Cardiovascular disease therapeutics via engineered oral microbiota: Applications and perspective.

Engineering bacteria are considered as a potential treatment for cardiovascular diseases and related risk factors. Oral bacteria are closely related to the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases, and their engineering has broad prospects and potential in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Oral pathogenic bacteria undergo protein and genetic engineering, including the incorporation of exogenous plasmids to yield therapeutic effects; genetically engineered oral probiotics can be harnessed to secrete cytokines and reactive oxygen species, offering novel therapeutic avenues for cardiovascular diseases.

Using machine learning methods to analyze the association between urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and chronic bowel disorders in American adults.

The etiology of chronic bowel disorders is multifaceted, with environmental exposure to harmful substances potentially playing a significant role in their pathogenesis. However, research on the correlation between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and chronic bowel disorders remains limited. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 2009-2010, we investigated the relationship between 9 PAHs and chronic diarrhea and constipation in U.S. adults. We employed unsupervised methods such as clustering and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify participants with similar exposure patterns. Additionally, we used supervised learning techniques, namely weighted quantile sum (WQS) and Bayesian kernel machine (BKMR) regressions, to assess the association between PAHs and the occurrence of chronic diarrhea and chronic constipation. PCA identified three principal components in the unsupervised analysis, explaining 86.5% of the total PAH variability. The first component displayed a mild association with chronic diarrhea, but no correlation with chronic constipation. Participants were divided into three clusters via K-means clustering, based on PAH concentrations. Clusters with higher PAH exposure demonstrated an increased odds ratio for chronic diarrhea, but no meaningful connection with chronic constipation. In the supervised analysis, the WQS regression underscored a positive relationship between the PAH mixture and chronic diarrhea, with three PAHs significantly impacting the mixture effect. The mixture index showed no correlation with chronic constipation. BKMR analysis illustrated a positive trend in the impact of four specific PAHs on chronic diarrhea, given other metabolites were fixed at their 50th percentiles. Our results suggest a clear association between higher PAH exposure and an increased risk of chronic diarrhea, but not chronic constipation. It also underscores the potential role of specific PAHs in contributing to the risk of chronic diarrhea.

Using three statistical methods to analyze the association between aldehyde exposure and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to aldehydes has been linked to adverse health outcomes such as inflammation and oxidative stress, but research on the effects of these compounds is limited. This study is aimed at assessing the association between aldehyde exposure and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. METHODS: The study used data from the NHANES 2013-2014 survey (n = 766) and employed multivariate linear models to investigate the relationship between aldehyde compounds and various markers of inflammation (alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and lymphocyte count) and oxidative stress (bilirubin, albumin, and iron levels) while controlling for other relevant factors. In addition to generalized linear regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) analyses were applied to examine the single or overall effect of aldehyde compounds on the outcomes. RESULTS: In the multivariate linear regression model, each 1 standard deviation (SD) change in propanaldehyde and butyraldehyde was significantly associated with increases in serum iron levels (beta and 95% confidence interval, 3.25 (0.24, 6.27) and 8.40 (0.97, 15.83), respectively) and the lymphocyte count (0.10 (0.04, 0.16) and 0.18 (0.03, 0.34), respectively). In the WQS regression model, a significant association was discovered between the WQS index and both the albumin and iron levels. Furthermore, the results of the BKMR analysis showed that the overall impact of aldehyde compounds was significantly and positively correlated with the lymphocyte count, as well as the levels of albumin and iron, suggesting that these compounds may contribute to increased oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the close association between single or overall aldehyde compounds and markers of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which has essential guiding value for exploring the impact of environmental pollutants on population health.

Long-Term Stability of Tramadol and Ketamine Solutions for Patient-Controlled Analgesia Delivery.

BACKGROUND: Subanesthetic doses of ketamine as an adjuvant to tramadol in patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for postoperative pain have been shown to improve the quality of analgesia. However, there are no such commercially available drug mixtures, and the stability of the combination has rarely been assessed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Admixtures were assessed for periods of up to 14 days at 4°C and 25°C. Three different mixtures of tramadol and ketamine (tramadol 5.0 mg/mL + ketamine 0.5 mg/mL, tramadol 5.0 mg/mL + ketamine 1.0 mg/mL, and tramadol 5.0 mg/mL + ketamine 2.0 mg/mL) were prepared in polyolefin bags by combining these 2 drugs with 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline [NS]). The chemical stability of the admixtures was evaluated by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method and by measurement of pH values. Solution appearance and color were assessed by observing the samples against black and white backgrounds. Solutions were considered stable if they maintained 90% of the initial concentration of each drug. RESULTS: The percentages of initial concentration of tramadol and ketamine in the various solutions remained above 98% when stored at 4°C or 25°C over the testing period. No changes in color or turbidity were observed in any of the prepared solutions. Throughout this period, pH values remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the drug mixtures of tramadol with ketamine in NS for PCA delivery systems were stable for 14 days when stored in polyolefin bags at 4°C or 25°C.

Association between abortion and breast cancer: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis based on prospective studies.

OBJECTIVE: Although positive association between abortion and breast cancer was frequently reported from case-control studies, results from prospective studies were still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate this association based on prospective studies. METHODS: PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge and Embase were systematically searched for prospective studies on the association between abortion and breast cancer up to April 2014, supplemented by manual searches on the references. Two reviewers independently conducted the literature search, study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment of included studies. Random effects models were used to estimate the combined relative risks (RRs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs). RESULTS: Fifteen prospective studies [14 focused on induced abortion (IA), and 12 focused on spontaneous abortion (SA)] were included in the final analysis. The combined RRs (95 % CIs) of breast cancer risk were 1.00 (0.94-1.05) [1.00 (0.92-1.08) for cumulative-incidence data and 1.00 (0.94-1.05) for incidence-rate data] for IA, and 1.02 (0.95-1.09) [1.06 (0.96-1.16) for cumulative-incidence data and 1.01 (0.92-1.09) for incidence-rate data] for SA, respectively. Non-significant associations of breast cancer with IA and SA were also found among nulliparous women, women with abortion before or after the first full-term pregnancy, women with one or ≥ 2 abortions, and women with first abortion after 30 years old. CONCLUSION: The current prospective evidences are not sufficient to support the positive association between abortion (including IA and SA) and breast cancer risk.