Effects of a combination of resveratrol and alpha-lipoic acid on body weight and adipose composition in women with PCOS: a preliminary pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with reproductive and metabolic dysfunction; in fact, treatment aims in PCOS focus on optimizing healthy weight, improving underlying hormonal disturbances, preventing future reproductive and metabolic complications, and improving quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This pilot study considered 8 overweight females (BMI > 30) in reproductive age with PCOS. Patients were treated with a galenical preparation mixture containing resveratrol and alpha-lipoic acid in association with vitamin D, B and folic acid for 12 weeks, after which anthropometric assessment was conducted. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of treatment, BMI, anthropometry and bioimpedance parameters were all reduced in the treated patients compared to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The present nutraceutical combination resulted beneficial for improving the metabolic profile of women with PCOS, paving the way for new nutraceutical strategies for the management of metabolic disturbances in PCOS.

The matrix-dependent 3D spheroid model of the migration of non-small cell lung cancer: a step towards a rapid automated screening.

In vitro 3D cell culture systems utilizing multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) are widely used in translational oncology, including for studying cell migration and in personalized therapy. However, early stages of cellular migration from MCTS and cross-talk between spheroids are overlooked, which was addressed in the current study. Here, we investigated cell migration from MCTS derived from human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line A549 cultured on different substrates, collagen gel or plastic, at different time points. We found that migration starts at 4-16 h time points after the seeding and its speed is substrate-dependent. We also demonstrated that co-culture of two NSCLC-derived MCTS on collagen gel, but not on plastic, facilitates cell migration compared with single MTCS. This finding should be considered when designing MCTS-based functional assays for personalized therapeutic approach and drug screenings. Overall, our work characterizes the in vitro 3D cell culture model resembling NSCLC cell migration from the clusters of CTCs into surgical wound, and describes microscopy-based tools and approaches for image data analysis with a potential for further automation. These tools and approaches also might be used to predict patterns of CTCs migration based on ex vivo analysis of patient biopsy in a 3D culture system.

Can trans resveratrol plus d-chiro-inositol and myo-inositol improve maternal metabolic profile in overweight pregnant patients?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of trans-resveratrol from Polygonum cuspidatum/magnesium hydroxide complex, trademark Revifast®, plus D-chiro-inositol (DCI) and Myo-inositol (MI) during spontaneous pregnancies in overweight patients in a pilot study. STUDY DESIGN: A one-year, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled single center clinical study was carried out on overweight pregnant women. 110 patients were randomized in 3 groups to receive: Revifast® with DCI/MI (group I), DCI/MI alone (group II) or control group (group III) for 30 and 60 days. The main outcomes were to explore the lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, TG) and glucose levels, after 30 and 60 days of therapy. RESULTS: No difference in systolic and diastolic parameters among 3 groups during study. All blood chemistry parameters improved compared to placebo at 30 days already, but significantly to 60 days, respect placebo. By comparing the two treatment groups, group I demonstrates significantly improved lipid and glucose parameters than group II, which are at 30 to 60 days of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The supplementation of Trans-resveratrol, Revifast® in addition to DCI/MI in overweight pregnant woman with an elevated fasting glucose improves glucose levels, Total Cholesterol, LDL and TG.

Myo-inositol, D-chiro-inositol, folic acid and manganese in second trimester of pregnancy: a preliminary investigation.

DESIGN AND PURPOSE: The supplemental administration of myo-inositol, D-chiro-inositol, folic acid and manganese (MDFM) was tested in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial, pilot study, to test the hypothesis that its supplemental administration in the second trimester of pregnancy would improve glucose and glycemic parameters and blood pressure. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Non-obese uniparous healthy pregnant women between 13th and 24th week of pregnancy were divided into two groups: group I, control group with placebo, and the group II, women in treatment with myo-inositol, D-chiro-inositol, folic acid and manganese. The main outcome measures were the comparative analysis of the parameters analyzed at time 0, after 30 days and 60 days; secondary outcome measure was the overall analysis of investigated parameters. RESULTS: 24 women were allocated to receive MDFM and 24 the placebo. The two groups did not significantly differ for demographic, lipidic and glycemic parameter and blood pressure. After 30 days, significantly lower cholesterol (p = 0.0001), significantly lower LDL (p = 0.0013), lower TG (p < 0.0001) and lower glycemia (p = 0.0021) were observed all favoring group II. No significant difference was observed for HDL, diastolic and systolic blood pressure. After 60 days, significant difference was observed for cholesterol (p = 0.0001), LDL (p = 0.0001), HDL (p = 0.0001), TG (p = 0.0001), glycemia (p = 0.0064), all favoring the group treated with MDFM. No significant differences were observed for systolic (p = 0.12) and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.42). When examining for overall differences between the two groups, a significant difference was observed for examined parameters at time 0 and at time 60; cholesterol (p = 0.0001), LDL (p = 0.0001), HDL (p = 0.047), TG (p = 0.0001) and glycemia (p = 0.019) were reduced in the MDFM group. A significant reduction was also observed in group II for systolic blood pressure after 60 days of intervention (p = 0.0092), but not for diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: MDFM administration after 30 days in pregnancy improved glycemic and lipidic parameters, with significant gain after 60 days, without affecting diastolic blood pressure levels.

Occiput posterior position diagnosis: vaginal examination or intrapartum sonography? A clinical review.

The occiput posterior (OP) position is one of the most frequent malposition during labor. During the first stage of labor, the fetal head may stay in the OP position in 30% of the cases, but of these only 5-7% remains as such at time of delivery. The diagnosis of OP position in the second stage of labor is made difficult by the presence of the caput succedaneum or scalp hair, both of which may give some problem in the identification of fetal head sutures and fontanels and their location in relationship to maternal pelvic landmarks. The capability of diagnosing a fetus in OP position by digital examination has been extremely inaccurate, whereas an ultrasound approach, transabdominal, transperineal and transvaginal, has clearly shown its superior diagnostic accuracy. This is true not only for diagnosis of malpositions, detected in both first and second stage of labor, but also in cases of marked asynclitism.

Peritoneal mesothelial hypoxia during pneumoperitoneum is a cofactor in adhesion formation in a laparoscopic mouse model.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a laparoscopic mouse model to evaluate the hypothesis that mesothelial hypoxia during pneumoperitoneum is a cofactor in adhesion formation. DESIGN: Prospective randomized trials. SETTING: Academic research center. ANIMAL(S): One hundred thirty female Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice. INTERVENTION(S): Adhesions were induced by opposing monopolar lesions in uterine horns and pelvic side walls during laparoscopy and evaluated after 7 or 28 days under microscopic vision during laparotomy. The following pneumoperitoneum variables were assessed: duration (10 or 60 minutes), insufflation pressure (5 or 15 cm of water), insufflation gas (CO(2) or helium), and addition of oxygen (0-12%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Adhesions were scored quantitatively and qualitatively for extent, type, and tenacity. RESULT(S): Scoring of adhesions 7 or 28 days after laparoscopic surgery was comparable. Adhesions increased with duration of pneumoperitoneum and with insufflation pressure and decreased with the addition of oxygen. Half-maximal reduction of adhesions was obtained at 1.5% oxygen, whereas a maximal reduction required only 2%-3%. The effect of CO(2) and helium was similar. CONCLUSION(S): These data demonstrate the feasibility of the intubated laparoscopic mouse model and confirm previous observations in rabbits, indicating that mesothelial hypoxia plays a key role in adhesion formation.

Coagulation and fibrinolysis in rats after surgery with monopolar electrical scalpel.

Blood coagulation, fibrinolysis in plasma and peritoneal fluid, and activity of tissue plasminogen activator in the peritoneum and uterine horns were studied in albino rats after surgery on the uterine horns with a monopolar electrical scalpel. This instrument induced severe inflammatory reaction and disturbances in the fibrinolysis and coagulation systems.

[Role of local fibrinolytic activity of the uterine horns in rats in the pathogenesis of formation of postoperative adhesions]. / Rol' lokal'noi fibrinoliticheskoi aktivnosti matochnykh rogov u krys v patogeneze formirovaniia posleoperatsionnykh spaek.

Experimental models were used to examine the impact of corrections of the uterine horns on the activity of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). The application of sutures was shown to suppress the activity of tPA in the uterine horns to a greater extent than other surgical techniques. With this, the use of catgut caused the highest suppression of tPA activity and increases in the frequency and density of formation of postoperative adhesions. Depleted tPA reserves and its higher inhibitor levels were found to lead to depressed fibrinolysis, which is a pathogenetic factor for developing an adhesive process.

[An experimental validation of hyaluronidase electrophoresis for the prevention of postoperative adhesions]. / Eksperimental'noe obosnovanie élektroforeza gialuronidazy dlia profilaktiki posleoperatsionnykh spaek.

The experiments on 50 animals were made to evaluate efficacy of electrophoresis of hyaluronidase (from actinohyal solution) against adhesions. Model abdominal adhesions in rats were exposed to hyaluronidase coming from anode and cathode for 20 min. There were altogether 10 daily procedures. The control animals received the solvent from the same poles or were not exposed to electrophoresis. The results demonstrate that hyaluronidase introduction from anode and cathode significantly decreases the occurrence and density of postoperative adhesions compared to controls.

[An alternative approach to the surgical correction of tubal infertility]. / Al'ternativnyi pokhod k khirurgicheskoi korrektsii trubnogo besplodiia.

The authors compare the efficacy of surgical treatment of tubal sterility using laparoscopy (133 cases) and microsurgical techniques (120 cases). The results were assessed with due consideration for the dissemination of adhesions (first-second and third-fourth degrees), status of the uterine tubes, and presence or absence of chlamydial infection. Surgical correction via an endoscopic access was found to be preferable in adhesions of the first-second degree, whereas in adhesions of the third-fourth degree surgical interventions are inadvisable.