; Proton Pump Inhibitors; Ultrasonics; Treatment Outcome; China; Gastroesophageal Reflux
PubMed: 36877412
DOI: 10.1007/s10388-023-00992-3 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is an important public health problem worldwide that increases the mortality of patients and incurs high medical costs. Traditional...
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is an important public health problem worldwide that increases the mortality of patients and incurs high medical costs. Traditional Chinese Medicine injections (TCMIs) are widely used in clinical practice. However, their efficacy is unknown owing to a lack of definitive evidence. This study conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine injections in the treatment of DKD to provide a reference for clinical treatment. Total 7 databases had been searched, which included PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese scientific journal database (VIP), WanFang, and SinoMed. Only randomised controlled trials (RCT) had been included for analysis. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of the database until 20 July 2022. Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Network meta-analyses, and Trial Sequential Analyses (TSA) were used to analysis the effectiveness of the included RCTs for DKD. The Stata 15.1 and R 4.0.4 were used to perform the network meta-analysis. Sensitivity analysis was used to assess the robustness of the findings. The effect of the intervention evidence are summarized on the basis of the minimum background framework. NMA showed that the total effective rate of SMI, DCI, DHI, HQI, and SKI combined with alprostadil injection (PGE1) was better than PGE1 single used. Based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve values, PGE1+DHI was the most effective for urinary albumin excretion rate and 24 h urinary albumin, PGE1+HQI was the most effective for the total response rate and β2-MG, and PGE1+SKI was the most effective for serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Cluster analysis found that PGE1+HQI and PGE1+SKI could be the best treatments in terms of primary outcome measures. PGE1+SKI was found to be most effective on glomerular filtration function. PGE1+DHI was most effective for urinary protein-related indices. The efficacy of TCMI combined with PGE1 was higher than PGE1 single used. PGE1+HQI and PGE1+SKI were the most effective treatments. The safety of TCMI treatment should be investigated further. This study needs to be validated using large-sample, double-blind, multicentre RCTs. : [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=348333], identifier [CRD42022348333].
PubMed: 36874023
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1028257 -
PloS One 2023Recent preclinical studies have demonstrated that bone marrow (BM)-derived Muse cells have a homing mechanism to reach damaged cardiac tissue while also being able to...
BACKGROUND
Recent preclinical studies have demonstrated that bone marrow (BM)-derived Muse cells have a homing mechanism to reach damaged cardiac tissue while also being able to reduce myocardial infarct size and improve cardiac function; however, the potential of BM-Muse cells to foster new blood-vessel formation has not been fully assessed. Up to date, adipose tissue (AT)-derived Muse cells remain to be studied in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of the present study was to analyze in vitro and in vivo the neovascularization capacity of AT-Muse cells while exploring their biodistribution and differentiation potential in a translational ovine model of AMI.
METHODS AND RESULTS
AT-Muse cells were successfully isolated from ovine adipose tissue. In adult sheep, one or more diagonal branches of the left anterior descending coronary artery were permanently ligated for thirty minutes. Sheep were randomized in two groups and treated with intramyocardial injections: Vehicle (PBS, n = 4) and AT-Muse (2x107 AT-Muse cells labeled with PKH26 Red Fluorescent Dye, n = 4). Molecular characterization showed higher expression of angiogenic genes (VEGF, PGF and ANG) and increased number of tube formation in AT-Muse cells group compared to Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs) group. At 7 days post-IAM, the AT-Muse group showed significantly more arterioles and capillaries than the Vehicle group. Co-localization of PKH26+ cells with desmin, sarcomeric actin and troponin T implied the differentiation of Muse cells to a cardiac fate; moreover, PKH26+ cells also co-localized with a lectin marker, suggesting a possible differentiation to a vascular lineage.
CONCLUSION
Intramyocardially administered AT-Muse cells displayed a significant neovascularization activity and survival capacity in an ovine model of AMI.
Topics: Animals; Sheep; Alprostadil; Tissue Distribution; Myocardial Infarction; Adipocytes
PubMed: 36662847
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277442 -
Annals of Translational Medicine Dec 2022We aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of exercise training combined with alprostadil (ALPR) treatment on myocardial infarction (MI) in aged rats.
Exercise training combined with alprostadil improves myocardial infarction and coronary microcirculation disorder in aged rats by inhibiting mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway activation.
BACKGROUND
We aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of exercise training combined with alprostadil (ALPR) treatment on myocardial infarction (MI) in aged rats.
METHODS
Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. One day after MI induction, an automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure cardiac troponin I (cTnI), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) serum levels. One week after MI induction, echocardiography was performed to examine the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS) rates of the rats. Parameters such as body weight (BW), heart mass index, and the heart weight (HW)/tibia length (TL) ratio of the rats were also calculated. Western blot was performed to assess angiogenesis and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal-related protein expression.
RESULTS
Compared with the MI group, the LVEDD and LVESD in the Trained + ALPR group were significantly decreased, while LVEF, LVFS, HW/BW, and HW/TL were significantly increased. Additionally, the Trained + ALPR group exhibited decreased levels of cTnI, cTnT, and CK-MB and significantly reduced MI size and myocardial injury. Moreover, compared with the Trained or ALPR group, the Trained + ALPR group showed upregulated energy metabolism, increased microvessel density, and better efficacy. Finally, the Trained + ALPR group showed a significant increase in angiogenesis-related proteins and a significant reduction in MAPK signaling pathway-related protein activity.
CONCLUSIONS
Exercise training combined with ALPR improved MI in elderly rats by inhibiting MAPK signaling, promoting angiogenesis, and increasing metabolism.
PubMed: 36660639
DOI: 10.21037/atm-22-5763 -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2022To assess the role of adenylyl cyclase type 7 (AC7) in microglia's immune function, we generated AC7 gene knockout (AC7 KO) clones from a mouse microglial cell line,...
To assess the role of adenylyl cyclase type 7 (AC7) in microglia's immune function, we generated AC7 gene knockout (AC7 KO) clones from a mouse microglial cell line, BV-2, using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system. The ability of BV-2 cells to generate cAMP and their innate immune functions were examined in the presence or absence of ethanol. The parental BV-2 cells showed robust cAMP production when stimulated with prostaglandin-E (PGE) and ethanol increased cAMP production in a dose-dependent manner. AC7 KO clones of BV-2 cells showed diminished and ethanol-insensitive cAMP production. The phagocytic activity of the parental BV-2 cells was inhibited in the presence of PGE; AC7 KO BV-2 cells showed lower and PGE-insensitive phagocytic activity. Innate immune activities of the parental BV-2 cells, including bacterial killing, nitric oxide synthesis, and expression of arginase 1 and interleukin 10 were activated as expected with small effects of ethanol. However, the innate immune activities of AC7 KO cells were either drastically diminished or not detected. The data presented suggest that AC7 has an important role in the innate immune functions of microglial cells. AC7's involvement in ethanol's effects on immune functions remains unclear. Further studies are needed.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Adenylyl Cyclases; Alprostadil; Cell Line; Ethanol; Microglia
PubMed: 36613790
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010347 -
PloS One 2022Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory and bone-resorptive cytokine that also regulates bone formation. We previously showed that prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) induces the...
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory and bone-resorptive cytokine that also regulates bone formation. We previously showed that prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) induces the synthesis of IL-6 by activating p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK), and p38 MAPK in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In the present study, we investigated whether heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), a molecular chaperone that coordinates protein folding and homeostasis, affects PGE1-stimulated IL-6 synthesis in MC3T3-E1 cells through the MAPK activation. The osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with HSP70 inhibitors-VER-155008 and YM-08-, PD98059, SB203580 or SP600125 and then stimulated with PGE1. IL-6 synthesis was evaluated using an IL-6 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. IL-6 mRNA expression was measured by real-time RT-PCR. The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was evaluated by Western blotting. We found that VER-155008, an HSP70 inhibitor, enhanced the PGE1-stimulated IL-6 release and IL-6 mRNA expression. YM-08, another HSP70 inhibitor, also enhanced PGE1-stimulated IL-6 release. PD98059, a p44/p42 MAPK inhibitor, and SP600125, a SAPK/JNK inhibitor, upregulated PGE1-stimulated IL-6 release. On the other hand, SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, suppressed PGE1-stimulated IL-6 release. YM-08 stimulated the PGE1-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. SB203580 suppressed the amplification by YM-08 of the PGE1-stimulated IL-6 release. Our results suggest that HSP70 inhibitors upregulate the PGE1-stimulated IL-6 synthesis through p38 MAPK in osteoblasts and therefore affect bone remodeling.
Topics: Interleukin-6; Alprostadil; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; Osteoblasts; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Phosphorylation; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 36520821
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279134