scholarly journals The Role of Tocotrienol in Preventing Male Osteoporosis—A Review of Current Evidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kok-Yong Chin ◽  
Soelaiman Ima-Nirwana
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Calcium Content ◽  
Osteoporosis Treatment ◽  
Male Osteoporosis ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Osteoporosis Prevention ◽  
Food Component ◽  
Skeletal Effects

Male osteoporosis is a significant but undetermined healthcare problem. Men suffer from a higher mortality rate post-fracture than women and they are marginalized in osteoporosis treatment. The current prophylactic agents for osteoporosis are limited. Functional food components such as tocotrienol may be an alternative option for osteoporosis prevention in men. This paper aims to review the current evidence regarding the skeletal effects of tocotrienol in animal models of male osteoporosis and its potential antiosteoporotic mechanism. The efficacy of tocotrienol of various sources (single isoform, palm and annatto vitamin E mixture) had been tested in animal models of bone loss induced by testosterone deficiency (orchidectomy and buserelin), metabolic syndrome, nicotine, alcoholism, and glucocorticoid. The treated animals showed improvements ranging from bone microstructural indices, histomorphometric indices, calcium content, and mechanical strength. The bone-sparing effects of tocotrienol may be exerted through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and mevalonate-suppressive pathways. However, information pertaining to its mechanism of actions is superficial and warrants further studies. As a conclusion, tocotrienol could serve as a functional food component to prevent male osteoporosis, but its application requires validation from a clinical trial in men.

scholarly journals The Role of the JC Virus in Central Nervous System Tumorigenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 6236
Author(s):  
Nicholas Ahye ◽  
Anna Bellizzi ◽  
Dana May ◽  
Hassen S. Wollebo
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Jc Virus ◽  
Tumor Formation ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Merkel Cell

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide. The study of DNA tumor-inducing viruses and their oncoproteins as a causative agent in cancer initiation and tumor progression has greatly enhanced our understanding of cancer cell biology. The initiation of oncogenesis is a complex process. Specific gene mutations cause functional changes in the cell that ultimately result in the inability to regulate cell differentiation and proliferation effectively. The human neurotropic Polyomavirus JC (JCV) belongs to the family Polyomaviridae and it is the causative agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), which is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in an immunosuppressed state. Sero-epidemiological studies have indicated JCV infection is prevalent in the population (85%) and that initial infection usually occurs during childhood. The JC virus has small circular, double-stranded DNA that includes coding sequences for viral early and late proteins. Persistence of the virus in the brain and other tissues, as well as its potential to transform cells, has made it a subject of study for its role in brain tumor development. Earlier observation of malignant astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in PML, as well as glioblastoma formation in non-human primates inoculated with JCV, led to the hypothesis that JCV plays a role in central nervous system (CNS) tumorigenesis. Some studies have reported the presence of both JC viral DNA and its proteins in several primary brain tumor specimens. The discovery of new Polyomaviruses such as the Merkel cell Polyomavirus, which is associated with Merkel cell carcinomas in humans, ignited our interest in the role of the JC virus in CNS tumors. The current evidence known about JCV and its effects, which are sufficient to produce tumors in animal models, suggest it can be a causative factor in central nervous system tumorigenesis. However, there is no clear association between JCV presence in CNS and its ability to initiate CNS cancer and tumor formation in humans. In this review, we will discuss the correlation between JCV and tumorigenesis of CNS in animal models, and we will give an overview of the current evidence for the JC virus’s role in brain tumor formation.

scholarly journals The Danger Model Approach to the Pathogenesis of the Rheumatic Diseases

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
César Pacheco-Tena ◽  
Susana Aideé González-Chávez
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Rheumatic Diseases ◽  
Adaptive Immune Response ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Autoimmune Processes ◽  
Genetically Manipulated ◽  
Model Approach

The danger model was proposed by Polly Matzinger as complement to the traditional self-non-self- (SNS-) model to explain the immunoreactivity. The danger model proposes a central role of the tissular cells’ discomfort as an element to prime the immune response processes in opposition to the traditional SNS-model where foreignness is a prerequisite. However recent insights in the proteomics of diverse tissular cells have revealed that under stressful conditions they have a significant potential to initiate, coordinate, and perpetuate autoimmune processes, in many cases, ruling over the adaptive immune response cells; this ruling potential can also be confirmed by observations in several genetically manipulated animal models. Here, we review the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematous, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis including ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease and provide realistic approaches based on the logic of the danger model. We assume that tissular dysfunction is a prerequisite for chronic autoimmunity and propose two genetically conferred hypothetical roles for the tissular cells causing the disease: (A) the Impaired cell and (B) the paranoid cell. Both roles are not mutually exclusive. Some examples in human disease and in animal models are provided based on current evidence.

scholarly journals The Role of Tocotrienol in Protecting Against Metabolic Diseases

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kok-Lun Pang ◽  
Kok-Yong Chin
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Food Component ◽  
Systemic Complications ◽  
Obesity And Diabetes ◽  
Metabolic Conditions

Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, and these two metabolic conditions cause significant healthcare burden worldwide. Chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress due to exposure of cells to excess nutrients in obesity may trigger insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. Tocotrienol, as a functional food component with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cell signaling-mediating effects, may be a potential agent to complement the current management of obesity and diabetes. The review aimed to summarize the current evidence on the anti-obesity and antidiabetic effects of tocotrienol. Previous studies showed that tocotrienol could suppress adipogenesis and, subsequently, reduce body weight and fat mass in animals. This was achieved by regulating pathways of lipid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. It could also reduce the expression of transcription factors regulating adipogenesis and increase apoptosis of adipocytes. In diabetic models, tocotrienol was shown to improve glucose homeostasis. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors was suggested to be responsible for these effects. Tocotrienol also prevented multiple systemic complications due to obesity and diabetes in animal models through suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress. Several clinical trials have been conducted to validate the antidiabetic of tocotrienol, but the results were heterogeneous. There is no evidence showing the anti-obesity effects of tocotrienol in humans. Considering the limitations of the current studies, tocotrienol has the potential to be a functional food component to aid in the management of patients with obesity and diabetes.

scholarly journals A Review of Potential Beneficial Effects of Honey on Bone Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Mohd Amir Kamaruzzaman ◽  
Kok-Yong Chin ◽  
Elvy Suhana Mohd Ramli
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Bone Health ◽  
Functional Food ◽  
Bone Remodelling ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Signalling Pathways ◽  
Polyphenol Content ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Bioactive Ingredients

Bone remodelling is a complex and tightly regulated process. Disruption of bone remodelling skewing towards resorption will cause osteoporosis and increase the risk of fragility fracture. Honey is a natural product containing various bioactive ingredients with health benefits, especially polyphenols. Therefore, honey may be a novel dietary supplement to prevent osteoporosis. This review aims to summarize the current evidence on the effects of honey on bone health. The evidence reported so far indicates a skeletal-beneficial effect of honey in animal models of osteoporosis. However, the number of studies on humans is limited. Honey can protect the bone via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, primarily through its polyphenol content that acts upon several signalling pathways, leading to bone anabolic and antiresorptive effects. In conclusion, honey is a potential functional food for bone health, but the dose and the bioactive contents of honey need to be verified prior to its application in humans.

scholarly journals The effect of estrogen on craniofacial dimensions: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjorie Ayumi Omori ◽  
Mirian Aiko Nakane Matsumoto ◽  
Raquel Assed Bezerra Segato ◽  
Léa Assed Bezerra da Silva ◽  
Paulo Nelson Filho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Dental Arch ◽  
Computer Search ◽  
Craniofacial Growth ◽  
Maxilla And Mandible

Sex hormones have an effect on bone metabolism. However, it remains unclear how estrogen hormone affects mandible and maxilla growth and development. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review to evaluate if estrogen is associated with developmental alterations in the maxilla/mandible phenotype. Material and methods: A computer search of the literature was performed using: Pubmed Medline (1966 – August 2018), Google Scholar and manual searching. A combination of the terms ‘estrogens', ‘mandible’, ‘dental arch’, ‘maxilla’, ‘craniofacial’, ‘growth’ and ‘development’ was used. Studies that used animal models to evaluate the role of estrogen during growth and development on the dimensions of the maxilla and/or mandible were included. Results: 5 studies were selected to compose this systematic review. One study used zebrafish as a model. Two studies used female mice and 2 studies used female rats as a model. Two studies treated the animals with estrogen. Four studies demonstrated that estrogen has an effect on mandible dimension and 2 studies demonstrated that estrogen has an effect on maxilla. One study did find an association between estrogen deficiency and mandible/maxilla dimensions Conclusion: The current evidence suggested that both, increased and decreased levels of estrogen, have an effect on the maxilla and mandible dimensions.

Cellular and animal models in pheochromocytoma/paragangliomas research: role of microenvironment

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Mannelli ◽  
E Rapizzi ◽  
L Canu ◽  
T Ercolino ◽  
V Giache
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models

Bioengineered in vitro Vascular Models for Applications in Interventional Radiology

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (45) ◽  
pp. 5367-5374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyun Li ◽  
Seyed M. Moosavi-Basri ◽  
Rahul Sheth ◽  
Xiaoying Wang ◽  
Yu S. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Interventional Radiology ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Blood Vessels ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
The Past ◽  
Endovascular Interventions ◽  
Conventional Animal ◽  
Vascular Structures

The role of endovascular interventions has progressed rapidly over the past several decades. While animal models have long-served as the mainstay for the advancement of this field, the use of in vitro models has become increasingly widely adopted with recent advances in engineering technologies. Here, we review the strategies, mainly including bioprinting and microfabrication, which allow for fabrication of biomimetic vascular models that will potentially serve to supplement the conventional animal models for convenient investigations of endovascular interventions. Besides normal blood vessels, those in diseased states, such as thrombosis, may also be modeled by integrating cues that simulate the microenvironment of vascular disorders. These novel engineering strategies for the development of biomimetic in vitro vascular structures will possibly enable unconventional means of studying complex endovascular intervention problems that are otherwise hard to address using existing models.

Using serum biomarkers for identifying unstable carotid plaque: update of current evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Areti Sofogianni ◽  
Konstantinos Tziomalos ◽  
Triantafyllia Koletsa ◽  
Apostolos G. Pitoulias ◽  
Lemonia Skoura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Great Proportion ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Carotid Plaque ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Carotid Atherosclerosis ◽  
Serum Biomarkers ◽  
Current Evidence

: Carotid atherosclerosis is responsible for a great proportion of ischemic strokes. Early identification of unstable or vulnerable carotid plaques and therefore of patients at high risk for stroke is of significant medical and socioeconomical value. We reviewed the current literature and discuss the potential role of the most important serum biomarkers in identifying patients with carotid atherosclerosis who are at high risk for atheroembolic stroke.

Patent Foramen Ovale, the Role of Antiplatelet Therapy Alone or Anticoagulant Therapy Alone Versus Device Closure for Cryptogenic Stroke: A Review of the Literature and Current Recommendations

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-150
Author(s):  
Harsha S. Nagarajarao ◽  
Chandra P. Ojha ◽  
Archana Kedar ◽  
Debabrata Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Patent Foramen Ovale ◽  
Cryptogenic Stroke ◽  
Narrow Channel ◽  
Paradoxical Embolism ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Foramen Ovale ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Current Guidelines

: Cryptogenic stroke and its relation to the Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a long-debated topic. Recent clinical trials have unequivocally established the relationship between cryptogenic strokes and paradoxical embolism across the PFO. This slit-like communication exists in everyone before birth, but most often closes shortly after birth. PFO may persist as a narrow channel of communication between the right and left atria in approximately 25-27% of adults. : In this review, we examine the clinical relevance of the PFO with analysis of the latest trials evaluating catheter-based closure of PFO’s for cryptogenic stroke. We also review the current evidence examining the use of antiplatelet medications versus anticoagulants for stroke prevention in those patients with PFO who do not qualify for closure per current guidelines.

The application of virtual reality in health professions� digital education: a narrative review (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine Tudor Car ◽  
Bhone Myint Kyaw ◽  
Josip Car
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Health Professions Education ◽  
Narrative Review ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Educational Content ◽  
Potential Applications

BACKGROUND Digital technology called Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly employed in health professions’ education. Yet, based on the current evidence, its use is narrowed around a few most applications and disciplines. There is a lack of an overview that would capture the diversity of different VR applications in health professions’ education and inform its use and research. OBJECTIVE This narrative review aims to explore different potential applications of VR in health professions’ education. METHODS The narrative synthesis approach to literature review was used to analyse the existing evidence. RESULTS We outline the role of VR features such as immersion, interactivity and feedback and explain the role of VR devices. Based on the type and scope of educational content VR can represent space, individuals, objects, structures or their combination. Application of VR in medical education encompasses environmental, organ and micro level. Environmental VR focuses on training in relation to health professionals’ environment and human interactions. Organ VR educational content targets primarily human body anatomy; and micro VR microscopic structures at the level of cells, molecules and atoms. We examine how different VR features and health professional education areas match these three VR types. CONCLUSIONS We conclude by highlighting the gaps in the literature and providing suggestions for future research.

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