Comparative effectiveness of ehealth self-management interventions for patients with heart failure: A Bayesian network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of electronic self-management support interventions in reducing all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, readmission rates, and HF-related readmission in heart failure patients. METHODS: Following the PRISMA-P guidelines and PRISMS taxonomy, we searched Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Embase for RCTs and trials of electronic health technologies for heart failure interventions. Develop support programs in advance for education, monitoring, reminders, or a combination of these to screen and categorize studies. The Cochrane ROB2 tool was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: The monitoring interventions may improve all-cause mortality (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.93) and cardiovascular mortality (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.93) compared to usual care. Reminder interventions were associated with significantly reducing readmission rates (OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.94). Mixed interventions were most effective in reducing HF-related readmission rates (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.99). CONCLUSION: Electronic self-management interventions, particularly monitoring and reminders, can potentially improve outcomes of heart failure patients, including reducing all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and readmission rates. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The eHealth model and the combination of self-management are significant for long-term intervention in patients with HF to improve their quality of life and prognosis.

Improving sarcopenia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of whey protein supplementation with or without resistance training.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to comprehensively analyze the effects of whey protein (WP)-enriched supplement intake with or without resistance training (RT) in older patients, either from the community or hospital, who were diagnosed with sarcopenia according to the EWGSOP or AWGS criteria. METHODS: This meta-analysis study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023407885). We searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for RCTs up to June 1, 2023. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the pooled results. RESULTS: Ten RCT studies, including 1154 participants, were included and analyzed. The primary outcomes were the changes in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. In WP group versus (vs.) Isocaloric placebo (PLA)/Routine consultation (RC) group, WP significantly increased the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (SMD: 0.47, 95%CI: 0.23, 0.71), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (SMD: 0.28, 95%CI: 0.11, 0.45) and gait speed (SMD: 1.13, 95%CI: 0.82, 1.44) in older patients with sarcopenia. In WP with RT group vs. PLA/ RC group, there was significant increase in handgrip strength (SMD: 0.67, 95%CI: 0.29, 1.04). In addition, in the secondary outcomes, WP significantly reduced interleukin-6, significantly increased insulin-like growth factor-1 and albumin, promoted participants' intake of total energy and protein, enhanced activities of daily living scores in patients, and had no significant effect on BMI, weight, or fat mass. CONCLUSION: This review confirms that WP can improve various aspects of older adult with sarcopenia, thereby enhancing their overall physical condition. More studies should be conducted to validate this result and further explore the effects of WP and RT in patients with sarcopenia.

[Effects of Organic Fertilizer of Kitchen Waste on Soil Microbial Activity and Function].

Changes in soil microbial activity and ecological function can be used to assess the level of soil fertility and the stability of ecosystems. To assess the fertility and safety of organic fertilizer of kitchen waste (OFK), soils containing 0% (CK), 1%, 3%, and 5% OFK were cultured, and the physical, chemical, and microbial properties of the soils were measured dynamically with routine agrochemical analysis measures and amplicon sequencing. The results showed that compared with those in CK, the contents of organic matter, available phosphorus, available potassium, NH4+-N, and NO3--N in soils with OFK increased by 23.80%-35.13%, 13.29%-29.72%, 16.91%-39.37%, 164.7%-340.2%, and 28.56%-32.71%, respectively. The activities of hydrolases related to the cycle of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (α-glucosidase, leucine aminopeptidase, acid phosphatase, etc.) were also significantly higher than those of the CK treatment. OFK stimulated the growth of soil microorganisms and increased the carbon content of the microbial biomass. The amplicon sequencing analysis found that the microbial community structures of different treatments were significantly different at both the class and genus levels. In addition, it was found that the abundance of beneficial microbes in the soils with OFK increased, whereas pathogenic microbes decreased. RDA results confirmed that soil properties (including soil pH, organic matter, available nutrients, and microbial biomass) had a significant impact on microbial community structure. The results of investing bacterial community based on PICRUSt and FAPROTAX revealed that the function of the soil bacterial community was similar in the four treatments, but OFK supply significantly improved the microbial carbon utilization and metabolic ability. Moreover, by using the FUNGuild software, we found that the application of OFK increased the proportion of saprotroph-symbiotroph and symbiotroph and stimulated the growth of ectomycorrhizal fungi-undefined saprophytic fungi but inhibited plant and animal pathogenic fungi in soil. These results implied that OFK could promote the establishment of symbiotic relationships and inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungi. In summary, OFK could improve soil fertility and hydrolase activity, stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms, and defend against pathogens, indicating a promising use as safe and efficient organic fertilizer.

A state-of-the-art review of functional magnetic resonance imaging technique integrated with advanced statistical modeling and machine learning for primary headache diagnosis.

Primary headache is a very common and burdensome functional headache worldwide, which can be classified as migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC), and other primary headaches. Managing and treating these different categories require distinct approaches, and accurate diagnosis is crucial. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a research hotspot to explore primary headache. By examining the interrelationships between activated brain regions and improving temporal and spatial resolution, fMRI can distinguish between primary headaches and their subtypes. Currently the most commonly used is the cortical brain mapping technique, which is based on blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI). This review sheds light on the state-of-the-art advancements in data analysis based on fMRI technology for primary headaches along with their subtypes. It encompasses not only the conventional analysis methodologies employed to unravel pathophysiological mechanisms, but also deep-learning approaches that integrate these techniques with advanced statistical modeling and machine learning. The aim is to highlight cutting-edge fMRI technologies and provide new insights into the diagnosis of primary headaches.

Clinical Impact of Androgen Receptor-Suppressing miR-146b Expression in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Aggressiveness.

CONTEXT: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid malignancy. Dysregulated expression of miR-146b and androgen receptor (AR) has been shown to play critical roles in tumorigenesis in PTC. However, the mechanistic and clinical association between AR and miR-146b is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to investigate miR-146b as the potential AR target miRNA and its involvement in advanced tumor characteristics of PTC. METHODS: Expression of AR and miR-146b were assessed in frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from PTC and adjacent normal thyroid specimens by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and their correlation was examined. Human thyroid cancer cell lines BCPAP and TPC-1 were used to evaluate the effect of AR on miR-146b signaling. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed to determine whether AR binds to the miR-146b promoter region. RESULTS: Pearson correlation analysis confirmed significant inverse correlation between miR-146b and AR expression. Overexpressing AR BCPAP and TPC-1 cells showed relatively lower miR-146b expression. ChIP assay revealed that AR might bind to the androgen receptor element located on the promoter region of miRNA-146b gene, and overexpression of AR suppresses miR-146b-mediated tumor aggressiveness. The low AR/high miR-146b PTC patient group was associated with advanced tumor characteristics, including higher tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, and worse treatment response. CONCLUSION: To sum up, miR-146b is a molecular target of AR transcriptional repression; therefore, AR suppresses miR-146b expression to reduce PTC tumor aggressiveness.

[Latest Findings on NOD-Like Receptor Family Pyrin Domain Containing Protein 3 Inflammasome and Bone and Articular Diseases].

Inflammasomes are important components of the innate immune system. They are assembled by cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptors and play a critical role in the pathogenesis and progression of various inflammatory diseases through regulating the release and activation of inflammatory cytokines and inducing cell prytosis. NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been widely studied and has been shown to be closely associated with cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. Bone and joint diseases, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis show high prevalence worldwide and can cause bone and cartilage damage, pain, and dysfunction, adversely affecting the patients' quality of life. The reported findings of some studies indicate that the pathogenesis of various bone and articular diseases is associated with NLRP3 inflammasome. Small molecule antagonists targeting NLRP3 inflammasome have shown considerable therapeutic potentials, but their clinical application still needs further exploration. Herein, we reviewed the composition and function of NLRP3 inflammasome and its association with bone and articular diseases.

Untargeted lipidomic analysis and network pharmacology for parthenolide treated papillary thyroid carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: With fast rising incidence, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common head and neck cancer. Parthenolide, isolated from traditional Chinese medicine, inhibits various cancer cells, including PTC cells. The aim was to investigate the lipid profile and lipid changes of PTC cells when treated with parthenolide. METHODS: Comprehensive lipidomic analysis of parthenolide treated PTC cells was conducted using a UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS platform, and the changed lipid profile and specific altered lipid species were explored. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were performed to show the associations among parthenolide, changed lipid species, and potential target genes. RESULTS: With high stability and reproducibility, a total of 34 lipid classes and 1736 lipid species were identified. Lipid class analysis indicated that parthenolide treated PTC cells contained higher levels of fatty acid (FA), cholesterol ester (ChE), simple glc series 3 (CerG3) and lysophosphatidylglycerol (LPG), lower levels of zymosterol (ZyE) and Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) than controlled ones, but with no significant differences. Several specific lipid species were changed significantly in PTC cells treated by parthenolide, including the increasing of phosphatidylcholine (PC) (12:0e/16:0), PC (18:0/20:4), CerG3 (d18:1/24:1), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) (18:0), phosphatidylinositol (PI) (19:0/20:4), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) (28:0), ChE (22:6), and the decreasing of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (16:1/17:0), PC (34:1) and PC (16:0p/18:0). Four key targets (PLA2G4A, LCAT, LRAT, and PLA2G2A) were discovered when combining network pharmacology and lipidomics. Among them, PLA2G2A and PLA2G4A were able to bind with parthenolide confirmed by molecular docking. CONCLUSIONS: The changed lipid profile and several significantly altered lipid species of parthenolide treated PTC cells were observed. These altered lipid species, such as PC (34:1), and PC (16:0p/18:0), may be involved in the antitumor mechanisms of parthenolide. PLA2G2A and PLA2G4A may play key roles when parthenolide treated PTC cells.

High precision tracking analysis of cell position and motion fields using 3D U-net network models.

Cells are the basic units of biological organization, and the quantitative analysis of cellular states is an important topic in medicine and is valuable in revealing the complex mechanisms of microscopic world organisms. In order to better understand cell cycle changes as well as drug actions, we need to track cell migration and division. In this paper, we propose a novel engineering model for tracking cells using cell position and motion fields (CPMF). The training sample does not need to be manually annotated, and we modify and edit it against the ground truth using auxiliary tools. The core idea of the project is to combine detection and correlation, and the cell sequence samples are trained by a U-Net network model composed of 3D CNNs, which can track the migration, division, and entry and exit of cells in the field of view with high accuracy in all directions. The average detection accuracy of the cell coordinates is 98.38% and the average tracking accuracy is 98.70%.

Prognostic and clinicopathologic significance of PLIN2 in cancers: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

The relationship between PLIN2 expression and prognosis, and clinicopathological significance of various cancers has been extensively studied, but the results are not completely consistent. This review followed the guidelines for systematic reviews of prognostic factors studies and was reported under the Preferred Reporting Program for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Academia for relevant articles up to September 2, 2022, and calculated the pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) to determine the association between PLIN2 expression and the prognosis of various cancers. The meta-analysis ultimately included 17 studies. The quality of all included cohort studies was evaluated using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool, and an adaptation of Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method was used to assess the certainty of the results. High expression of PLIN2 was associated with poorer overall survival (HR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.14, 2.38; P = 0.008), metastasis-free survival (HR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.94; P = 0.005), progression-free survival (HR = 2.11; 95% CI = 1.55, 2.87; P < 0.0005) and recurrence-free survival/relapse-free survival (HR = 2.21; 95% CI = 1.64, 2.98; P < 0.0005) in cancers. The clinicopathological parameters of digestive system malignancies suggested that high expression of PLIN2 was notably associated with distant metastasis ( + ) (odds ratio (OR) = 3.37; 95% CI = 1.31, 8.67; P = 0.012), lymph node metastasis ( + ) (OR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.01, 2.54; P = 0.004), and tumor stage (III-IV) (OR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.24, 3.09; P = 0.006). In summary, overexpression of PLIN2 is significantly associated with a poor prognosis in various human cancers, especially in respiratory and digestive malignancies. Thus, PLIN2 expression may be a potential prognostic biomarker in cancer patients.

Analysis of phellinus igniarius effects on gastric cancer cells by atomic force microscopy.

Gastric cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in the world, which originates from the gene mutation of human cells. In this work, an atomic force microscope was used to quantitatively detect the changes of multiple physical parameters such as the cell morphology, surface roughness, elasticity modulus and adhesion force before and after Phellinus linteus stimulation. The experimental results show that Phellinus linteus can change the shape of gastric cancer cells (SGC-7901) from flat to spherical, and increase their height and surface roughness values. The adhesion force of cells is reduced and the elasticity modulus is increased. But there are no significant differences in the morphology and mechanical properties of gastric epithelial cells (GES-1). The results indicate that Phellinus linteus has a high anticancer effect on the gastric cancer cells, but has less toxic side effects on the gastric epithelial cells. This work proves that Phellinus linteus can be used as a preferred anticancer drug for the treatment of gastric cancer cells.

Insights Into the Role of Platelet-Derived Growth Factors: Implications for Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis and Treatment.

Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, commonly occurs in the elderly population, causing a significant medical and economic burden to the aging society worldwide. At present, there are few effective methods that achieve satisfactory clinical results in the treatment of PD. Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs) are important neurotrophic factors that are expressed in various cell types. Their unique structures allow for specific binding that can effectively regulate vital functions in the nervous system. In this review, we summarized the possible mechanisms by which PDGFs/PDGFRs regulate the occurrence and development of PD by affecting oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, protein folding and aggregation, Ca2+ homeostasis, and cell neuroinflammation. These modes of action mainly depend on the type and distribution of PDGFs in different nerve cells. We also summarized the possible clinical applications and prospects for PDGF in the treatment of PD, especially in genetic treatment. Recent advances have shown that PDGFs have contradictory roles within the central nervous system (CNS). Although they exert neuroprotective effects through multiple pathways, they are also associated with the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Our recommendations based on our findings include further investigation of the contradictory neurotrophic and neurotoxic effects of the PDGFs acting on the CNS.

Association of Peripheral Blood Cell Profile With Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Inflammation and immune dysfunction play significant roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related dementia. Changes in peripheral blood cell profiles are a common manifestation of inflammation and immune dysfunction and have been reported in patients with AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We systematically evaluated the association of peripheral blood cell counts and indices with AD or MCI through a meta-analysis. Methods: We electronically searched sources to identify all case-control trials comparing peripheral blood cell counts and/or lymphocyte subsets between patients with AD or MCI and healthy controls (HCs). Meta-analyses were used to estimate the between-group standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: A total of 36 studies involving 2,339 AD patients, 608 MCI patients, and 8,352 HCs were included. AD patients had significantly decreased lymphocyte counts (SMD -0.345, 95% CI [-0.545, -0.146], P = 0.001) and significantly increased leukocyte counts (0.140 [0.039, 0.241], P = 0.006), neutrophil counts (0.309 [0.185, 0.434], P = 0.01), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (0.644 [0.310, 0.978], P < 0.001) compared to HCs. Similarly, significantly increased leukocyte counts (0.392 [0.206, 0.579], P < 0.001), NLR (0.579 [0.310, 0.847], P < 0.001), and neutrophil counts (0.248 [0.121, 0.376], P < 0.001) were found in MCI patients compared with HCs. A significantly decreased percentage of B lymphocytes (-1.511 [-2.775, -0.248], P = 0.019) and CD8+ T cells (-0.760 [-1.460, -0.061], P = 0.033) and a significantly increased CD4/CD8 ratio (0.615 [0.074, 1.156], P = 0.026) were observed in AD patients compared to HCs. Furthermore, significant changes in hemoglobin level and platelet distribution width were found in patients with AD or MCI compared with HCs. However, no significant difference was found between AD or MCI patients and HCs in terms of platelet counts, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, and CD4+ T, CD3+ T, or natural killer cell counts. Conclusion: Changes in peripheral blood cell profiles, particularly involving leukocyte, lymphocyte, neutrophil, and CD8+ T cell counts, as well as the NLR and the CD4/CD8 ratio, are closely associated with AD. The diagnostic relevance of these profiles should be investigated in future.

Parthenolide leads to proteomic differences in thyroid cancer cells and promotes apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Parthenolide has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-cancer activities. But its effect on thyroid cancer cells is still largely unknown. METHODS: Label-free quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analysis were used to investigate the differentially expressed proteins and their functions in thyroid cancer treated with parthenolide and control pair. Hoechst 33258 fluorescent staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining flow cytometry were used to detected BCPAP cells apoptosis. Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and quantitative real-time PCR were used to verify the expression of apoptosis-related differential proteins and their mRNA. RESULTS: Sixty up-regulated and 96 down-regulated differentially expressed proteins were identified in parthenolide treated thyroid cancer cells BCPAP compared with control thyroid cancer cells. The proteins were mainly relevant to various biological processes that included metabolic processes, response to extracellular stimulus and interaction with host. The molecular functions of most differentially expressed proteins were associated with binding functions and nucleotidyltransferase activity. According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, the differentially expressed proteins identified are primarily related to various types of metabolic pathways and DNA replication. In cell experiments in vitro, with the increase of the dose of parthenolide, the number of cells gradually decreased, the apoptosis rate gradually increased. PRM verified that the apoptosis-related proteins HMOX1 and GCLM were up-regulated and IL1B was down-regulated in BCPAP cells treated with parthenolide. The mRNA expressions of HMOX1, GCLM, ITGA6 and CASP8 were up-regulated and HSPA1A was down-regulated by PCR. CONCLUSIONS: Parthenolide may influence the biological behavior of human thyroid cancer cells by affecting the expression of proteins related to cell metabolism and DNA replication. Parthenolide induced significant cellular morphological changes and apoptosis in human thyroid cancer cells, leading to an anti-proliferative effect.

Expression profiles of tRNA-derived fragments and their potential roles in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and transfer RNA halves (tiRNAs) have been shown to play crucial roles in gene regulation. This study aims to reveal the expression profiles of tRFs and tiRNAs and their possible biological roles in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: Five paired clinical lung adenocarcinoma tissues (LAT) and adjacent normal lung tissues (ANLT) were selected to analyze the expression of tRFs and tiRNAs. Six significantly expressed tRFs and tiRNAs were selected and validated by Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed. Results: The sequencing results showed that 109 tRFs and tiRNAs were differentially expressed between LAT and ANLT, out of which 60 were upregulated and 49 were downregulated. Compared with ANLT, lower expression levels of 3 tRF-1s (tRF-Ser-TGA-010, tRF-Arg-CCT-018, and tRF-Val-CAC-017) in LAT were verified by qPCR. Subsequently, the putative target genes of tRF-1s were analyzed by computational prediction and the top 10 significant results of GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were presented. Conclusions: This study has revealed the landscape of tRF and tiRNA expression profiles in LUAD. Three newly found differentially expressed downregulated tRF-1s may be involved in the pathogenesis of LUAD and may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers, or otherwise reconcile target genes for drug development.

Decreased Expression of Estrogen Receptors Is Associated with Tumorigenesis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC), which is derived from thyroid follicular cells, is the most commonly differentiated thyroid cancer with sex disparity. However, the role of estrogen receptors (ERs) in the pathogenesis of PTC remains unclear. The present study aimed to determine the association of ER mRNA expression levels with clinicopathologic features in PTC. To that aim, the mRNA levels of ESR1 (ERα66), ESR1 (ERα36), ESR2, and G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) in snap-frozen tissue samples from PTCs and adjacent normal thyroid tissues were determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the correlation between ER mRNA expression levels and clinicopathologic features was analyzed. The expression of ERα66, ERα36, ERß, and GPER1 was lower in PTC specimens than in adjacent normal thyroid tissues. Moreover, low GPER1 expression was associated with extrathyroidal extension. There was no obvious difference in expression of ERs between PTC specimens from male and female patients. In conclusion, our findings highlight the importance of ERs in PTC tumorigenesis.

Structure, antioxidant property and protection on PC12 of a polysaccharide isolated and screened from Abelmoschus esculentus L.Moench (okra).

AeP-P-2, a pectic polysaccharide, was extracted from the fruit pod of okra. It composed of rhamnose (Rha), arabinose (Ara), glucose (Glc), galactose (Gal) and galacturonic acid (GalA) with the ratio of 4.75:2.01:1.00:4.91:7.24. The main structural feature of AeP-P-2 are 1,4-linked galacturonan units (homogalacturonan backbone) and (1 → 2) and (1 → 2,4) linked Rha (rhamnogalacturonan I region). And the other side chains contained →1)-linked Ara, (1 → 5)-linked Ara, (1 → 4)-linked Glc, (1 → 6)-linked Gal, (1 → 4)-linked Rha, (1 → 2,4)-linked Rha, →1)-linked Ara and →1)-linked Gal. When the concentration of AeP-P-2 was 3.2 mg/mL, the scavenging rates on DPPH·, ABTS, O2-· and ·OH reached to 61.88%, 87.10%, 52.17% and 60.32%, respectively. AeP-P-2 also could protect PC12 cells from the damage of H2O2 and reduce apoptosis caused by oxidative damage by decreasing the level of ROS. The findings indicated that okra was a functional vegetable and AeP-P-2 was worth studying and developing into antioxidant component.

The Therapeutic Intervention of Sex Steroid Hormones for Sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia, characterized by the excessive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function, is associated with the overall poor muscle performance status of the elderly, and occurs more frequently in those with chronic diseases. The causes of sarcopenia are multifactorial due to the inherent relationship between muscles and molecular mechanisms, such as mitochondrial function, inflammatory pathways, and circulating hormones. Age-related changes in sex steroid hormone concentrations, including testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and their precursors and derivatives, are an important aspect of the pathogenesis of sarcopenia. In this review, we provide an understanding of the treatment of sarcopenia through the regulation of sex steroid hormones. The potential benefits and future research emphasis of each sex steroid hormone therapeutic intervention (testosterone, SARMs, estrogen, SERMs, DHEA, and progesterone) for sarcopenia are discussed. Enhanced understanding of the role of sex steroid hormones in the treatment for sarcopenia could lead to the development of hormone therapeutic approaches in combination with specific exercise and nutrition regimens.

Aberrant Expression of Androgen Receptor Associated with High Cancer Risk and Extrathyroidal Extension in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Male gender is a risk factor for mortality in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). This study investigated the impact of androgen receptor (AR) gene expression on the clinical features and progression of PTC. The levels of AR mRNA and protein in frozen, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from PTC and adjacent normal thyroid tissue were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining, respectively, and the relationships between AR expression and clinical features were analyzed. The thyroid cancer cell lines, BCPAP and TPC-1, were used to evaluate the effects of AR on the regulation of cell migration, and key epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. AR mRNA expression was significantly higher in normal thyroid tissue from men than women. The sex difference in AR mRNA expression diminished during PTC tumorigenesis, as AR mRNA expression levels were lower in PTC than normal thyroid tissues from both men and women. AR mRNA expression was significantly decreased in PTC patients with higher risk and in those with extrathyroidal extension. Overexpression of AR in BCPAP cells decreased cell migration and repressed the EMT process by down-regulating mRNA expression of N-cadherin, Snail1, Snail2, Vimentin, and TWIST1 and up-regulating E-cadherin gene expression. These results suggest that suppression of the androgen-AR axis may lead to aggressive tumor behavior in patients with PTC.

Cucurbitacin B inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis via STAT3 pathway inhibition in A549 lung cancer cells.

Natural products are a great source of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. The present study was conducted to investigate whether cucurbitacin B (CuB), one of the most potent and widely used cucurbitacins, inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in the A549 lung cancer cell line. Furthermore, CuB induced apoptosis of A549 cells in a -concentration-dependent manner, as determined by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy. The present study also demonstrated that CuB dose-dependently inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation, with cell cycle inhibition and cyclin B1 downregulation. Apoptosis induced by CuB was shown to be associated with cytochrome c release, B-cell lymphoma 2 downregulation and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway inhibition. CuB may prove to be a useful approach for the chemotherapy of lung cancer.