scholarly journals Lychee Seed as a Potential Hypoglycemic Agent, and Exploration of its Underlying Mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuehong Zhang ◽  
De Jin ◽  
Xuedong An ◽  
Liyun Duan ◽  
Yingying Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetic Complications ◽  
Human Growth ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Diet Supplements ◽  
Concept Of Health ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Phytochemical Components ◽  
Related Compounds ◽  
Seed Extracts

Food is people’s primal want. A reasonable diet and healthy food not only provide nutrients for human growth but also contribute to disease prevention and treatment, while following an unhealthy diet can lead to an increased risk of many diseases, especially metabolic disorders, such as diabetes. Nature is enriched with different food sources, and it seems that purely natural products are more in line with the current concept of health, which enhance the formation of the notion that “Food/Diet Supplements from Natural Sources as a Medicine.” As a delicious fruit, the medicinal values such as anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidation, and antiglycating properties of lychee have been found. Lychee (Litchi in Chinese) is a subtropical fruit plant belonging to the family Sapindaceae. It has been widely cultivated in warm climates worldwide, particularly in China, for thousands of years. In recent years, various phytochemical components such as quercetin, procyanidin A2, and (2R)-naringenin-7-O-(3-O-αL-rhamnopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside) have been identified in a lychee seed, which may lend a lychee seed as a relatively safe and inexpensive adjuvant treatment for diabetes and diabetic complications. In fact, accumulating evidence has shown that lychee seed, lychee seed extracts, and related compounds have promising antihyperglycemic activities, including improving insulin resistance, anti-inflammatory effect, lipid regulation, neuroprotection, antineurotoxic effect, and renoprotection effect. In this review, we summarized publications on antiglycemic effects and mechanisms of lychee seed, lychee seed extracts, and related compounds, which included their efficacies as a cure for diabetes and diabetic complications in cells, animals, and humans, attempting to obtain a robust evidence basis for the clinical application and value of lychee seed.

Mechanisms underlying heart failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus

2019 ◽  
pp. 37-39
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Vascular Complications ◽  
Molecular Alterations ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Cardioprotective Effects ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Cardio Vascular

The prevalence of heart failure is markedly increased in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Numerous observational studies suggest that this increased risk for heart failure can be attributed to exacerbated vascular complications and the presence of increased risk factors in diabetic subjects. In addition, experimental studies revealed the presence of a number of distinct molecular alterations in the myocardium that occur independently of vascular disease and hypertension. Many of these molecular alterations are similarly observed in failing hearts of nondiabetic patients and have thus been proposed to contribute to the increased risk for heart failure in diabetes. The interest in understanding the underlying mechanisms of impaired cardio- vascular outcomes in diabetic individuals has much increased since the demonstration of cardioprotective effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists in recent clinical trials. The current review therefore summarizes the distinct mechanisms that have been proposed to increase the risk for heart failure in diabetes mellitus.

Could Antioxidant Supplementation Delay Progression of Cardiovascular Disease in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients?

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanos Roumeliotis ◽  
Athanasios Roumeliotis ◽  
Xenia Gorny ◽  
Peter R. Mertens
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Renal Disease ◽  
End Stage Renal Disease ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Endstage Renal Disease ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Stage Renal Disease ◽  
End Stage

In end-stage renal disease patients, the leading causes of mortality are of cardiovascular (CV) origin. The underlying mechanisms are complex, given that sudden heart failure is more common than acute myocardial infarction. A contributing role of oxidative stress is postulated, which is increased even at early stages of chronic kidney disease, is gradually augmented in parallel to progression to endstage renal disease and is further accelerated by renal replacement therapy. Oxidative stress ensues when there is an imbalance between reactive pro-oxidants and physiologically occurring electron donating antioxidant defence systems. During the last decade, a close association of oxidative stress with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased risk for CV and all-cause mortality has been established. Lipid peroxidation has been identified as a trigger for endothelial dysfunction, the first step towards atherogenesis. In order to counteract the deleterious effects of free radicals and thereby ameliorate, or delay, CV disease, exogenous administration of antioxidants has been proposed. Here, we attempt to summarize existing data from studies that test antioxidants for CV protection, such as vitamins E and C, statins, omega-3 fatty acids and N-acetylcysteine.

scholarly journals Genotoxicity and inflammatory potential of stainless steel welding fume particles: an in vitro study on standard vs Cr(VI)-reduced flux-cored wires and the role of released metals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah McCarrick ◽  
Valentin Romanovski ◽  
Zheng Wei ◽  
Elin M. Westin ◽  
Kjell-Arne Persson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Human Monocyte ◽  
Welding Fumes ◽  
Welding Fume ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Cored Wires

AbstractWelders are daily exposed to various levels of welding fumes containing several metals. This exposure can lead to an increased risk for different health effects which serves as a driving force to develop new methods that generate less toxic fumes. The aim of this study was to explore the role of released metals for welding particle-induced toxicity and to test the hypothesis that a reduction of Cr(VI) in welding fumes results in less toxicity by comparing the welding fume particles of optimized Cr(VI)-reduced flux-cored wires (FCWs) to standard FCWs. The welding particles were thoroughly characterized, and toxicity (cell viability, DNA damage and inflammation) was assessed following exposure to welding particles as well as their released metal fraction using cultured human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC-3kt, 5–100 µg/mL) and human monocyte-derived macrophages (THP-1, 10–50 µg/mL). The results showed that all Cr was released as Cr(VI) for welding particles generated using standard FCWs whereas only minor levels (< 3% of total Cr) were released from the newly developed FCWs. Furthermore, the new FCWs were considerably less cytotoxic and did not cause any DNA damage in the doses tested. For the standard FCWs, the Cr(VI) released in cell media seemed to explain a large part of the cytotoxicity and DNA damage. In contrast, all particles caused rather similar inflammatory effects suggesting different underlying mechanisms. Taken together, this study suggests a potential benefit of substituting standard FCWs with Cr(VI)-reduced wires to achieve less toxic welding fumes and thus reduced risks for welders.

scholarly journals Deep vein thrombosis after monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and multiple myeloma

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (9) ◽  
pp. 3582-3586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigurdur Y. Kristinsson ◽  
Thomas R. Fears ◽  
Gloria Gridley ◽  
Ingemar Turesson ◽  
Ulf-Henrik Mellqvist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Monoclonal Gammopathy ◽  
First Year ◽  
Small Hospital ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Crude Incidence ◽  
Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Undetermined Significance

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have an increased risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), particularly when treated with immunomodulatory drugs. Recently, 2 small hospital-based studies observed persons with the MM precursor condition, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), to be at increased risk of developing DVT. Among 4 196 197 veterans hospitalized at least once at US Veterans Affairs hospitals, we identified a total of 2374 cases of MGUS, and 39 272 persons were diagnosed with DVT (crude incidence 0.9 per 1000 person-years). A total of 31 and 151 DVTs occurred among MGUS and MM patients, respectively (crude incidence 3.1 and 8.7 per 1000 person-years, respectively; P < .01). Compared with the entire study population, the relative risk (RR) of DVT after a diagnosis of MGUS and MM was 3.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-4.7) and 9.2 (95% CI, 7.9-10.8), respectively. The most prominent excess risk of DVT was found during the first year after diagnosis of MGUS (RR = 8.4; 95% CI, 5.7-12.2) and MM (RR = 11.6; 95% CI, 9.2-14.5). Among 229 MGUS cases (9.5%) that progressed to MM, only one person had a DVT diagnosis before transformation. Our findings suggest the operation of shared underlying mechanisms causing coagulation abnormalities among patients with MGUS and MM.

scholarly journals Psychopathic Traits in Childhood: Insights from Parental Warmth and Fearless Temperament via Conscience Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 923
Author(s):  
Laura López-Romero ◽  
Olalla Cutrín ◽  
Lorena Maneiro ◽  
Beatriz Domínguez-Álvarez ◽  
Estrella Romero
Keyword(s):  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Parental Warmth ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Child Conduct Problems ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Early Parenting ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

The role of psychopathic traits in predicting more serious and persistent patterns of child conduct problems has been well documented. The jointly presence of interpersonal (grandiose–deceitful), affective (e.g., callous–unemotional), and behavioral psychopathic traits (impulsive–need of stimulation) identifies a group of children at increased risk of psychosocial maladjustment. The present study aims to disentangle the underlying mechanisms by examining how early parenting (i.e., warmth) and child temperament (i.e., fearlessness) predict later psychopathic traits, via conscience development (CD). Data were collected in a large sample of children (n = 2.266; 48.5% girls), aged 3 to 6 at the onset of the study (Mage = 4.25; SD = 0.91), who were followed up one and two years later. The results showed direct effects from fearlessness to interpersonal and behavioral psychopathic traits. Parental warmth, fearless temperament, and their interaction, predicted CD, which, in turn, showed a negative effect on psychopathic traits. The indirect effects indicated significant negative mediation effects of warmth through CD on psychopathic traits, which seem to be stronger when children present lower levels of fearlessness. Overall, these results contribute to better understand the development of child psychopathic traits and provide additional insight on effective strategies that will help to restrain the potential development of a high-risk profile in early childhood.

scholarly journals Study of the antiproliferative potential of seed extracts from Northeastern Brazilian plants

2011 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 1045-1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Michel P. Ferreira ◽  
Davi F. Farias ◽  
Martônio P. Viana ◽  
Terezinha M. Souza ◽  
Ilka M. Vasconcelos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Cancer ◽  
Ethanolic Extract ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Human Cancer Cells ◽  
Ic50 Value ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Apoptotic Pathways ◽  
Seed Extracts

This study assessed the antiproliferative and cytotoxic potential against tumor lines of ethanolic seed extracts of 21 plant species belonging to different families from Northeastern Brazil. In addition, some underlying mechanisms involved in this cytotoxicity were also investigated. Among the 21 extracts tested, the MTT assay after 72 h of incubation demonstrated that only the ethanolic extract obtained from Myracrodruon urundeuva seeds (EEMUS), which has steroids, alkaloids and phenols, showed in vitro cytotoxic activity against human cancer cells, being 2-fold more active on leukemia HL-60 line [IC50 value of 12.5 (9.5-16.7) μg/mL] than on glioblastoma SF-295 [IC50 of 25.1 (17.3-36.3) μg/mL] and Sarcoma 180 cells [IC50 of 38.1 (33.5-43.4) μg/mL]. After 72h exposure, flow cytometric and morphological analyses of HL-60-treated cells showed that EEMUS caused decrease in cell number, volume and viability as well as internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent way, suggesting that the EEMUS triggers apoptotic pathways of cell death.

scholarly journals Behavioral Factors Associated with Medication Nonadherence in Patients with Hypertension

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9614
Author(s):  
Shu-Mei Chang ◽  
I-Cheng Lu ◽  
Yi-Chun Chen ◽  
Chin-Feng Hsuan ◽  
Yin-Jin Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protective Factor ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Behavioral Factors ◽  
Medication Nonadherence ◽  
Hypertensive Patients ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Diet Supplements ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Medication Dose ◽  
Male Sex

Medication nonadherence is associated with an increased risk of complications in hypertensive patients. We investigated behavioral factors associated with medication nonadherence in hypertensive patients in southern Taiwan. Using questionnaires, we collected data regarding clinicodemographic characteristics and nonadherence behaviors from 238 hypertensive patients. We assessed the self-reported prevalence of specific behaviors of medication nonadherence and investigated factors associated with each behavior using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The most common behavior of medication nonadherence was forgetting to take medication (28.6%), followed by discontinuing medication (9.2%) and reducing the medication dose (8.8%). Age ≥ 65 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.15–0.69) and male sex (aOR = 2.61, CI = 1.31–5.19) were associated with forgetting to take medication. The presence of comorbidities (diabetes, kidney disease, or both) and insomnia (aOR = 3.97, 95% CI = 1.30–12.1) was associated with reducing the medication dose. The use of diet supplements was associated with discontinuing the medication (aOR = 4.82, 95% CI = 1.50–15.5). Compliance with a low oil/sugar/sodium diet was a protective factor against discontinuing medication (aOR = 0.14; 95% CI = 0.03–0.75). The most pervasive behavior associated with medication nonadherence among hypertensive patients was forgetting to take medication. Age <65 years, male sex, comorbidities, insomnia, noncompliance with diet, and the use of dietary supplements were specifically associated with medication nonadherence.

scholarly journals Alpha-1 blocker use increased risk of subsequent renal cell carcinoma: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242429
Author(s):  
Shian-Ying Sung ◽  
Trang Thi Huynh Le ◽  
Jin- Hua Chen ◽  
Teng-Fu Hsieh ◽  
Chia-Ling Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Research Database ◽  
Antihypertensive Medications ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Elevated Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk has been associated with the use of several antihypertensive medications but has not yet been elucidated in the populations prescribed alpha-1 blockers that are commonly used in the treatment of hypertension and lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS-BPH). The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between alpha-1 blocker use and the risk of developing RCC using a nationwide population-based database in Taiwan. Patients who were treated with alpha-1 blockers for at least 28 days were identified through the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2010. The unexposed participants were matched with the exposed cases according to age, sex, and index year at a ratio of 3:1. Cox proportional hazards regression, stratified by sex and comorbidities and adjusted for age, was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of subsequent RCC. Among 2,232,092 subjects, patients who received alpha-1 blocker treatment had a higher risk of RCC than the unexposed group. Taking into account hypertension and BPH, the adjusted HR was significantly higher in male alpha-1 blocker users who had no BPH and either the presence (HR: 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22–2.18) or absence (HR: 2.31, 95% CI = 1.40–3.81) of hypertension than in men not receiving these drugs. Taken together, male alpha-1 blocker users who had no comorbidity of BPH exhibited an increased risk for developing RCC independent of hypertension. Further study is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this association.

Abstract P343: Sex Differences in Cardiovascular/Cerebrovascular Mortality Risk Associated With Chronic Insomnia

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Fernandez-Mendoza ◽  
Fan He ◽  
Alexandros N Vgontzas ◽  
Duanping Liao ◽  
Edward O Bixler
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Chronic Insomnia ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Sleep Difficulty ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Sleep Difficulties

Introduction: It remains unknown whether individuals with chronic insomnia are at increased risk of mortality, particularly cardiovascular or cerebrovascular (CVD/CBV) mortality. Given the higher prevalence of insomnia in women than in men, it is unknown whether its prognosis in terms of mortality is also different across sexes. Hypothesis: The risk of CVD/CBV mortality associated with chronic insomnia is significantly higher than in non-complaining individuals and this risk is modified by sex. Methods: We addressed this question in the Penn State Adult Cohort, a random, general population sample of 1,741 men and women (48.7 ± 13.5 years) who were studied in the sleep laboratory and followed-up for their cause of death up to 15 years. Sleep difficulty was assessed based on three levels of severity: chronic insomnia (i.e., a complaint of chronic sleep difficulties lasting at least 1 year), poor sleep (i.e., moderate-to-severe sleep difficulties at any given time) and none (i.e., absence of either of the two categories). Cox regression models controlled for potential confounders, including age, race, body mass index, years of education, smoking, sleep disordered breathing, alcohol use, mental health problems, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other physical health problems. Results: Poor sleep and chronic insomnia were significantly more prevalent in females (26.7% and 10.7%, respectively) than males (17.6% and 4.1%, respectively). A significant interaction (p = 0.04) showed that the risk of CVD/CBV mortality associated with chronic insomnia was modified by male sex, while poor sleep was not significantly associated with increased risk of CVD/CBV mortality in either males or females. Chronic insomnia was associated with a 2.9-fold (95%CI=1.53-5.61) increased risk of CVD/CBV mortality in males even after adjusting for all confounders, while this risk was not significantly elevated in females (HR=1.13, 95%CI=0.56-2.31). Conclusions: Chronic insomnia is associated with increased risk of CVD/CBV mortality in males, while it has a better prognosis in females despite its higher prevalence. These data suggest potential sex-related vulnerabilities in the underlying mechanisms linking chronic insomnia with CVD/CBV morbidity and mortality.

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