Significance of radiologic location and extent of portal venous involvement on prognosis after resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients with portal venous involvement according to its location and extent on radiologic findings. METHODS: From January 2003 to December 2011, the medical records of 543 patients who had undergone pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreas head cancer in Asan Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. The portal vein (PV) resection (PVR) patients (n = 147) were classified according to the location (NPVC group, without PV confluence invasion; PVC group, with PV confluence invasion) and extent (group A, the tumor surrounded less than two thirds of the vessel perimeter; group B, the tumor extended over two thirds) of venous involvement on radiologic findings. RESULTS: The survival rate of the patients who underwent PD with PVR was significantly lower than that of the patients who underwent PD without PVR (P = 0.009). The NPVC group and group A had significantly better prognoses than the PVC group and group B (P = 0.033 and P = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic cancer with venous involvement had different prognoses according to the location and extent of venous involvement. The patients with PV confluence or extensive vein invasion are recommended the neoadjuvant treatments.

Antiobesity activity of Vigna nakashimae extract in high-fat diet-induced obesity.

In this study, we evaluated the antiobesity effects of Vigna nakashimae (VN) extract and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. VN extract suppressed adipocyte differentiation and significantly attenuated the expression of adipogenic genes in 3T3-L1 cells. It decreased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and its target genes in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. Moreover, it enhanced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), and increased the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes. In high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice, VN extract suppressed HFD-induced increases in body weight, epididymal fat tissue weight, and hepatic lipid levels, and decreased the plasma levels of triacylglycerols, fatty acid, total cholesterol, and inflammatory cytokines. Consistently with in vitro study results, VN extract prevented HFD-induced increases in the expression of PPARγ and its target genes, and restored the decrease in the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC in epididymal fat and liver tissues. These findings suggest that Vigna nakashimae prevents obesity through suppression of PPARγ expression and activation of AMPK, and that it might be a useful dietary supplement for the prevention of obesity.

Antidiabetic effects of Vigna nakashimae extract in db/db mice.

The inhibitory activity of Vigna nakashimae extract against intestinal α-glucosidase was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The extract exerted a significant inhibitory effect against intestinal α-glucosidases. With sucrose-loading, it reduced the peak responses of blood glucose significantly in normal mice. Next, it was administrated to 8-week-old db/db mice for 2 weeks, and then plasma glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels were measured. The extract significantly suppressed postprandial hyperglycemia and blood glycated hemoglobin in the db/db mice. In addition, it lowered fasting glucose and improved glucose tolerance. Furthermore, it led to significant decreases in plasma triglyceride levels. It reduced endoplasmic reticulum stress in thapsigargin-induced HepG2 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that Vigna nakashimae extract has hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects that occur via inhibition of α-glucosidase activity and endoplasmic reticulum stress.