ABSTRACT
Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are the hallmark of menopause and negatively affect a large proportion of women over many years. However, studies evaluating the overall impact of VMS are limited. This systematic review (SR) aimed to examine epidemiological, clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes of VMS among perimenopausal women and among women aged ≥65 years in the US. A systematic search of the MEDLINE and Embase databases was conducted to identify observational studies (2010-2022) reporting on these populations. Data reporting outcomes of interest were extracted and analyzed descriptively. Of 7,613 studies identified, 34 met inclusion criteria, of which 30 reported on perimenopausal women and 4 reported on VMS in women aged ≥ 65 years. VMS and severe/moderate-to-severe VMS were reported by 48.4-70.6 percent and 13.0-63.1 percent, respectively, of perimenopausal women. Mean VMS duration was 2.6 years, and median duration ranged from 7.4 to 10.1 years among women with onset in early perimenopause and from 3.8 to 6.1 years among those with onset in late perimenopause. Among women aged ≥65 years, 20.9-45.1 percent reported VMS; 2.0 percent reported severe symptoms, and 17.6 percent reported moderate symptoms. No studies reported VMS frequency and duration or the economic or humanistic burden among women aged ≥65 years. In conclusion, high VMS frequency and severity were observed among perimenopausal women and women aged ≥65 years in the US in this SR, highlighting the need for (1) better management of VMS to reduce frequency and severity and (2) further research to clarify the impact of VMS on disease burden, quality of life, and economic impact.
ABSTRACT
ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) is a key enzyme of starch synthesis in seeds, tubers and fruits. UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) is an important enzyme of sucrose metabolism in the cytosol while alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a marker enzyme of the amyloplast that keeps the production of ADPG by removing PPi. Unripe banana accumulates starch in the pulp during development, while ripe fruits are characterized by the accumulation of soluble sugars. The aim of the study was to compare starch granule structure, carbohydrate levels, subcellular location and activities of three enzymes: AGPase, UGPase and ALP. Protein extracts from the cytosolic and amyloplastidial fractions were obtained from the pulp of banana fruit at three developmental stages (11, 16 and 21 weeks after flowering) and analyzed by electrophoresis and immunodetection. Protein profiles were similar during ripening, showing a main electrophoretic band at 50-55 kDa. Higher protein content was found in the cytosolic than in the amyloplastidial fraction. Starch granules and ALP activity were enriched in the amyloplast, whereas AGPase showed a subcellular distribution similar to UGPase. Immunoblot analysis also confirmed the presence of AGPase in both cytosol and amyloplast. AGPase activity was higher in the cytosol than in the amyloplast. Both AGPase activity and western blot band intensity were highest at 16 weeks. UGPase activity was highest at 21 weeks. We conclude that cytosolic production of ADP-glucose is not an exclusive feature of cereal endosperms due to plant breeding, but it also occurs in fruits of non-domesticated plants such as tropical banana (Musa acuminata). This work increases our understanding about pyrophosphorylase activities in the pulp of banana fruit.