The effect of Panax ginseng supplementation on markers of resistance exercise-induced muscle damage: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: According to the PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review of randomized controlled trials examined whether Panax ginseng supplementation reduces resistance to exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and Medline databases were searched from the 16th of December 2021 to the 18th of February 2022. Inclusion criteria were studies in humans consuming Panax ginseng that employed resistance training as the damaging muscle protocol and measured markers implicated in the etiology of EIMD (muscle damage, muscle function and muscle soreness). The PEDro risk of bias assessment tool was used to appraise the studies critically. RESULTS: Conflicting evidence was evident in markers of muscle damage, muscle function and muscle soreness. The quality assessment suggested that all studies had some level of bias. CONCLUSIONS: From 180, six studies were included in the systematic review. The main findings suggest that Panax ginseng does not attenuate markers of EIMD following resistance training. However, research is still preliminary. Adequately powered sample sizes and well-controlled studies are warranted to clarify Panax ginseng's efficacy.

Canine melanoma diagnosis: RACK1 as a potential biological marker.

Melanoma diagnosis in dogs can be challenging due to the variety of histological appearances of canine melanocytic neoplasms. Markers of malignancy are needed. Receptor for activated C-kinase 1 (RACK1) was found to characterize melanomas in other mammals. We investigated the value of RACK1 detection in the classification of 19 cutaneous and 5 mucosal melanocytic neoplasms in dogs. These tumors were categorized as melanocytomas or benign and melanomas or malignant after evaluation of their morphology, mitotic index, and Ki-67 growth fraction. Using immunofluorescence, we confirmed microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) as a marker of normal and transformed melanocytic cells in dog tissues. All control (n = 10) and tumoral (n = 24) samples stained positively for MITF (34/34, 100%). Whereas RACK1 was not detected in healthy skin melanocytes, melanocytic lesions were all positive for RACK1 signal (24/24, 100%). RACK1 cytoplasmic staining appeared with 2 distinct distribution patterns: strong, diffuse, and homogeneous or granular and heterogeneous. All melanoma samples (13/13, 100%) stained homogeneously for RACK1. All melanocytomas (11/11, 100%) stained heterogeneously for RACK1. Immunohistochemistry was less consistent than immunofluorescence for all labelings in melanocytic lesions, which were often very pigmented. Thus, the fluorescent RACK1-MITF labeling pattern helped to distinguish melanomas from melanocytomas. Furthermore, RACK1 labeling correlated with 2 of 11 morphological features linked to malignancy: cell and nuclear size. These results suggest that RACK1 may be used as a marker in dog melanomas.