Effects on keratinocytes of the traditional combination of herb extract (Royal Oji Complex) implicated the improvement of young children's skin moisture and barrier.

BACKGROUND: Natural products are often friendly and can be used on children's skin after systematic and careful research. Therefore, in this study, the Royal Oji Complex (ROC), a product with natural ingredients, was used to study their effectiveness on keratinocytes taken from the skin of children from 0 to 3 years old. METHOD: Normal human epidermal keratinocytes and tissue-isolated keratinocytes (TIKC) from young donors were treated with three different concentrations of ROC: 0.1, 1, and 10 ppm. The mRNA expression of the epidermal barrier's essential genes, such as hyaluronic acid synthase 3 (Has3), involucrin (IVL), loricrin (LOR), and claudin-1 (CLD1) was investigated using qRT-PCR. Ceramide content was measured by ELISA, with retinoic acid (R.A.) and amarogentin (AMA) serving as positive controls. RESULTS: ROC significantly elevated HAS3 gene expression in HEKn cells, especially at 10 ppm, indicating potential advantages for skin hydration in young infants. IVL increased at first but decreased as ROC concentrations increased. LOR was upregulated at lower ROC concentrations but reduced at higher doses. CLD1 gene expression increased considerably in HEKn but reduced with increasing ROC doses. Ceramide concentration increased somewhat but not significantly at 10 ppm. CONCLUSION: ROC shows potential in altering keratinocyte gene expression, with unique responses in HEKn and TIKC from young donors. While changes in ceramide content were insignificant, these results help to comprehend ROC's multiple effects on young children's skin.

Decellularized Bovine Pericardial Patch Loaded With Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Enhance the Mechanical Strength and Biological Healing of Large-to-Massive Rotator Cuff Tear in a Rat Model.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the addition of decellularized bovine pericardial patch loaded with mesenchymal stromal cells enhanced bone-to-tendon healing and improved the biomechanical strength of large-to-massive rotator cuff tears in a small animal model. METHODS: Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from rat inguinal fat were isolated, cultured, and loaded onto decellularized bovine pericardium patches. To simulate large-to-massive tears, rats were managed with free cage activity for 6 weeks after tear creation. A total of 18 rats were randomly allocated to repair-only (control), repair with pericardial patch augmentation (patch), or repair with MSC loaded pericardial patch augmentation (patch-MSC). Each group had 6 rats (one shoulder of each rat was used for histological evaluation and another for biomechanical evaluation). MSCs seeded on the pericardial patches were traced on four shoulders from 2 other rats at 4 weeks after surgery. Histological evaluation for bone-to-tendon healing and biomechanical testing was carried out at 8 weeks after repair. RESULTS: MSCs tagged with a green fluorescent protein were observed in the repair site 4 weeks after the repair. One shoulder each in the control and patch groups showed complete discontinuity between the bone and tendon. One shoulder in the control group showed attenuation with only a tenuous connection. Fibrocartilage and tidemark formation at the bone-to-tendon interface (P = .002) and collagen fiber density (P = .040) and orientation (P = .003) were better in the patch-MSC group than in the control or patch group. Load-to-failure in the patch-MSC and patch groups was higher than that in the control group (P = .001 and .009, respectively). CONCLUSION: Decellularized bovine pericardial patches loaded with adipose-derived and cultured mesenchymal stromal cells enhanced healing in terms of both histology and mechanical strength at 8 weeks following rotator cuff repair in a rat model. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Large-to-massive rotator tears need a strategy to prevent retear and enhance healing. The addition of decellularized bovine pericardial patch loaded with MSCs can enhance bone-to-tendon healing and improve biomechanical healing of large-to-massive rotator cuff tears following repair.

Stem cell sheet interpositioned between the tendon and bone would be better for healing than stem cell sheet overlaid above the tendon-to-bone junction in rotator cuff repair of rats.

BACKGROUND: Although stem cells might enhance natural enthesis healing in surgical rotator cuff repair, not much attention has been given to the delivery and location of delivering stem cells. The purpose of this study to know where to locate those stem cells during repair. METHODS: Animal model of chronic rotator cuff tear was created in 24 rats. Adipose-derived stem cells were engineered as a sheet and transplanted 1) between a torn tendon and humerus (interposition group) or 2) over a repaired tendon-to-bone junction (overlay group) at the time of surgical repair. Tracking of stem cells with overexpression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) were carried out at the time of sacrifice in additional 4 shoulders in each group. Histological and Biomechanical evaluation was performed to compare the differences in tendon-to-bone healing. RESULTS: Histology showed increased fibrocartilage, a clear boundary at the mineralized fibrocartilage, abundant collagen type III, and higher total scores, especially in the interposition group. GFP-overexpression was observed at the transplanted site at 2 weeks after repair. Although two groups where stem cell sheets applied showed higher load to failure than the repair-only group, the load to failure was not different between the interposition and overlay group. CONCLUSION: In the chronic rotator cuff repair model, stem cell sheets enhanced regeneration of the tendon-to-bone junction. This regeneration was effective when the stem cell sheet was interpositioned at the tendon-to-bone interface. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Basic Science Study; In Vivo Animal Model; Histology and Biomechanics.

Extracellular Vesicles Delivered by Injectable Collagen Promote Bone-Tendon Interface Healing and Prevent Fatty Degeneration of Rotator Cuff Muscle.

PURPOSE: This study aimed (1) to confirm the maintenance of the extracellular vesicles (EVs) delivered via injectable collagen at the application site, and (2) to evaluate the effect of EVs derived from the human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and loaded in an injectable collagen gel after rotator cuff repair (RCR). METHODS: Rabbits (n = 20) were assigned to normal (N), repair-only (R), and those administered with injectable collagen after repair (RC), and EV-laden injectable collagen after repair (RCE) groups. The EVs isolated by ultra-centrifugation from the human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells spent medium were mixed with collagen and administered accordingly. After 12 weeks, the rabbits were sacrificed to evaluate the healing of the bone-to-tendon junction and the fatty degeneration of muscle. Histomorphometric scoring for bone-tendon interface, fatty infiltration (%), and biomechanical tests were performed. Separately, groups of 3 rabbits were assigned to 3 different time points to evaluate maintenance of green fluorescence-labeled EVs with injectable collagen via tracking on the bursal side of the rotator cuff (3 groups: 3 days, 2, and 4 weeks). RESULTS: The EVs delivered by injectable collagen remained until 4 weeks at the bursal side of the cuff tissue. The RCE group showed a significantly greater histomorphometric total score (P < .001, and P = .013, respectively) and significantly lower fatty degeneration than the RC and R groups (P = .001, and P = .013, respectively). The biomechanical tests revealed significant growing trends in load-to-failure and stiffness (P = .002, and P = .013, respectively), in the R, RC, RCE, and N groups. CONCLUSIONS: EVs mounted in injectable collagen remained at the repair site for at least 4 weeks after application. Furthermore, they effectively promote bone-to-tendon healing via collagen maturation in bone-tendon interface and preventing fatty degeneration of rotator muscle after RCR as compared with collagen-only or repair-only groups. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The combination of collagen with EVs significantly promotes rotator cuff healing demonstrating potential clinical application during partial rotator cuff tear or after RCR.

Clinical Outcomes of Secondary Prophylactic Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factors in Breast Cancer Patients at a Risk of Neutropenia with Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide-Based Chemotherapy.

Doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC)-based chemotherapy has been a standard regimen for early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) with an intermediate risk (10-20%) of febrile neutropenia (FN). Secondary prophylaxis of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is considered in patients receiving AC-based chemotherapy; however, relevant studies are limited. Here, we retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 320 patients who completed adjuvant AC-based chemotherapy from September 2016 to September 2020. Approximately 46.6% of the patients developed severe neutropenic events (SNE) during AC-based chemotherapy. Secondary prophylaxis of G-CSF reduced the risk of recurrent SNE (p < 0.01) and the relative dose intensity (RDI) < 85% (p = 0.03) in patients who had experienced SNE during AC-based chemotherapy. Age ≥ 65 years (p = 0.02) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 60 IU/L (p = 0.04) were significant risk factors for RDI < 85%. The incidences of FN, grade 4 neutropenia, unscheduled hospitalization, and interruption to the dosing regimen were reduced in patients administered secondary prophylaxis with G-CSF (before vs. after administration: FN, 19.4% vs. 4.6%; grade 4 neutropenia, 86.1% vs. 14.8%; unscheduled hospitalization, 75.9% vs. 11.1%; interruption to the dosing regimen, 18.5% vs. 8.3%). This study indicated the importance of active intervention of G-CSF use to prevent recurrent SNE and improve clinical outcomes in patients with breast cancer who receive AC-based chemotherapy.

Signal Detection of Adverse Drug Reactions of Cephalosporins Using Data from a National Pharmacovigilance Database.

This case-non-case study aims to detect signals not currently listed on cephalosporin drug labels. From 2009 to 2018, adverse event (AE) reports concerning antibacterial drugs (anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) code J01) in the Korea Adverse Events Reporting System (KAERS) database were examined. For signal detection, three indices of disproportionality, proportional reporting ratio (PRR), reporting odds ratio (ROR), and information component (IC), were calculated. The list of signals was compared with ADRs on the drug labels from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea. A total of 163,800 cephalosporin-AE combinations and 72,265 all other J01-AE combinations were analyzed. This study detected 472 signals and 114 new signals that are not included on the drug labels. Cefatrizine-corneal edema (PRR, 440.64; ROR, 481.67; IC, 3.84) and cefatrizine-corneal ulceration (PRR, 346.22; ROR, 399.70; IC, 4.40) had the highest PRR, ROR, and IC among all signals. Additionally, six serious AEs that were not listed on drug labels such as cefaclor-induced stupor (ten cases) and cefaclor-induced respiratory depression (four cases) were found. Detecting signals using a national pharmacovigilance database is useful for identifying unknown ADRs. This study identified signals of cephalosporins that warrant further investigation.

Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Regimen Affects Survival in Patients Receiving Nivolumab for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis may affect the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. We investigated the impact of antibiotics on the clinical outcomes of nivolumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients who received nivolumab for NSCLC between July 2015 and June 2018 and who were followed up until June 2020 were included in a retrospective cohort analysis. Of 140 eligible patients, 70 were on antibiotics. Overall survival (OS) was shorter in patients on antibiotics (ABX) compared to those not on antibiotics (NoABX) (p = 0.014). OS was negatively associated with piperacillin/tazobactam (PTZ) (HR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.77-6.18), days of therapy (DOT) ≥ 2 weeks (HR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.30-5.22) and DOT of PTZ. The defined daily dose (DDD) in PTZ (r = 0.27) and glycopeptides (r = 0.21) showed weak correlations with mortality. There was no difference in progression-free survival (PFS) between ABX and NoABX; however, PFS was negatively associated with the antibiotic class PTZ and DOT of PTZ. Therefore, the use of a broad-spectrum antibiotic, such as PTZ, the long-term use of antibiotics more than 2 weeks in total and the large amount of defined daily dose of specific antibiotics were associated with decreased survival in patients receiving nivolumab for NSCLC.

Engineered Cell Sheets for the Effective Delivery of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells for Tendon-to-Bone Healing.

BACKGROUND: Efforts are being made to treat rotator cuff tears (RCTs) that exhibit poor healing and high retear rates. Tendon-to-bone healing using mesenchymal stem cells is being explored, but research is needed to establish effective delivery options. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of an adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) sheet on mesenchymal stem cell delivery for tendon-to-bone healing of a chronic RCT in rats and to demonstrate that ADSC sheets enhance tendon-to-bone healing. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Mesenchymal stem cells were obtained from rat adipose tissue, and a cell sheet was prepared using a temperature-responsive dish. To evaluate the efficacy of stem cells produced in a sheet for the lesion, the experiment was conducted with 3 groups: repair group, cell sheet transplantation after repair group, and cell sheet-only group. Histological, biomechanical, and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) results were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Hematoxylin and eosin staining for histomorphological analysis revealed that the cell sheet transplantation after repair group (5.75 ± 0.95) showed statistically significant higher scores than the repair (2.75 ± 0.50) and cell sheet-only (3.25 ± 0.50) groups (P < .001). On safranin O staining, the cell sheet transplantation after repair group (0.51 ± 0.04 mm2) had a larger fibrocartilage area than the repair (0.31 ± 0.06 mm2) and cell sheet-only (0.32 ± 0.03 mm2) groups (P = .001). On micro-CT, bone volume/total volume values were significantly higher in the cell sheet transplantation after repair group (23.98% ± 1.75%) than in the other groups (P < .039); there was no significant difference in the other values. On the biomechanical test, the cell sheet transplantation after repair group (4 weeks after repair) showed significantly higher results than the other groups (P < .005). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that engineered stem cells are a clinically feasible stem cell delivery tool for rotator cuff repair. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This laboratory study provides evidence that ADSCs are effective in repairing RCTs, which are common sports injuries.

Hypernatremia at admission predicts poor survival in patients with terminal cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although palliative care providers, patients, and their families rely heavily on accurate prognostication, the prognostic value of electrolyte imbalance has received little attention. METHODS: As a retrospective review, we screened inpatients with terminal cancer admitted between January 2017 and May 2019 to a single hospice-palliative care unit. Clinical characteristics and laboratory results were obtained from medical records for multivariable Cox regression analysis of independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: Of the 487 patients who qualified, 15 (3%) were hypernatremic upon admission. The median survival time was 26 days. Parameters associated with shortened survival included male sex, advanced age (> 70 years), lung cancer, poor performance status, elevated inflammatory markers, azotemia, impaired liver function, and hypernatremia. In a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, male sex (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.04), poor performance status (HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.09-1.94), leukocytosis (HR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.47-2.66), hypoalbuminemia (HR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.49-2.73), and hypernatremia (HR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.18-2.03) emerged as significant predictors of poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: Hypernatremia may be a useful gauge of prognosis in patients with terminal cancer. Further large-scale prospective studies are needed to corroborate this finding.

A Combination Treatment of Raloxifene and Vitamin D Enhances Bone-to-Tendon Healing of the Rotator Cuff in a Rat Model.

BACKGROUND: Tearing and degeneration of the rotator cuff at the tendon-to-bone junction are common in adults aged ≥50 years. Few studies have reported on the relationship between estrogen and the rotator cuff enthesis. In addition to preventing bone loss, selective estrogen receptor modulators have been shown to improve tendon and muscle quality. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of raloxifene (RLX) and vitamin D on rotator cuff tendon-to-bone healing in a rat model. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: A total of 29 female rats (58 shoulders) were assigned to 4 groups: (1) control group, (2) ovariectomy (OVX)-only group, (3) no RLX group (OVX and rotator cuff repair [RCR]), and (4) RLX group (OVX, RCR, and RLX). Rats that did not undergo rotator cuff tear (RCT) surgery were divided into the control and OVX-only groups according to OVX surgery. Rats that underwent RCT surgery and RCR were divided into the no RLX and RLX groups according to RLX and vitamin D administration. An estrogen-deficient state was induced by OVX at 12 weeks of age. Bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone characteristics were measured by micro-computed tomography, and healing of the tendon-to-bone junction was evaluated by biomechanical testing, histomorphometry, and micro-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: The mean final body weight (BW; 461.6 ± 47.3 g) of the OVX-only group was significantly higher and BMD (0.25 ± 0.07 g/cm3) was significantly lower (P < .001) than the mean final BW (338.5 ± 35.1 g) and BMD (0.48 ± 0.05 g/cm3) of the control group. In contrast, the RLX group showed that the BW (369.6 ± 35.8 g) and BMD (0.41 ± 0.08 g/cm3) were not significantly different from the control group. The RLX group had a significantly higher histomorphometric total score (8.50 ± 1.05) than the no RLX group (4.83 ± 2.48). On biomechanical testing, the RLX group (29.7 ± 9.1 N) showed a significantly higher load to failure than the no RLX group (19.4 ± 8.8 N). On micro-MRI, the RLX group had a more homogeneous low signal and tendon continuity than the no RLX group. CONCLUSION: The combination treatment of RLX and vitamin D prevented a decrease in local BMD (greater tuberosity of the proximal humerus) and enhanced tendon-to-bone healing of the rotator cuff in a rat model. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study induced an estrogen-deficient state similar to the human postmenopausal state and used drugs that are actually being prescribed in a clinical situation.

MicroRNA­20 induces methylation of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA in human hepatoma cells.

Methylation was suggested to suppress the transcriptional activity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in hepatocytes. This may be associated with its low replicative activity during the inactive stage of chronic HBV infection; however, the exact mechanisms of methylation in HBV infection remain unknown. We have previously shown that short hairpin RNAs induced the methylation of the HBV genome in hepatoma cell lines. We also reported that the microRNA (miR) 17­92 cluster negatively regulates HBV replication in human hepatoma cells. In addition, miR­20a, a member of the miR 17­92 cluster, has sequence homology with the short hairpin RNA that induces HBV methylation. In the present study, we investigated whether miR­20a can function as an endogenous effector of HBV DNA methylation. The results indicated that overexpression of miR­20a could suppress the replicative activity of HBV and increased the degree of methylation of HBV cccDNA in the HepAD38 hepatoma cell line. Argonaute (AGO)1 and AGO2, effectors of the RNA­induced silencing complex, were detected in the nucleus of HepAD38 cells; however, only AGO2 was bound to HBV cccDNA. In addition, intranuclear AGO2 was determined to be bound with miR­20a. In conclusion, miR­20a may be loaded onto AGO2, prior to its translocation into the nucleus, inducing the methylation of HBV DNA in human hepatoma cells, leading to the suppression of HBV replication.

Biocompatible, drug-loaded anti-adhesion barrier using visible-light curable furfuryl gelatin derivative.

Recently, many of studies have been attempted to determine how to decrease adhesion. To effectively prevent adhesion, decrease in unnecessary surgical procedures, prevention of contact with other tissue, and drug treatment for inflammation are required. However, current anti-adhesion materials have disadvantages. To solve current problems, we prepared a biocompatible drug-loaded anti-adhesion barrier using a visible-light curable furfuryl gelatin derivative. We used riboflavin as a photo-initiator in the photo-curing process. The biocompatibility of riboflavin was estimated compared with that of Rose Bengal. In addition, the curing ratio was measured to determine whether riboflavin initiated photo-curing. We also evaluated the curing ratio of riboflavin according to the concentration of F-gelatin and the photo-irradiation time. A drug used to decrease inflammation that causes adhesion should not disappear from the surgical site and should also be released consistently. For this, we observed the release profiles of photo-immobilized ibuprofen with different concentrations of F-gelatin. Because an anti-adhesion barrier should protect from bacterial infection we evaluated the protective ability of a barrier formed by F-gelatin. In conclusion, a drug-loaded anti-adhesion barrier was prepared using a visible-light curable furfuryl gelatin derivative, with riboflavin as a photo-initiator. We expect that this drug-loaded anti-adhesion barrier effectively decrease adhesion formation.

RNA-Seq Analysis of Antibiotic-Producing Bacillus subtilis SC-8 Reveals a Role for Small Peptides in Controlling PapR Signaling.

Bacillus subtilis SC-8 (BSSC8) shows a narrow antimicrobial activity against the Bacillus cereus group. Previously, B. cereus-derived PapR as a signal peptide to stimulate PlcR, which plays a significant role in regulating the transcription of virulence factors, was assumed to stimulate antibiotic production in BSSC8. To better understand the functional role of PapR in the antibiotic production of BSSC8 and the interspecies interaction, the global transcriptomic profiling of BSSC8 was investigated using RNA-Seq in this study. Small peptides derived from B. cereus wild type (WTBC) and a papR-deleted mutant strain (MTBC) were individually supplied to BSSC8 cultures, and changes in global transcription levels were compared by RNA-Seq. In the presence of WTBC small peptides, more genes (80.9%) were significantly upregulated than in cells exposed to MTBC small peptides. Specifically, 48.8 and 83.4% of genes involved in glycolysis and the TCA cycle, respectively, showed changes in transcription levels in response to small peptides from both strains. Of the genes showing the alterations, 35.0% (glycolysis) and 60.0% (TCA cycle) of transcripts were significantly regulated only in response to WTBC-derived small peptides. Furthermore, the expression of biosynthetic genes encoding several known antibiotics in BSSC8 was further decreased in response to WTBC small peptides.

The effect of communication skills training on patient-pharmacist communication in pharmacy education: a meta-analysis.

Communication skills in pharmacy education and practice are increasingly regarded as a crucial component. However, thus far, estimating of the overall communication skills training (CST) effects in a variety of outcomes is lacking. The aim of this study was to synthesize the effects of CST in pharmacy education by performing a meta-analysis of CST studies. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Communication and Mass Media Complete (CMMC), key journals, and bibliographic databases. The effect sizes (ESs) were extracted and pooled in random effects meta-analyses. We assessed the quality of the study using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). From 34,737 articles, 9 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The overall effect size for CST was 0.611 (95% CI 0.327-0.895), and it was statistically significant (p = 0.000). We found based on the subgroup analyses that CST has a large effect size when it used stand-alone courses, lecture-lab based courses, video recordings, feedback, training for 2 or more semesters, hours per week ≥5 h and external assessments. For the CST effect, the effect sizes were ranked in order of confidence, knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The result of the meta-regression is that the total number of attendees is significantly negatively correlated with the effect sizes of the CST. The findings of the present meta-analysis provide evidence that CST in pharmacy education may act as an efficient way to improve the communication competency of students, and it may serve as a guide for pharmacy educators.