Is percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) effective for fecal incontinence (FI) in adults compared with sham electrical stimulation? A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sacral nerve neuromodulation (SNM) has been considered the optimal second-line treatment for fecal incontinence (FI). However, SNM involves high cost and requires highly skilled operators. Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) has emerged as an alternative treatment modality for FI, yielding varying clinical outcomes. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of PTNS compared to sham electrical stimulation for FI. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies from May 12, 2012 to May 12, 2022. RESULTS: Four randomized controlled studies were included in this review, involving a total of 439 adult patients with FI (300 in the PTNS group and 194 in the sham electrical stimulation group). Our meta-analysis revealed that PTNS demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing weekly episodes of FI compared to the control groups (MD - 1.6, 95% CI - 2.94 to - 0.26, p = 0.02, I2 = 30%). Furthermore, a greater proportion of patients in the PTNS group reported more than a 50% reduction in FI episodes per week (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.57-0.94, p = 0.02, I2 = 6%). However, no significant differences were observed in any domains of the FI Quality of Life (QoL) and St Mark's incontinence scores (MD - 2.41, 95% CI - 5.1 to 0.27, p = 0.08, I2 = 67%). Importantly, no severe adverse events related to PTNS were reported in any of the participants. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis revealed that PTNS was more effective than sham stimulation in reducing FI episodes and led to a higher proportion of patients reporting more than a 50% reduction in weekly FI episodes.

Pregnancy thiamine and riboflavin intake and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Thiamine and riboflavin deficiencies exist to varying degrees worldwide, especially in developing countries. Evidence regarding the association between thiamine and riboflavin intake and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is scarce. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the association of thiamine and riboflavin intake during pregnancy, including dietary source and supplementation, with GDM risk in a prospective cohort study. METHODS: We included 3036 pregnant women (923 in the first trimester and 2113 in the second trimester) from the Tongji Birth Cohort. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and a lifestyle questionnaire were used to assess thiamine and riboflavin intake from dietary source and supplementation, respectively. GDM was diagnosed using the 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks of gestation. A modified Poisson regression or logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between thiamine and riboflavin intake and GDM risk. RESULTS: Dietary intake of thiamine and riboflavin was at low levels during pregnancy. In the fully adjusted model, compared with participants in quartile 1 (Q1), those who had more total thiamine and riboflavin intake had a lower risk of GDM during the first trimester [thiamine: Q2: RR: 0.58 (95% CI: 0.34, 0.98); Q3: RR: 0.45 (95% CI: 0.24, 0.84); Q4: RR: 0.35 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.72), P for trend = 0.002; riboflavin: Q2: RR: 0.63 (95% CI: 0.37, 1.09); Q3: RR: 0.45 (95% CI: 0.24, 0.87); Q4: RR: 0.39 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.79), P for trend = 0.006]. This association was also observed during the second trimester. Similar results were observed for the association between thiamine and riboflavin supplement use but not dietary intake and GDM risk. CONCLUSIONS: Higher intake of thiamine and riboflavin during pregnancy is associated with a lower incidence of GDM. This trial was registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn as ChiCTR1800016908.

Upregulation of Yin-Yang-1 Associates with Proliferation and Glutamine Metabolism in Esophageal Carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the expression of Yin-Yang-1 (YY1) in esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) and its effect on glutamine metabolism in ESCA. Methods: The expression and roles of YY1 in ESCA were investigated using a series of bioinformatics databases and tools. The expression of YY1 between ESCA tissues with the corresponding adjacent tissues was validated using real-time PCR, western blot, and immunohistochemical staining method. Furthermore, the effects of YY1 on ESCC cell proliferation and migration were examined. The correlation between the YY1 and glutamine metabolism was evaluated by western blot. Results: YY1 gene was highly conserved in evolution and upregulated in ESCA tissues and ESCC cell lines (ECA109 and TE-1). In addition, YY1 may affect the level of immune cell infiltration and promote tumor cell immune escape. Functional enrichment analysis found that YY1 involved in many biological processes, such as cell division and glutathione and glutamine metabolism. After siRNA knockdown of YY1 in ECA109 and TE-1, the proliferation and the migration of ECA109 and TE-1 were suppressed. The glutamine consumption and glutamate production were significantly decreased. The protein expression of alanine-, serine-, cysteine-preferring transporter 2 (ASCT2), glutaminase (GLS), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD1) was significantly downregulated. Conclusion: YY1 is highly expressed in ESCA and may promote glutamine metabolism of ESCC cells, indicating it may be as a diagnostic biomarker for ESCA.

The anti-migration and anti-invasion effects of Bruceine D in human triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

Brucein D (BD) is a naturally occurring major active quassinoid extracted from the Chinese medicinal herb Brucea javanica, which has been previously demonstrated to exhibit anticancer activities. The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of BD on MDA-MB-231 cells, a human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line. An MTT assay was performed to assess cell viability, whilst wound healing and Transwell assay were applied to measure cell migration and invasion, respectively. Western blot analysis was performed to assess the expression of E-cadherin, vimentin and ß-catenin, which are proteins associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), and PI3K, AKT and p-AKT, which are key components of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. BD was indicated to reduce cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner, whilst cell invasion and migration were also significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis demonstrated that BD treatment significantly upregulated the expression of E-cadherin and downregulated the expression of vimentin and ß-catenin. Additionally, BD downregulated the expression of PI3K and reduced AKT phosphorylation. In conclusion, BD can inhibit MDA-MB-231 cell viability, migration and invasion, suggesting the potential use of BD for the treatment of TNBC.

Biomimetic Carriers Based on Giant Membrane Vesicles for Targeted Drug Delivery and Photodynamic/Photothermal Synergistic Therapy.

Membrane vesicles derived from live cells show great potential in biological applications due to their preserved cell membrane properties. Here, we demonstrate that cell-derived giant membrane vesicles can be used as vectors to deliver multiple therapeutic drugs and carry out combinational phototherapy for targeted cancer treatment. We show that therapeutic drugs can be efficiently encapsulated into giant membrane vesicles and delivered to target cells by membrane fusion, resulting in synergistic photodynamic/photothermal therapy under light irradiation. This study highlights biomimetic giant membrane vesicles for drug delivery with potential biomedical application in cancer therapeutics.

Ailanthone induces autophagic and apoptotic cell death in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells.

Ailanthone, which is extracted from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Ailanthus altissima, has been thoroughly demonstrated to have anti-tumor, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, anti-allergic and anti-microbial activities. However, the anti-proliferative effects of ailanthone on HL-60 cells and potential mechanisms underlying those effects have not been reported. In the present study, we demonstrated the potent cytotoxicity of ailanthone against HL-60 cells. Annexin V-APC/7-ADD staining assay indicated that ailanthone increased the number of apoptotic cells in a dose-dependent manner. PI staining showed that ailanthone increased the percentage of G0/G1-phase cells in a dose-dependent manner. Acridine orange staining suggested that ailanthone induced the formation of acidic vesicular organelles in HL-60 cells and pretreatment with BaF-A1 could attenuate this process. Western blotting showed that ailanthone up-regulated the protein expression levels of beclin-1 and LC3-II and down-regulated those of LC3-I and p62 in a dose-dependent manner. Use of BaF-A1 showed that the anti-proliferative effects of ailanthone on HL-60 cells may be partly attributable to the induction of autophagy-mediated apoptosis by MTT assay and annexin V-APC/7-ADD staining assay.

Ginkgo biloba leaf extract enhances levels of caspase-3 and amyloid precursor protein in normal rat hippocampus.

AIM: To explore the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) on the levels of caspase-3 and amyloid precursor protein (APP) in normal rats' hippocampus. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry method was used for qualitative analysis of the expressions of caspase-3 and APP, and an image analysis method was used for the quantification of the levels of caspase-3 and APP after GbE was administered to rats of different ages for 14 d. RESULTS: The mean absorbance of staining of caspase-3 and APP was markedly higher in GbE group than that in control groups. The expressions of caspase-3 and APP were intensified in the hippocampus of rats after GbE administration. CONCLUSION: GbE can raise the levels of caspase-3 and APP in the hippocampus of normal rats.