An Interval Look at the Transplant Surgery Pipeline: Insights from General Surgery Residents' Operative Experience Using ACGME Operative Logs from 2000 to 2021.

OBJECTIVE: Given the declining number of US graduates pursuing transplant surgery as well as regulatory changes regarding transplant rotations for surgical residents, this study examined the transplant surgery operative volume of residents over the past 20 years. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the ACGME database of general surgery operative logs from academic year (AY) 1999-2000 to AY 2020-2021; data was categorized into time periods relative to regulatory changes: Period 1 (1999-2010) and Period 2 (2011-2021). SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: All ACGME-accredited general surgery residency programs in the US. FINDINGS: On average, the proportion of transplant cases to all total major cases was about 1% and did not change during the study period (p=0.61). Each graduating resident completed an average of 10.0 ± 11.0 cases during Period 1 and 10.8 ± 12.0 cases during Period 2, representing a statistically but unlikely clinically significant increase (p=0.008). Renal transplants comprised more than 50% of each resident's operative experience in transplant surgery. The proportion of resident involvement in all renal and liver transplantations nationally did not change during the study period, ranging from 34.5-42.9% for renal and 13.8-22.4% for liver. CONCLUSIONS: Resident volume in transplant surgery has largely remained consistent over the past 20 years, suggesting that changes in operative volume are unlikely driving declining interest in transplant surgery fellowship among US trainees.

A preliminary study of the safety, feasibility and cognitive efficacy of soy isoflavone supplements in older men and women.

BACKGROUND: a small number of reports exist on the cognitive effects of soy isoflavones, the findings from which are mixed. Isoflavone efficacy is dependent upon conversion of glycosides contained in soy foods and supplements to the biologically active aglycons. Of particular interest is the production of the metabolite, equol, which is dependent upon intestinal microflora and an integrous digestive system, both being altered by age and age-associated conditions. Unfortunately, few studies enrolled adults over the age of 70, and none included older men. OBJECTIVE: we examined safety, feasibility and cognitive efficacy of soy isoflavone administration in older nondemented men and women (age 62-89 years). DESIGN AND METHODS: in this randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot study, subjects ingested either 100 mg/day soy isoflavones (glycoside weight) or matching placebo tablets for 6 months. RESULTS: active and placebo-treated subjects exhibited a comparable side-effect profile. Plasma levels of genistein and daidzein (P < 0.001), but not equol, increased with isoflavone administration. While similar at baseline, the two groups differed across 6 months of treatment on 8 of 11 cognitive tests administered. Isoflavone-treated subjects improved on tests of visual-spatial memory (P < 0.01) and construction (P = 0.01), verbal fluency (P < 0.01) and speeded dexterity (P = 0.04). Placebo-treated participants were faster than isoflavone-treated subjects on two tests of executive function (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: these data suggest that administration of 100 mg/day of isoflavones was well tolerated. Plasma genistein and daidzein levels, but not equol, increased with isoflavone administration. Finally, data support the potential cognitive effects of soy isoflavones in older adults.

A brain-permeable small molecule reduces neuronal cholesterol by inhibiting activity of sirtuin 2 deacetylase.

Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) deacetylase-dependent inhibition mediates neuroprotective reduction of cholesterol biosynthesis in an in vitro Huntington's disease model. This study sought to identify the first brain-permeable SIRT2 inhibitor and to characterize its cholesterol-reducing properties in neuronal models. Using biochemical sirtuin deacetylation assays, we screened a brain-permeable in silico compound library, yielding 3-(1-azepanylsulfonyl)-N-(3-bromphenyl)benzamide as the most potent and selective SIRT2 inhibitor. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated brain-permeability but limited metabolic stability of the selected candidate. In accordance with previous observations, this SIRT2 inhibitor stimulated cytoplasmic retention of sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 and subsequent transcriptional downregulation of cholesterol biosynthesis genes, resulting in reduced total cholesterol in primary striatal neurons. Furthermore, the identified inhibitor reduced cholesterol in cultured naïve neuronal cells and brain slices from wild-type mice. The outcome of this study provides a clear opportunity for lead optimization and drug development, targeting metabolic dysfunctions in CNS disorders where abnormal cholesterol homeostasis is implicated.

Evaluation of histone deacetylases as drug targets in Huntington's disease models. Study of HDACs in brain tissues from R6/2 and CAG140 knock-in HD mouse models and human patients and in a neuronal HD cell model.

The family of histone deacetylases (HDACs) has recently emerged as important drug targets for treatment of slow progressive neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD). Broad pharmaceutical inhibition of HDACs has shown neuroprotective effects in various HD models. Here we examined the susceptibility of HDAC targets for drug treatment in affected brain areas during HD progression. We observed increased HDAC1 and decreased HDAC4, 5 and 6 levels, correlating with disease progression, in cortices and striata of HD R6/2 mice. However, there were no significant changes in HDAC protein levels, assessed in an age-dependent manner, in HD knock-in CAG140 mice and we did not observe significant changes in HDAC1 levels in human HD brains. We further assessed acetylation levels of α-tubulin, as a biomarker of HDAC6 activity, and found it unchanged in cortices from R6/2, knock-in, and human subjects at all disease stages. Inhibition of deacetylase activities was identical in cortical extracts from R6/2 and wild-type mice treated with a class II-selective HDAC inhibitor. Lastly, treatment with class I- and II-selective HDAC inhibitors showed similar responses in HD and wild-type rat striatal cells. In conclusion, our results show that class I and class II HDAC targets are present and accessible for chronic drug treatment during HD progression and provide impetus for therapeutic development of brain-permeable class- or isoform-selective inhibitors.

Study of 1,4-dihydropyridine structural scaffold: discovery of novel sirtuin activators and inhibitors.

NAD(+)-dependent sirtuin deacetylases have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for treatment of human illnesses such as cancer, metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. The benefits of sirtuin modulation by small molecules have been demonstrated for these diseases. In contrast to the discovery of inhibitors of SIRT1, -2, and -3, only activators for SIRT1 are known. Here, we rationalized the potential of the previously unexplored dihydropyridine scaffold in developing sirtuin ligands, thus we prepared a series of 1,4-dihydropyridine-based derivatives 1-3. Assessment of their SIRT1-3 deacetylase activities revealed the importance of the substituent at the N1 position of the dihydropyridine structure on sirtuin activity. Placement of cyclopropyl, phenyl, or phenylethyl groups at N1 conferred nonselective SIRT1 and SIRT2 inhibition activity, while a benzyl group at N1 conferred potent SIRT1, -2, and -3 activation. Senescence assays performed on hMSC and mitochondrial function studies conducted with murine C2C12 myoblasts confirmed the compounds' novel and unique SIRT-activating properties.