Self-triggered thermoelectric nanoheterojunction for cancer catalytic and immunotherapy.

The exogenous excitation requirement and electron-hole recombination are the key elements limiting the application of catalytic therapies. Here a tumor microenvironment (TME)-specific self-triggered thermoelectric nanoheterojunction (Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3/CaO2 nanosheets, BST/CaO2 NSs) with self-built-in electric field facilitated charge separation is fabricated. Upon exposure to TME, the CaO2 coating undergoes rapid hydrolysis, releasing Ca2+, H2O2, and heat. The resulting temperature difference on the BST NSs initiates a thermoelectric effect, driving reactive oxygen species production. H2O2 not only serves as a substrate supplement for ROS generation but also dysregulates Ca2+ channels, preventing Ca2+ efflux. This further exacerbates calcium overload-mediated therapy. Additionally, Ca2+ promotes DC maturation and tumor antigen presentation, facilitating immunotherapy. It is worth noting that the CaO2 NP coating hydrolyzes very slowly in normal cells, releasing Ca2+ and O2 without causing any adverse effects. Tumor-specific self-triggered thermoelectric nanoheterojunction combined catalytic therapy, ion interference therapy, and immunotherapy exhibit excellent antitumor performance in female mice.

Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation on Serum Lipid Profile and Blood Pressure in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) supplementation on serum lipid profile and blood pressure in patients with metabolic syndrome. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane library from database inception to 30 April 2022. This meta-analysis included eight trials with 387 participants. We found that supplementation of n-3 PUFAs has no significant reduction in TC level (SMD = -0.02; 95% CI: -0.22 ~ 0.18, I2 = 23.7%) and LDL-c level in serum (SMD = 0.18; 95% CI: -0.18 ~ 0.53, I2 = 54.9%) of patients with metabolic syndrome. Moreover, we found no significant increase in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (SMD = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.21 ~ 0.25, I2 = 0%) in patients with metabolic syndrome after consuming n-3 PUFAs. In addition, we found that n-3 PUFAs can significantly decrease serum triglyceride levels (SMD= -0.39; 95% CI: -0.59 ~ -0.18, I2 = 17.2%), systolic blood pressure (SMD = -0.54; 95% CI: -0.86 ~ -0.22, I2 = 48.6%), and diastolic blood pressure (SMD = -0.56; 95% CI: -0.79 ~ 0.33, I2 = 14.0%) in patients with metabolic syndrome. The results from the sensitivity analysis confirmed that our results were robust. These findings suggest that n-3 PUFA supplementation may serve as a potential dietary supplement for improving lipids and blood pressure in metabolic syndrome. Given the quality of the included studies, further studies are still needed to verify our findings.

Comparative effects of vitamin and mineral supplements in the management of type 2 diabetes in primary care: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Medical nutrition treatment can manage diabetes and slow or prevent its complications. The comparative effects of micronutrient supplements, however, have not yet been well established. We aimed at evaluating the comparative effects of vitamin and mineral supplements on managing glycemic control and lipid metabolism for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to inform clinical practice. Electronic and hand searches for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were performed until June 1, 2022. We selected RCTs enrolling patients with T2DM who were treated with vitamin supplements, mineral supplements, or placebo/no treatment. Data were pooled via frequentist random-effects network meta-analyses. A total of 170 eligible trials and 14223 participants were included. Low to very low certainty evidence established chromium supplements as the most effective in reducing fasting blood glucose levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (SUCRAs: 90.4% and 78.3%, respectively). Vitamin K supplements ranked best in reducing glycated hemoglobin A1c and fasting insulin levels (SUCRAs: 97.0% and 82.3%, respectively), with moderate to very low certainty evidence. Vanadium supplements ranked best in lowering total cholesterol levels with very low evidence certainty (SUCRAs:100%). Niacin supplements ranked best in triglyceride reductions and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels with low to very low evidence certainty (SUCRAs:93.7% and 94.6%, respectively). Vitamin E supplements ranked best in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels with very low evidence certainty (SUCRAs:80.0%). Our analyses indicated that micronutrient supplements, especially chromium, vitamin E, vitamin K, vanadium, and niacin supplements, may be more efficacious in managing T2DM than other micronutrients. Considering the clinical importance of these findings, new research is needed to get better insight into this issue.

Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal metastasis from breast cancer: a preliminary report of 4 cases.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) has the highest morbidity and the fifth-highest mortality rate among women in China. Peritoneal metastases from BC are rare, and presently, there are no guidelines or international consensus on its treatment. Patients with a prognosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) have poorer survival rates than patients with other regional metastases from BC. METHODS: Four BC PC patients, who had undergone cytoreductive surgery (CRS) + hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), participated in this study. Clinicopathologic characteristics and overall survival (OS) data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Patients' average age when they underwent CRS + HIPEC was 59.8 years. The average time of CRS + HIPEC was 8.8 h. The median number of resected organ areas was 7. Following CRS + HIPEC, each of the 4 patients survived for 31, 28, 16 and 52 months, respectively. There were no serious adverse events during the perioperative period. CONCLUSIONS: The study examined the detailed process of CRS + HIPEC and found that patients with BC PC may benefit from this treatment. The 4 cases provided evidence that the integrated therapy of CRS + HIPEC is a promising strategy that could improve outcomes for BC PC patients. Further, no serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred during the CRS + HIPEC perioperative period.

Danhong Injection Alleviates Postoperative Intra-abdominal Adhesion in a Rat Model.

BACKGROUND: Among all the common complications that occur after abdominal surgery, intestinal adhesion is perhaps the most unpleasant one. However, current methods to treat and prevent intestinal adhesion are limited; thus, exploring new methods to prevent and treat intestinal adhesion is greatly needed. In this study, we demonstrated that Danhong injection (DHI) may be used as a promising method to prevent and treat intra-abdominal adhesion in a rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into six groups. Except for the sham-operated group, all rats underwent cecal abrasion to establish an adhesion model. After the operation, the rats in the DHI-treated groups received different doses of DHI via the tail vein daily, while the other group was treated with the same volume of saline solution. Seven days after the operation, all rats were sacrificed, and the degree of adhesion was evaluated by Nair's scoring system. The extent of inflammation in the adhesion tissue was detected by HE staining and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß). The collagen deposition was assessed by Sirius red staining and α-SMA, MMP9, t-PA, and PAI-1 levels. Oxidative stress was indicated by the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in adhesion tissues and by immunohistochemical labeling of Nrf2. Furthermore, rat primary peritoneal mesothelial cells (RPMCs) were treated with H2O2 and DHI, and NF-κB phosphorylation was detected to illustrate the effect of DHI on oxidative stress. RESULTS: The intra-abdominal adhesion scores were significantly decreased in the groups treated with a high dose of DHI compared with the control groups, and the degree of inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress was also significantly decreased. DHI treatment significantly reduced the levels of TNF-α, TGF-ß1, and PAI and increased the expression levels of MMP9, Nrf2, and t-PA in the adhesion tissues. ROS levels and NF-κB phosphorylation were significantly reduced in DHI-treated RPMCs compared with the control RPMCs. CONCLUSION: DHI alleviates the formation of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions by inhibiting inflammation, collagen deposition, and oxidative stress in a rat model and may serve as a promising drug to prevent intra-abdominal adhesions.

[Application of convolute manipulation for the treatment of femoral fractures in children].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the application of convoluted manipulation in pediatric femoral fractures. METHODS: From March 2015 to October 2016, 12 children with femoral fractures were treated by Chinese traditional manipulation including 8 males and 4 females with an average age of 6 years old ranging from 1 to 12 years old. The causes of injury were falls in 10 cases and traffic accidents in 2 cases. Of which 1 case was transverse fractures, 4 cases were oblique fractures and 4 cases were spiral fractures, 2 cases were comminuted fracture, 1 case was greenstick fracture. All patients underwent manual reduction within 1 to 2 days, plus small splint with cedar bark, and parallel lower limb traction. RESULTS: All the 12 patients were followed up for 1-3 months, with an average of 2 months. All the 12 patients achieved clinical union, and the average healing time was 6 weeks. There was no obvious shortening and rotational angulation. At the last follow-up, Schatzker-Lambert distal femoral fracture evaluation results were excellent in 11 cases, good in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: Convoluted manipulation is very important for reduction of femoral fractures in children, with the splint of cedar bark, satisfactory therapeutic effect can be achieved.