Development and validation of a multi-modal ultrasomics model to predict response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the performance of multi-modal ultrasomics model to predict efficacy to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and compare with the clinical model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively included 106 patients with LARC who underwent total mesorectal excision after nCRT between April 2018 and April 2023 at our hospital, randomly divided into a training set of 74 and a validation set of 32 in a 7: 3 ratios. Ultrasomics features were extracted from the tumors' region of interest of B-mode ultrasound (BUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images based on PyRadiomics. Mann-Whitney U test, spearman, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithms were utilized to reduce features dimension. Five models were built with ultrasomics and clinical analysis using multilayer perceptron neural network classifier based on python. Including BUS, CEUS, Combined_1, Combined_2 and Clinical models. The diagnostic performance of models was assessed with the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic. The DeLong testing algorithm was utilized to compare the models' overall performance. RESULTS: The AUC (95% confidence interval [CI]) of the five models in the validation cohort were as follows: BUS 0.675 (95%CI: 0.481-0.868), CEUS 0.821 (95%CI: 0.660-0.983), Combined_1 0.829 (95%CI: 0.673-0.985), Combined_2 0.893 (95%CI: 0.780-1.000), and Clinical 0.690 (95%CI: 0.509-0.872). The Combined_2 model was the best in the overall prediction performance, showed significantly better compared to the Clinical model after DeLong testing (P < 0.01). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that age (P < 0.01) and clinical stage (P < 0.01) could be an independent predictor of efficacy after nCRT in patients with LARC. CONCLUSION: The ultrasomics model had better diagnostic performance to predict efficacy to nCRT in patients with LARC than the Clinical model.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Tea Composite Solid Beverage on Alcohol-Caused Rat Liver Injury.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) remains a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Tea polyphenols (TPs) possess strong antioxidant activity; cassia seed extract (CSE) has the effect of brightening the eyes; and Ampelopsis grossedentata extract (AGE) has the function of protecting the liver. However, the synergistic hepatoprotective effect of TP, AGE and CSE as a joint formulation is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of a tea solid beverage, composed of TP, AGE and CSE, on chronic alcoholic liver injury in rats and its underlying mechanisms via the analysis of transcriptomics and gut microbiota. The histopathological findings revealed that the tea solid beverage could reduce the production of fat vacuoles and inflammatory cell infiltration. Additionally, the tea solid beverage was found to effectively relieve the increase in the AST (from 424.85 U/L to 180.17 U/L), ALT (from 139.95 U/L to 85.88 U/L) and LDH (from 21.16 U/L to 13.35 U/L) enzyme activities and the expression of the inflammatory factors TNF-α (from 394.02 pg/mL to 214.44 pg/mL) and IL-6 (from 208.46 pg/mL to 116.59 pg/mL) caused by alcohol consumption. Further, it significantly enhanced the GSH concentration (from 4.53 pg/mL to 8.08 pg/mL) and SOD activity (from 84.70 U/mL to 156.94 U/mL) and decreased the MDA (from 58.61 mmol/mL to 36.58 mmol/mL) and TG (from 7.07 mmol/L to 3.43 mmol/L)) concentrations in the liver of rats. The analysis and identification of transcriptomics showed that the tea solid beverage intervention primarily protected the liver of rats with chronic alcoholic injury by up-regulating the differential gene Hmgcs1 in order to increase the synthesis of ketone bodies and by down-regulating the differential gene Pfkfb1 for the purpose of decreasing the glucose metabolism. Additionally, it was found that the tea solid beverage could significantly change the composition of intestinal flora in drinking rats by regulating mineral absorption, the pathways of bile secretion, the adipocytokine signaling pathway and the peroxisome balance of the intestinal flora, in order to protect alcohol-drinking rats' livers. In conclusion, the tea solid beverage, consisting of TP, AGE and CSE, is a functional drink that prevents ketone metabolism, glucose metabolism and microbiome disorders induced by alcohol intake.

Research progress on the lipid-lowering and weight loss effects of tea and the mechanism of its functional components.

Obesity caused by poor eating habits has become a great challenge faced by public health organizations worldwide. Optimizing dietary intake and ingesting special foods containing biologically active substances (such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and terpenes) is a safe and effective dietary intervention to prevent the occurrence and development of obesity. Tea contains several active dietary factors, and daily tea consumption has been shown to have various health benefits, especially in regulating human metabolic diseases. Here, we reviewed recent advances in research on tea and its functional components in improving obesity-related metabolic dysfunction, and gut microbiota homeostasis and related clinical research. Furthermore, the potential mechanisms by which the functional components of tea could promote lipid-lowering and weight-loss effects by regulating fat synthesis/metabolism, glucose metabolism, gut microbial homeostasis, and liver function were summarized. The research results showing a "positive effect" or "no effect" objectively evaluates the lipid-lowering and weight-loss effects of the functional components of tea. This review provides a new scientific basis for further research on the functional ingredients of tea for lipid lowering and weight loss and the development of lipid-lowering and weight-loss functional foods and beverages derived from tea.

Theaflavin Promotes Mitochondrial Abundance and Glucose Absorption in Myotubes by Activating the CaMKK2-AMPK Signal Axis via Calcium-Ion Influx.

Drinking tea has been proven to have a positive biological effect in regulating human glucose and lipid metabolism and preventing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Skeletal muscle (SkM) is responsible for 70% of the sugar metabolism in the human body, and its dysfunction is an important factor leading to the development of obesity, T2D, and muscle diseases. As one of the four known theaflavins (TFs) in black tea, the biological role of theaflavin (TF1) in regulating SkM metabolism has not been reported. In this study, mature myotubes induced by C2C12 cells in vitro were used as models. The results showed that TF1 (20 µM) promoted mitochondrial abundance and glucose absorption in myotubes by activating the CaMKK2-AMPK signaling axis via Ca2+ influx. Moreover, it promoted the expression of slow muscle fiber marker genes (Myh7, Myl2, Tnnt1, and Tnnc1) and PGC-1α/SIRT1, as well as enhanced the oxidative phosphorylation capacity of myotubes. In conclusion, this study preliminarily clarified the potential role of TF1 in regulating SkM glucose absorption as well as promoting SkM mitochondrial biosynthesis and slow muscle fiber formation. It has potential research and application values for the prevention/alleviation of SkM-related T2D and Ca2+-related skeletal muscle diseases through diet.