Serum Fibrinogen-Like Protein 1 Levels in Obese Patients Before and After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Six-Month Longitudinal Study.

Purpose: Fibrinogen-like protein (FGL)-1 is an original hepatokine with a critical role in developing hepatic steatosis. This study intends to examine the pre- and postoperative serum FGL-1 levels in bariatric patients and identify its relationship with other clinical indicators. Patients and Methods: Ninety-two individuals (60 bariatric patients and 32 people with normal weight) were enrolled in this research between July 2018 and April 2021. All bariatric patients finished follow-up visits 6 months after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Clinical data, anthropometric parameters, biochemical variables, FibroScan, and serum FGL-1 levels were collected at baseline and 6 months after LSG. Results: FGL-1 levels in patients with obesity (44.66±20.03 ng/mL) were higher than in individuals with normal weight (20.73±9.73 ng/mL, p < 0.001). After LSG, FGL-1 levels were significantly decreased (27.53±11.45 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Besides, body mass index (BMI), liver enzyme levels, glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, uric acid (UA), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were significantly improved. After adjusting possible confounders, FGL-1 levels at baseline were negatively associated with changes in LSM levels; changes in FGL-1 levels showed positive correlations with changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and UA levels at 6 months after surgery. Conclusion: Serum FGL-1 levels were significantly decreased following LSG in patients with obesity. The preoperative serum FGL-1 levels could be a predictor of postoperative liver fibrosis improvement. Furthermore, the decreased FGL-1 levels were associated with improved liver enzymes and UA but not with bodyweight or glucolipid metabolism.

Black Truffle Extract Exerts Antidiabetic Effects through Inhibition of Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism Regulation.

Black truffle, a culinary and medical fungus, is highly valued worldwide for its nutritional and therapeutic importance. To enhance the existing knowledge about the beneficial properties, this study investigates the antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, and anti-inflammatory effects of black truffle extract in in vitro biochemical assays and animal study. Briefly, black truffle extract was administered orally to treat streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic Wistar rats for 45 days. At the end of the experimental duration, rats were sacrificed to perform biochemical and gene expression analyses related to lipid regulatory and inflammatory pathways. Our results indicated that total cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids, and low-density lipoprotein in different tissues and circulation were significantly increased in diabetic rats. Furthermore, the ß-hydroxy ß-methylglutaryl-CoA enzyme was also significantly increased; lipoprotein lipase and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase enzymes were significantly decreased in diabetic rats. However, the above conditions were reversed upon black truffle extract feeding. Furthermore, black truffle extract was also found to downregulate the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6) and lipid regulatory genes (serum regulatory element-binding protein-1 and fatty acid synthase). The truffle extract-treated effects were comparable to glibenclamide and medication commonly used to treat diabetes mellitus. Overall, our results suggested that black truffle possesses strong antihyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects on diabetic rats. These findings will enhance the current knowledge about the therapeutic importance of black truffles. They might be exploited as a possible food supplement or even as a natural source of pharmaceutical agents for diabetes prevention and treatment.

Lower Baseline Serum Triglyceride Levels Are Associated With Higher Decrease in Body Mass Index After Laparoscopy Sleeve Gastrectomy Among Obese Patients.

Aims: To investigate the predictive value of baseline serum triglyceride (TG) levels for improvements of metabolism after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Methods: 112 obese patients [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m2] underwent LSG and with complete information of anthropometric and metabolic parameters were divided into normal TG group (group A) and high TG group (group B), while group A had TG levels ≤ 1.7 mmol/L, and group B had TG levels > 1.7 mmol/L. The post-operative changes (Δ) in metabolic parameters between the two groups were compared. Results: In the whole cohort, the metabolic parameters were significantly improved at 6 months after LSG. BMI and waist circumference (WC) decreased significantly in the two groups. The ΔBMI among group A and group B were 11.42±3.23 vs 9.13±2.77 kg/m2 (p<0.001), respectively. ΔBMI was positively correlated with ΔWC (r=0.696, p<0.001), Δfasting insulin level (r=0.440, p=0.002), Δfasting serum C peptide level (r=0.453, p=0.002), and Δhomeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (r=0.418, p=0.004) in group A. Compared with group B, group A had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) of 2.83 (95% confidence interval [CI]1.25-6.38, p=0.012)and 2.73 (95% CI 1.11-6.72, p=0.029) for ΔBMI and ΔWC after adjustment for age and gender, respectively. Conclusions: Obese patients with baseline TG levels under 1.7 mmol/L had greater loss of weight at six months follow-up later LSG. This finding suggests that baseline TG level may have a predictive value for weight loss, at least in the short-term follow-up.

Nomograms for Predicting Non-remission in Patients Who Underwent Bariatric Surgery: A Multicenter Retrospective Study in China.

BACKGROUND: As a reflection of the increasing global incidence of obesity, there is a corresponding increase in the proportion of obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. This study reviewed the factors and outcomes of patients who underwent bariatric surgical procedures and determined the relationships and developed a nomogram to calculate individualized patient risk. METHODS: The nomogram was based on a retrospective study on 259 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at the Chengdu Third People's Hospital from June 2017 to June 2019. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were determined by the ROC curve and C-index, respectively. The results were validated using bootstrap resampling and a retrospective study on 121 patients operated on from May 2015 to May 2019 at the Tenth People's Hospital of Shanghai. RESULTS: The predictors contained in the prediction nomogram included age, sex, surgical approach, hyperlipidemia, blood pressure (BP), hyperuricemia, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC). The 6-month model displayed good discrimination with a C-index of 0.765 (95% CI: 0.756 to 0.774) and good calibration. The 1-year model reached a C-index of 0.768 (95% CI, 0.759 to 0.777) in the training cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed nomogram resulted in more accurate non-remission prediction for patients with obesity after bariatric surgery and may provide a reference for the preoperative choice of surgical methods.

The Increased Risk of Thyroid Cancer-Specific Mortality With Tumor Size in Stage IVB Patients.

Purpose: To investigate the risk-stratifying utility of tumor size and a threshold for further stratification on cancer-specific mortality of thyroid cancer (TC) patients in stage IVB. Methods: One thousand three hundred and forty-five patients (620 males and 725 females) with initial distant metastasis over 55 years between 2004 and 2016 from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results databases were investigated, with a median follow-up time of 23 months [interquartile range (IQR), 5-56 months] and a median age of 70 years (IQR, 63-77 years). TC-specific mortality rates were calculated under different classifications. Cox regressions were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and Kaplan-Meier Analyses were conducted to investigate TC-specific survivals. Results: In the whole cohort, patients with tumors >4 cm had the highest TC-specific mortality (67.9%, 330/486), followed by tumor size >1 cm but ≤ 4 cm (43.08%, 190/441), and tumor size ≤ 1 cm (32.69%, 34/104). Kaplan-Meier curves showed the increased tumor size was associated with a statistically significant decrease in TC-specific survival (P < 0.001). Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients with tumors >4 cm had significantly higher hazard ratios (HRs) of 2.84 (1.72-4.70) and 3.11 (1.84-5.26) after adjusting age, gender, race, and radiation treatment, compared with patients with tumors ≤ 1 cm (P < 0.001). The TC-specific mortalities and survivals were further investigated among more detailed subgroups divided by different tumor size, and a threshold of 3 cm could be observed (P < 0.005) for risk stratification. Conclusions: Mortality risk increased with tumor size in PTC patients in stage IVB. Our findings demonstrated the possibility of further stratification in IVB stage in current TNM staging system. Patients with tumor size over 3 cm had an excessively high risk of PTC-specific mortality, which may justify the necessity of more aggressive treatment for them.

Diet-Derived Phytochemicals Targeting Colon Cancer Stem Cells and Microbiota in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a fatal disease caused by the uncontrolled propagation and endurance of atypical colon cells. A person's lifestyle and eating pattern have significant impacts on the CRC in a positive and/or negative way. Diet-derived phytochemicals modulate the microbiome as well as targeting colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are found to offer significant protective effects against CRC, which were organized in an appropriate spot on the paper. All information on dietary phytochemicals, gut microbiome, CSCs, and their influence on CRC were accessed from the various databases and electronic search engines. The effectiveness of CRC can be reduced using various dietary phytochemicals or modulating microbiome that reduces or inverses the progression of a tumor as well as CSCs, which could be a promising and efficient way to reduce the burden of CRC. Phytochemicals with modulation of gut microbiome continue to be auspicious investigations in CRC through noticeable anti-tumorigenic effects and goals to CSCs, which provides new openings for cancer inhibition and treatment.

Guava leaves extract ameliorates STZ induced diabetes mellitus via activation of PI3K/AKT signaling in skeletal muscle of rats.

Blood glucose homeostasis and insulin signaling pathway regulation take a vital role in the management of diabetes mellitus. Our present was designed to explore the mechanism of the blood homeostasis, regulation of oxidative stress and insulin signaling pathway by guava leaf extract (GLE). Diabetes mellitus was induced in male albino Wistar by streptozotocin (STZ) (Single dose-40 mg/kg b.w.). As an extension STZ rats received GLE (GLE; 200 mg/kg b.w). At the end of the study the lipid peroxidation products, antioxidants, insulin signaling genes were analyzed. Treatment with GLE resulted in decreased plasma and skeletal muscle lipid peroxidation markers, increased antioxidants, and improved insulin signaling genes. GLE treatment helps to maintain blood homeostasis alleviates oxidative stress and regulates the insulin signaling genes in skeletal muscle. Overall the results suggest GLE treatment regulates blood glucose, inhibits oxidative stress, and importantly it regulates insulin signaling pathway genes in skeletal muscle. Further studies on the GLE role in other important pathways can add additional strength to the claim that GLE is a strong anti-diabetic candidate.

Changes of serum retinol-binding protein 4 associated with improved insulin resistance after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in Chinese obese patients.

BACKGROUND: Serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) plays a critical role in insulin resistance. The mechanism behind the impact of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) on glucose metabolism is unclear. Hence, we aimed to investigate the triangle relationship between the RBP4, glucose metabolism, and LSG in patients of Chinese ethnicity. METHODS: The study enrolled eighty-two obese patients. Glucose-lipid metabolic index, uric acid (UA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxin (FT4) and thyrotropin (TSH) were measured. RBP4 levels were detected by enzyme-link immunosorbent assay. 30 obese patients underwent LSG were studied. All these markers were measured again at a time interval of 3 and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: (1) Circulating RBP4 levels were positively associated with body mass index(BMI), blood glucose in 0 min (BG0), BG30, BG120, BG180, fasting inulin(FINS), fasting C peptide(FCP), homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), SOD, TSH and negatively associated with Matsuda index in obesity with a significant difference (P < 0.05). RBP4 levels in the patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia were significantly higher than the patients without IFG, insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (P = 0.035, P = 0.001, and P = 0.007). (2) LSG resulted in significantly decreased FBG, FINS, FCP and HOMA-IR at 3, 6 months after surgery (all P < 0.05). The RBP4 levels were significantly decreased after surgery (all P < 0.05) with no gender difference. (3) The change in RBP4 levels was significantly associated with the change in FINS, FCP, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-ß at 6 months and the change in TSH at 3 months after surgery in males (all P < 0.05). The change in RBP4 levels were significantly associated with the change in FINS, FCP, HOMA-IR, HOMA-ß, and TCH at 3 months after surgery in females (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results interpret the significant correlations between RBP4, glucose-lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and thyroid function in obese patients. Further, the LSG brings a decline in RBP4 levels and that may contribute partly to the improved insulin resistance in obese Chinese patients.

A critical review of the relationship between dietary components, the gut microbe Akkermansia muciniphila, and human health.

The human gut contains trillions of microorganisms with a great diversity that are associated with various health benefits. Recent studies have reported an increasing correlation between diet, gut microbiota, and human health, indicating rapid development in the field of gut health. Diet is an important factor that determines the gut microbiota composition. The gut comprises great diversities of microbes involved in immune modulation and other functions. In particular, Akkermansia muciniphila is a mucin-degrading bacterium is believed to have several health benefits in humans. Several studies have evaluated the prebiotic effects of various dietary components on A. muciniphila and their association with various ailments, such as diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Hence, this review aims to provide a plausible mechanistic basis for the interactions between dietary components, and A. muciniphila and for the therapeutic benefits of this interaction on various illnesses.

A critical review on diet-induced microbiota changes and cardiovascular diseases.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) commonly denote the disorders that generally occur as a result of unhealthy food habits. Heart failure, cerebrovascular illness, rheumatic heart disease are the common CVDs. The prevalence of CVD is increased considerably in recent decades upon unhealthy food habits and varied alternative factors such as diabetes, smoking and excessive use of alcohol. A change into a healthy food habit can reverse the strategy during a course of time.Objectives of the study: The objective of this review is to summarize the research findings and elaborate the relationship between the diet, gut microbiota, and CVD.Results: The dietary products containing the least saturated, trans-fat and cholesterol have the tendency to scale back the burden of CVDs, for instance, vegetables and fruits. The potential reason for the cardioprotective activity of the diet ought to be its high-unsaturated fatty acid composition and less saturated fat. Recent studies have found that gut microbiota plays a key role in mediating disease prevention. The metabolism of dietary products into varied bioactive metabolites is regulated by gut microbiota. The contributory role of gut microbiota in dietary metabolism and CVD prevention studies are increasing with promising outcomes.Conclusion: Hence, the review was proposed to reach the researchers within this field of study and share the available knowledge in gut microbiota-mediated CVD prevention. In our current review, we have updated all the research findings within the field of diet-mediated cardiovascular prevention through gut microbiota.

Dietary Supplementation with Sea Bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) Ameliorates Ulcerative Colitis and Inflammation in Macrophages through Inhibiting Toll-Like Receptor 4-Linked Pathways.

Sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) is a kind of food material commonly consumed in daily life. In traditional Chinese medicinal books, it has been indicated that sea bass can be applied for managing many inflammation-associated conditions. However, the studies on the pharmacological mechanisms of inflammation of sea bass remain scarce. Hence, this study aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory activity of sea bass. Anti-inflammatory activities of sea bass were assessed using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in a mice model and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages model. Low body weight and short colon length were observed in DSS-fed mice that were significantly recovered upon sea bass treatments. Moreover, the colon histopathology score showed that sea bass-treated mice had decreased crypt damage, focal inflammation infiltration and the extent of inflammation, suggesting that treatment with sea bass could attenuate intestinal inflammation. In addition, the in-vitro study conjointly indicated that sea bass could suppress the inflammatory mediators in LPS-activated macrophage by inhibiting the TLR4-linked pathway. The present findings demonstrated that sea bass has an inhibitory effect on TLR4 signaling; thus, it could be a promising candidate for treating inflammation-associated conditions. A further justification for the clinical application of sea bass in treating inflammation-associated conditions is necessary.

Sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) accelerates wound healing: A transition from inflammation to proliferation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) has been used for dietary therapy practice for wound healing of puerperal or surgery patients in China. Traditional Chinese medicinal books also documented that sea bass can be used to manage inflammation-associated conditions such as wound, miscarriage and cough. Some studies also proved that dietary supplement with fish benefited for treating many inflammatory - associated conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, ulcerative colitis and hyperlipidemia. However, the studies on the pharmacological mechanisms of wound healing efficacy of sea bass remain lack of investigation. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular mechanisms of sea bass on wound healing efficacy. Establishing a further justification for clinical application of aqueous extract of sea bass (ASB) in treating wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Transition from inflammation to proliferation phase treated as the critical step in wound repair which were investigated via in vitro and in vivo study. A series of inflammatory mediators associated with wound healing and proliferation effects of fibroblasts upon treatments were studied via Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and scratch assay. The cutaneous wound model was applied on skin wound healing study to observe the healing process in C57BL/6 mice upon ASB treatments. Hematological parameters and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretions in serum were determined. Histopathological examinations were conducted by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masson staining. Immunofluorescence were performed to identify infiltrating neutrophils (MPO) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). RESULTS: Results showed that ASB significantly reduced the production of inflammatory mediators cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nitrite oxide (NO) production and TNF-α. The phosphorylation and nuclear protein levels of transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-ĸB) in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling were decreased by ASB treatment as well. Wound closure rate and cyclin D1 expression level of fibroblasts were significantly increased by ASB treatments. Moreover, cutaneous wound model in C57BL/6 mice presented many similarities in appearance to the process of wound healing. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro study demonstrated an inhibitory effect of ASB on the inflammatory mediators regulated by TLR4 signaling pathways, providing evidence that ASB treatment potentially accelerate the wound healing through migration and proliferation enhancement. Additionally, the in vivo study suggested that ASB treatment has a potential in accelerating the proliferation phase of wound healing via well-organized abundant collagen deposition, angiogenesis and re-epithelialization in wounds. The present findings can be treated as a pharmacological basis for the folk use of sea bass and further studies in biological and medical fields.

An insight into the health benefits of fermented soy products.

The current review was aimed to summarize the nutritional values and various health benefits of fermented soy products. Several previous researches proved that soy products rich in protein can reduce the serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), and triglycerides if consumed instead of animal protein. Apart from these lipid-lowering effects, fermented soy products also proved to be effective in attenuating the effects of diabetes mellitus, blood pressure, cardiac disorders and cancer-related issues. The nutritional value of the fermented soy products gains much attention due to its increased levels compared to the non-fermented ones. The origin, compositions, nutritional values of different fermented soy products and health-promoting benefits of fermented soy products were systematically reviewed. Hence the in-depth analysis of the various research findings on fermented soy products, beneficial activities may help the future researchers to derive a conclusion on its beneficial effects on health.

A critical review on the impacts of ß-glucans on gut microbiota and human health.

The ß-glucans are the glucose polymers present in the cells walls of yeast, fungi and cereals. ß-Glucans are the major compositions of various nutritional diets such as oats, barley, seaweeds and mushrooms. Various biological activities of ß-glucans have been reported such as anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects. The importance of ß-glucans in food processing industries such as bread preparation, yogurt and pasta have been well elucidated. In recent findings on food science research gut microbiota plays a significant role and vastly studied for its intermediate role in regulating health. Several reports have suggested that ß-glucans should have a significant impact on the gut microbiota changes and in turn on human health. The review was aimed to accumulate the evidence on types of ß-glucans, their functional properties and the mechanism by how the ß-glucans regulate the gut microbiota and human health. The various in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies, have been summarized, in particular, the changes happening upon the ß-glucans supplementation on the gut microbiota. Overall, this review updates the recent studies on ß-glucans and gut microbiota and also inputs the demanding questions to be addressed in ß-glucans-microbiota research in the future.

A critical review on hepatoprotective effects of bioactive food components.

BACKGROUND: Bioactive food components are nonessential biomolecules, which help to give beneficial effects to human being against several diseases. Natural bioactive food components derived from plants and animals, such as phytosterols, carotenoids, polyphenols and fatty acids, have been proposed as valuable substitutions for anticipation and management of hepatotoxic effects and its chronic complications based on in vitro and in vivo studies. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: To summarize drugs and chemical-induced hepatotoxicity and review how various bioactive food components attenuate the hepatotoxicity via cellular mechanisms. RESULTS: Remarkable studies demonstrated that the health promoting effects of bioactive components originated from plants have been frequently attributed to their antioxidant properties and facilitate to increase cellular antioxidant defense system and thereby scavenge free radicals, inhibit lipid peroxidation, augment anti-inflammatory potential, and further protect the liver from damage. CONCLUSION: In this critical review, we summarize current progress in clarifying the molecular mechanism in hepatotoxicity and curative potential of the bioactive food components and its successive clinical outcomes in the field of drug discovery and overcome the problems of medication and chemical-induced hepatotoxic effects.

A Critical Review on Health Promoting Benefits of Edible Mushrooms through Gut Microbiota.

Mushrooms have long been used for medicinal and food purposes for over a thousand years, but a complete elucidation of the health-promoting properties of mushrooms through regulating gut microbiota has not yet been fully exploited. Mushrooms comprise a vast, and yet largely untapped, source of powerful new pharmaceutical substances. Mushrooms have been used in health care for treating simple and common diseases, like skin diseases and pandemic diseases like AIDS. This review is aimed at accumulating the health-promoting benefits of edible mushrooms through gut microbiota. Mushrooms are proven to possess anti-allergic, anti-cholesterol, anti-tumor, and anti-cancer properties. Mushrooms are rich in carbohydrates, like chitin, hemicellulose, ß and α-glucans, mannans, xylans, and galactans, which make them the right choice for prebiotics. Mushrooms act as a prebiotics to stimulate the growth of gut microbiota, conferring health benefits to the host. In the present review, we have summarized the beneficial activities of various mushrooms on gut microbiota via the inhibition of exogenous pathogens and, thus, improving the host health.

An Updated Portrait of Pathogenesis, Molecular Markers and Signaling Pathways of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the vital cause of cancer -related death throughout the world. At present, the exact mechanism responsible for the formation of HCC and its maintenance remains suspicious. Hepatocarcinogenesis involves a multistep activity involving several genetic aberrations which result in malignant transformation of the liver cells. The prevalence and occurrence of this disease are kept on increasing and an increase in the liver transplantation cases are vital indications for it. In the past decades, significant progress has been achieved toward the better elucidation of molecular pathways of oncogenic processes. Several, cell signaling mechanisms involved in tumor pathogenesis have been identified, leading to the production of new tumor markers and to set targets for therapy, including cytokines, enzymes, proteantigens. However, more tumor markers are in need for the effective early diagnosis of the disease condition and monitor the treatment efficacy. This review updates the recent findings in key molecular markers, pathways involved, animal models and treatment strategies in HCC and the advances obtained from basic research and clinical studies.