-
Medical Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Gastric cancer has been demonstrating a reduction in the number of cases over the past decades, largely attributed to advancements in public health practices and...
Gastric cancer has been demonstrating a reduction in the number of cases over the past decades, largely attributed to advancements in public health practices and increased accessibility to educational initiatives for the general population. Nevertheless, it persists as the third leading cause of mortality globally among both men and women. These fatalities are typically associated with delayed disease detection. The current study assessed the levels of homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folic acid as a means of establishing a screening biomarker profile that could be integrated into routine testing protocols to facilitate swift diagnosis of the illness. A total of 207 control subjects and 207 individuals with gastric cancer were scrutinized, with biochemical measurements conducted using chemiluminescence for homocysteine, folic acid, and vitamin B12. The two groups were matched based on age, tumor location, subtype, tumor classification, presence of Epstein-Barr Virus infection (EBV), and Helicobacter pylori (). Significant statistical variances were identified in the mean levels of the triad of substances among cancer patients when compared to the control group for all corresponding variables. In conclusion, our study indicated that analyzing the triad of homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folic acid holds diagnostic value for gastric cancer and could potentially serve as an effective screening marker for this type of cancer in the future.
Topics: Humans; Stomach Neoplasms; Vitamin B 12; Folic Acid; Homocysteine; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Biomarkers, Tumor; Early Detection of Cancer; Aged; Adult; Case-Control Studies
PubMed: 38804380
DOI: 10.3390/medsci12020024 -
Scientific Reports May 2024The effect of high-dose pyridoxine (PN) on activity of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) and folinic acid (FA)-containing regimens was studied in 50 patients including 14 with...
The effect of high-dose pyridoxine (PN) on activity of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) and folinic acid (FA)-containing regimens was studied in 50 patients including 14 with digestive tract, and 36 with breast carcinomas (BC) in advanced stages with poor prognostic characteristics. Patients with colorectal, and pancreas adenocarcinoma received oxaliplatin, irinotecan, FUra, FA (Folfirinox), and patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus had paclitaxel, carboplatin, FUra, FA (TCbF). Patients with BC received AVCF (doxorubicin, vinorelbine, cyclophosphamide, FUra, FA) followed by TCbF or TCbF only, and patients who overexpressed HER2 received TCbF plus trastuzumab and pertuzumab. PN (1000-3000 mg/day iv) preceded each administration of FUra and FA. 47 patients (94%) responded, including 16 (32%) with CR. Median tumor reduction was 93%. Median event-free survival (EFS) was 37.7 months. The 25 patients with tumor shrinkage ≥ 91% had EFS of 52% from 42 months onwards. Unexpected toxicity did not occur. PN enhances potency of chemotherapy regimens comprising FUra and FA.
Topics: Humans; Fluorouracil; Leucovorin; Pyridoxine; Female; Middle Aged; Aged; Male; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Adult; Breast Neoplasms; Neoplasm Staging; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38802419
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62860-z -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024The prognosis for unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is poor and the efficacy of traditional chemotherapy remains unsatisfactory. Hepatic arterial...
BACKGROUND
The prognosis for unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is poor and the efficacy of traditional chemotherapy remains unsatisfactory. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) with oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX) is effective in patients with unresectable ICC. In this study, we determined the preliminary clinical efficacy and safety of lenvatinib plus durvalumab combined with FOLFOX-HAIC in patients with untreated, unresectable ICC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Between July 2021 and July 2023, patients with unresectable ICC who initially received lenvatinib plus durvalumab combined with FOLFOX-HAIC at the Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) were reviewed for eligibility. Efficacy was evaluated by tumor response rate and survival, and safety was assessed by the frequency of key adverse events (AEs).
RESULTS
A total of 28 eligible patients were enrolled. The objective response rates (ORRs) based on mRECIST and RECIST 1.1 criteria were 65.2% and 39.1%, respectively. The median OS was 17.9 months (95% CI, 5.7-30.1) and the median PFS was 11.9 months (95% CI, 6.7-17.1). Most patients (92.9%) experienced adverse events (AEs), whereas 46.5% (13/28) experienced grade 3 or 4 AEs.
CONCLUSION
Lenvatinib plus durvalumab combined with FOLFOX-HAIC showed promising antitumor activity and manageable AEs in patients with treatment-naive unresectable ICC. This regimen may be suitable as a novel first-line treatment option for this patient population.
Topics: Humans; Male; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Female; Phenylurea Compounds; Middle Aged; Quinolines; Aged; Cholangiocarcinoma; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Infusions, Intra-Arterial; Leucovorin; Adult; Fluorouracil; Treatment Outcome; Organoplatinum Compounds; Hepatic Artery; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 38799453
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1397827 -
Hearing Research Aug 2024Although rats and mice are among the preferred animal models for investigating many characteristics of auditory function, they are rarely used to study an essential...
Although rats and mice are among the preferred animal models for investigating many characteristics of auditory function, they are rarely used to study an essential aspect of binaural hearing: the ability of animals to localize the sources of low-frequency sounds by detecting the interaural time difference (ITD), that is the difference in the time at which the sound arrives at each ear. In mammals, ITDs are mostly encoded in the medial superior olive (MSO), one of the main nuclei of the superior olivary complex (SOC). Because of their small heads and high frequency hearing range, rats and mice are often considered unable to use ITDs for sound localization. Moreover, their MSO is frequently viewed as too small or insignificant compared to that of mammals that use ITDs to localize sounds, including cats and gerbils. However, recent research has demonstrated remarkable similarities between most morphological and physiological features of mouse MSO neurons and those of MSO neurons of mammals that use ITDs. In this context, we have analyzed the structure and neural afferent and efferent connections of the rat MSO, which had never been studied by injecting neuroanatomical tracers into the nucleus. The rat MSO spans the SOC longitudinally. It is relatively small caudally, but grows rostrally into a well-developed column of stacked bipolar neurons. By placing small, precise injections of the bidirectional tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the MSO, we show that this nucleus is innervated mainly by the most ventral and rostral spherical bushy cells of the anteroventral cochlear nucleus of both sides, and by the most ventrolateral principal neurons of the ipsilateral medial nucleus of the trapezoid body. The same experiments reveal that the MSO densely innervates the most dorsolateral region of the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus, the central region of the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus, and the most lateral region of the intermediate nucleus of the lateral lemniscus of its own side. Therefore, the MSO is selectively innervated by, and sends projections to, neurons that process low-frequency sounds. The structural and hodological features of the rat MSO are notably similar to those of the MSO of cats and gerbils. While these similarities raise the question of what functions other than ITD coding the MSO performs, they also suggest that the rat MSO is an appropriate model for future MSO-centered research.
Topics: Animals; Superior Olivary Complex; Auditory Pathways; Sound Localization; Axons; Rats; Male; Dextrans; Biotin; Acoustic Stimulation; Efferent Pathways; Olivary Nucleus; Female; Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Techniques; Rats, Wistar
PubMed: 38797037
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.109036 -
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical... Jun 2024Feeding intolerance (FI) is a common problem in late preterm infants (34 weeks ≤ gestational age < 37 weeks). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Feeding intolerance (FI) is a common problem in late preterm infants (34 weeks ≤ gestational age < 37 weeks). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of phentolamine combined with B vitamins in treating FI in late preterm infants and to explore its effects on gastrointestinal symptoms, inflammation and complications.
METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN
We randomly assigned 118 late preterm infants with FI to a treatment group (n = 56) or a control group (n = 62). The treatment group received intravenous phentolamine and intramuscular B vitamins, whereas the control group received basic treatment only. We measured the time of disappearance of gastrointestinal symptoms, the time of basal at-tainment, the time of hospitalisation, the incidence of complications, the concentrations of inflammatory markers and the overall effective rate of treatment.
RESULTS
The treatment group had a shorter duration of gastrointestinal symptoms than did the control group (p < 0.01). The treatment group also had lower concentrations of inflammatory markers and a higher overall effective rate than did the control group (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the two groups in the time of hospitalisation, basal attainment, weight re-covery and the incidence of complications (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Phentolamine and B vitamins can reduce gastrointestinal symptoms and inflammation in late preterm infants with FI but do not affect the occurrence of complications.
Topics: Humans; Infant, Premature; Infant, Newborn; Male; Female; Phentolamine; Vitamin B Complex; Food Intolerance; Gastrointestinal Diseases
PubMed: 38794979
DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.202406_33(2).0006 -
Nutrients May 2024Excessive lipid deposition affects hepatic homeostasis and contributes to the development of insulin resistance as a crucial factor for the deterioration of simple...
Hepatic-Metabolic Activity of α-Lipoic Acid-Its Influence on Sphingolipid Metabolism and PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway in a Rat Model of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.
Excessive lipid deposition affects hepatic homeostasis and contributes to the development of insulin resistance as a crucial factor for the deterioration of simple steatosis to steatohepatitis. So, it is essential to search for an effective agent for a new therapy for hepatic steatosis development before it progresses to the more advanced stages. Our study aimed to evaluate the potential protective effect of α-lipoic acid (α-LA) administration on the intrahepatic metabolism of sphingolipid and insulin signaling transduction in rats with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The experiment was conducted on male Wistar rats subjected to a standard diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) and an intragastrically α-LA administration for eight weeks. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine sphingolipid content. Immunoblotting was used to measure the expression of selected proteins from sphingolipid and insulin signaling pathways. Multiplex assay kit was used to assess the level of the phosphorylated form of proteins from PI3K/Akt/mTOR transduction. The results revealed that α-LA decreased sphinganine, dihydroceramide, and sphingosine levels and increased ceramide level. We also observed an increased the concentration of phosphorylated forms of sphingosine and sphinganine. Changes in the expression of proteins from sphingolipid metabolism were consistent with changes in sphingolipid pools. Treatment with α-LA activated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which enhanced the hepatic phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR. Based on these data, we concluded that α-lipoic acid may alleviate glucose intolerance and may have a protective influence on the sphingolipid metabolism under HFD; thus, this antioxidant appears to protect from MASLD development and steatosis deterioration.
Topics: Animals; Thioctic Acid; Male; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Sphingolipids; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Rats, Wistar; Signal Transduction; Liver; Rats; Disease Models, Animal; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Diet, High-Fat; Insulin Resistance; Fatty Liver
PubMed: 38794739
DOI: 10.3390/nu16101501 -
Nutrients May 2024Older adults living in nursing homes (NH) are considered a population group that could be at risk in terms of nutrition, even more so than their community-dwelling...
Older adults living in nursing homes (NH) are considered a population group that could be at risk in terms of nutrition, even more so than their community-dwelling peers. Evidence on the nutritional status of NH residents is scarce, as they are commonly excluded from population-based dietary studies. This is also the case in Slovenia. In the presented pilot study, we assessed the intake of macronutrients as well as the intake and status of vitamin D and vitamin B12 on a sample of NH and NH daycare center users to explore the need for a larger representative study. The pilot study included 37 participants from three Slovenian NH (20 participants) and their daycare centers (17 participants). Daycare centers offer daytime care services for older adults, where users are also provided with major meals during their stay. Intakes of energy and nutrients were estimated by three 24 h dietary records. Fasting blood samples were collected for the assessment of vitamin D and vitamin B12 status. Over 90% of the participants had daily energy and protein intakes below recommendations (reference values: energy intake: males 2100 kcal and females 1700 kcal; protein intake > 1 g/kg body mass). The males' median daily intakes of vitamin D were 1.7 µg (1.5 µg females), and 2.3 µg for vitamin B12 (2.0 µg females). None of the participants had adequate vitamin D intake (>20 µg), and 92.3% males and 87.5% females had inadequate vitamin B12 intake (<4 µg). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-OH-D conc. < 30 nmol/L) was 100% among NH residents and 53% among NH daycare center users. The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency was found in 20% of NH residents. The study results highlighted that certain nutrients might be critical in this population, especially among NH residents; however, a more thorough investigation with the inclusion of other important markers of nutritional status should be performed on a larger, representative sample to support the development and implementation of appropriate public health interventions.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pilot Projects; Male; Nursing Homes; Vitamin B 12; Nutritional Status; Aged; Vitamin D; Aged, 80 and over; Vitamin D Deficiency; Slovenia; Nutrients; Energy Intake; Homes for the Aged; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency; Diet; Nutrition Assessment
PubMed: 38794733
DOI: 10.3390/nu16101495 -
Nutrients May 2024With a significant portion of the population adopting veganism and conflicting views among nutrition professionals regarding the necessity of vitamin B12... (Review)
Review
With a significant portion of the population adopting veganism and conflicting views among nutrition professionals regarding the necessity of vitamin B12 supplementation, this review aims to explore existing studies evaluating interventions through food supplementation. It focuses on the impact of vitamin B12 deficiency across different demographics. The present study seeks to understand how research has addressed the relationship between the rise in veganism and vitamin B12 deficiency over the past decade. A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA flow diagram. Studies from 2010 to 2023 were identified using Boolean operators and key terms in electronic databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EBSCO (Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, and Academic Search Complete). Out of 217 articles identified, 70 studies were included. The topical analysis categorized the studies into three groups: those associating vitamin B12 deficiency with diseases ( = 14), those analyzing the dietary habits of vegetarian individuals (vegan or not) without a specific focus on vitamin B12 ( = 49), and those addressing food guides and nutrition institution positions ( = 7). The authors concluded that vitamin B12 deficiency is prevalent among vegans due to limited consumption of animal products. For vegetarians, supplementation is an efficient means of treating and preventing deficiency; a daily dose of 50 to 100 micrograms is advised. There are still significant gaps in the research, nevertheless, such as the absence of randomized controlled trials evaluating various forms or dosages of vitamin B12 among vegetarians and the requirement for more information and awareness of the vitamin's significance in vegan diets.
Topics: Humans; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency; Dietary Supplements; Vegans; Diet, Vegan; Diet, Vegetarian; Adult; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Young Adult; Aged
PubMed: 38794680
DOI: 10.3390/nu16101442 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The origin of agricultural products is crucial to their quality and safety. This study explored the differences in chemical composition and structure of rice from...
The origin of agricultural products is crucial to their quality and safety. This study explored the differences in chemical composition and structure of rice from different origins using fluorescence detection technology. These differences are mainly affected by climate, environment, geology and other factors. By identifying the fluorescence characteristic absorption peaks of the same rice seed varieties from different origins, and comparing them with known or standard samples, this study aims to authenticate rice, protect brands, and achieve traceability. The study selected the same variety of rice seed planted in different regions of Jilin Province in the same year as samples. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to collect spectral data, which was preprocessed by normalization, smoothing, and wavelet transformation to remove noise, scattering, and burrs. The processed spectral data was used as input for the long short-term memory (LSTM) model. The study focused on the processing and analysis of rice spectra based on NZ-WT-processed data. To simplify the model, uninformative variable elimination (UVE) and successive projections algorithm (SPA) were used to screen the best wavelengths. These wavelengths were used as input for the support vector machine (SVM) prediction model to achieve efficient and accurate predictions. Within the fluorescence spectral range of 475-525 nm and 665-690 nm, absorption peaks of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH), riboflavin (B2), starch, and protein were observed. The origin tracing prediction model established using SVM exhibited stable performance with a classification accuracy of up to 99.5%.The experiment demonstrated that fluorescence spectroscopy technology has high discrimination accuracy in tracing the origin of rice, providing a new method for rapid identification of rice origin.
Topics: Oryza; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Support Vector Machine; Algorithms; Riboflavin; NADP; Starch; Seeds
PubMed: 38793849
DOI: 10.3390/s24102994 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) May 2024Erdosteine (Erd) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drug. Vitamin B has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, we...
Erdosteine (Erd) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drug. Vitamin B has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of erdosteine and vitamin B complex on a liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model. Thirty-two Wistar Albino male rats weighing 350-400 g were used. The animals were randomly selected and divided into four groups. The groups are as follows: first group (Sham), second group (I/R), third group (I/R + vit B), and fourth group (I/R + vit B + Erd). Rats were subjected to 45 min of hepatic ischemia, followed by a 45 min reperfusion period in the I/R and Vitamin B + Erd groups. An amount of 150 mg/kg/day of erdosteine was given orally for 2 days, and 0.05 mL/kg of i.p. vitamin B complex was given 30 min before the reperfusion. Serum biochemical parameters were measured. Serum Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) and Total Oxidant Status (TOS) were measured, and the Oxidative Stress Index (OSI) was calculated. Hepatic tissue samples were taken for the evaluation of histopathological features. : In terms of all histopathological parameters, there were significant differences in the I/R + vit B group and I/R + vit B + Erd group compared with the I/R group ( < 0.01). In terms of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), TNF-alpha, and IL-6 levels, there were significant differences between the I/R group and treatment groups ( < 0.01). The lowest TOS and OSI levels were obtained in the treatment groups, and these groups had statistically significantly higher TAS levels compared with the sham and I/R groups ( < 0.01). : As a preliminary experimental study, our study suggests that these agents may have potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications for both ischemic conditions and liver-related diseases. These results suggest that the combination of vit B + Erd may be used to protect against the devastating effects of I/R injury. Our study needs to be confirmed by clinical studies with large participation.
Topics: Animals; Thioglycolates; Reperfusion Injury; Rats, Wistar; Male; Thiophenes; Rats; Liver; Antioxidants; Disease Models, Animal; Oxidative Stress; Vitamin B Complex; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Alanine Transaminase
PubMed: 38792966
DOI: 10.3390/medicina60050783