Effects of Guizhi and Erxian Decoction on menopausal hot flashes: insights from the gut microbiome and metabolic profiles.

AIMS: To examine the influence of GED on the gut microbiota and metabolites using a bilateral ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. We tried to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of GED in the treatment of menopausal hot flashes. METHODS AND RESULTS: 16S rRNA sequencing, metabonomics, molecular biological analysis, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) were conducted to elucidate the mechanisms by which GED regulates the gut microbiota. GED significantly reduced OVX-induced hot flashes and improved disturbances in the gut microbiota metabolites. Moreover, FMT validated that the gut microbiota can trigger hot flashes, while GED can alleviate hot flash symptoms by modulating the composition of the gut microbiota. Specifically, GED upregulated the abundance of Blautia, thereby increasing l(+)-ornithine levels for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes. Additionally, GED affected endothelial nitric oxide synthase and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) levels in the hypothalamic preoptic area by changing the gut microbiota composition. CONCLUSIONS: Our study illuminated the underlying mechanisms by which GED attenuated the hot flashes through modulation of the gut microbiota and explored the regulatory role of the gut microbiota on HSP70 expression in the preoptic anterior hypothalamus, thereby establishing a foundation for further exploration of the role of the gut-brain axis in hot flashes.

Regorafenib plus programmed death­1 inhibitors vs. regorafenib monotherapy in second­line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta­analysis.

The present study compared the efficacy and safety of regorafenib plus programmed death-1 inhibitors (R-P) with regorafenib monotherapy as second-line therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A systematic search of relevant literature published in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases until October 2023 was conducted. Two authors independently performed data extraction and screening using standardized protocols. Stata/MP 17.0 was used for the meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of R-P treatment on major outcome indicators, including overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS), tumor response and adverse reactions, in patients with advanced HCC. The results indicated that five cohort studies involving 444 patients with advanced HCC were included. The results revealed that R-P treatment improved overall survival [hazard ratio (HR), 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48-0.77; I2=0.0%; P=0.663] and PFS (HR, 0.51; 95% CI 0.41-0.63; I2=17.5%; P=0.303). Additionally, it increased the objective response rate (risk ratio, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.49-3.64; I2=0.0%; P=0.994) and disease control rate (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.20-1.63; I2=0.0%; P=0.892) compared with those of regorafenib. However, R-P treatment was associated with an increased incidence of adverse events, such as hypothyroidism, thrombocytopenia and rash, compared with that in regorafenib. In conclusion, R-P is superior to regorafenib monotherapy in terms of survival benefits and tumor response.

Comparing robotic and open surgical techniques in gallbladder cancer management: a detailed systematic review and meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the safety and oncological outcomes of robotic surgery compared to open surgery in treating gallbladder cancer (GBC). In October 2023, we performed a literature search across major global databases such as PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. We employed a Review Manager for parameter comparisons. This study has been registered with PROSPERO under the identifier CRD42023476686. Our final meta-analysis incorporated 5 cohort studies, encompassing a total of 353 patients. Compared to the Open Group (OG), the Robotic Group (RG) had reduced intraoperative blood loss (WMD - 217.72 ml, 95% CI - 371.08 to - 64.35; p = 0.005), shorter hospital stay (WMD - 1.80 days, 95% CI - 2.66 to - 0.95; p < 0.0001), and fewer overall complications (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.10-0.97; p = 0.04). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of operation duration, postoperative inpatient days, readmission rate, major complications, 1-year postoperative survival, 2-year postoperative survival, and mortality rates. In our study, we found that for patients with gallbladder cancer, robotic radical cholecystectomy offers certain potential advantages over open radical cholecystectomy. This suggests that robotic radical cholecystectomy might be the optimal choice for treating gallbladder cancer. However, further validation from high-quality randomized clinical trials is required.