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1.
Nutrition challenges following total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation.
Hasse, JM, Meng, S, Silpe, S, Naziruddin, B
Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2024;(1):86-99
Abstract
Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) is a surgical treatment option for patients with chronic pancreatitis who have not responded to other therapies. TP offers pain relief whereas IAT preserves beta cell mass to reduce endocrine insufficiency. During the surgical procedure, the entire pancreas is removed. Islet cells from the pancreas are then isolated, purified, and infused into the liver via the portal vein. Successful TPIAT relieves pain for a majority of patients but is not without obstacles, specifically gastrointestinal, exocrine, and endocrine challenges. The postoperative phase can be complicated by gastrointestinal symptoms causing patients to have difficulty regaining adequate oral intake. Enteral nutrition is frequently provided as a bridge to oral diet. Patients undergoing TPIAT must be monitored for macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies following the procedure. Exocrine insufficiency must be treated lifelong with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. Endocrine function must be monitored and exogenous insulin provided in the postoperative phase; however, a majority of patients undergoing TPIAT require little or no long-term insulin. Although TPIAT can be a successful option for patients with chronic pancreatitis, nutrition-related concerns must be addressed for optimal recovery.
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2.
Advances in Metabolic Remodeling and Intervention Strategies in Heart Failure.
Meng, S, Yu, Y, Yu, S, Zhu, S, Shi, M, Xiang, M, Ma, H
Journal of cardiovascular translational research. 2024;(1):36-55
Abstract
The heart is the most energy-demanding organ throughout the whole body. Perturbations or failure in energy metabolism contributes to heart failure (HF), which represents the advanced stage of various heart diseases. The poor prognosis and huge economic burden associated with HF underscore the high unmet need to explore novel therapies targeting metabolic modulators beyond conventional approaches focused on neurohormonal and hemodynamic regulators. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in metabolic substrate reliance, metabolic pathways, metabolic by-products, and energy production collectively regulate the occurrence and progression of HF. In this review, we provide an overview of cardiac metabolic remodeling, encompassing the utilization of free fatty acids, glucose metabolism, ketone bodies, and branched-chain amino acids both in the physiological condition and heart failure. Most importantly, the latest advances in pharmacological interventions are discussed as a promising therapeutic approach to restore cardiac function, drawing insights from recent basic research, preclinical and clinical studies.
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3.
Multifaced roles of desmoplastic reaction and fibrosis in pancreatic cancer progression: Current understanding and future directions.
Sato, H, Hara, T, Meng, S, Tsuji, Y, Arao, Y, Saito, Y, Sasaki, K, Kobayashi, S, Doki, Y, Eguchi, H, et al
Cancer science. 2023;(9):3487-3495
Abstract
Desmoplastic reaction is a fibrosis reaction that is characterized by a large amount of dense extracellular matrix (ECM) and dense fibrous stroma. Fibrotic stroma around the tumor has several different components, including myofibroblasts, collagen, and other ECM molecules. This stromal reaction is a natural response to the tissue injury process, and fibrosis formation is a key factor in pancreatic cancer development. The fibrotic stroma of pancreatic cancer is associated with tumor progression, metastasis, and poor prognosis. Reportedly, multiple processes are involved in fibrosis, which is largely associated with the upregulation of various cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and other growth factors that promote tumor growth and metastasis. Fibrosis is also associated with immunosuppressive cell recruitment, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs) with suppressing function to antitumor immunity. Further, dense fibrosis restricts the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the tumor cells, which can contribute to drug resistance. Furthermore, the dense collagen matrix can act as a physical barrier to block the entry of drugs into the tumor, thereby further contributing to drug resistance. Thus, understanding the mechanism of desmoplastic reaction and fibrosis in pancreatic cancer will open an avenue to innovative medicine and improve the prognosis of patients suffering from this disease.
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4.
A novel bioactive postbiotics: from microbiota-derived extracellular nanoparticles to health promoting.
Gu, Z, Meng, S, Wang, Y, Lyu, B, Li, P, Shang, N
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2023;(24):6885-6899
Abstract
In recent years, the emerging concern regarding safety issues associated with live bacterial cells is enhancing the interest in using cell components and metabolites derived from microbiota. Therefore, the term "postbiotics" is increasingly found in food microbiology, food scientific and commercial products. Postbiotics is defined as non-viable microorganisms or their components that provide benefits to the host. Many in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that beneficial microbiota-generated extracellular nanoparticles (NPs) confer unique health promoting functions to the intestinal local and systemic effects, which can be considered as a novel postbiotics. Meanwhile, the postbiotics-NPs is a protective complex, delivering bioactive components to reach distant tissues and organs at high concentrations. These properties demonstrate that postbiotics-NPs may contribute to the improvement of host health by regulating specific gut microbiota and physiological functions, while the exact mechanisms are not fully elucidated. This review highlights the current understanding of postbiotics-NPs functional properties and mechanisms of health benefits, especially focusing on the interactions in gut microbiota and host, functions in human health and potential applications in future functional food and biomedical fields.
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5.
Environmental Stimuli: A Major Challenge during Grain Filling in Cereals.
Teng, Z, Chen, Y, Meng, S, Duan, M, Zhang, J, Ye, N
International journal of molecular sciences. 2023;(3)
Abstract
Light, temperature, water, and fertilizer are arguably the most important environmental factors regulating crop growth and productivity. Environmental stimuli, including low light, extreme temperatures, and water stresses caused by climate change, affect crop growth and production and pose a growing threat to sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, soil salinity is another major environmental constraint affecting crop growth and threatening global food security. The grain filling stage is the final stage of growth and is also the most important stage in cereals, directly determining the grain weight and final yield. However, the grain filling process is extremely vulnerable to different environmental stimuli, especially for inferior spikelets. Given the importance of grain filling in cereals and the deterioration of environmental problems, understanding environmental stimuli and their effects on grain filling constitutes a major focus of crop research. In recent years, significant advances made in this field have led to a good description of the intricate mechanisms by which different environmental stimuli regulate grain filling, as well as approaches to adapt cereals to changing climate conditions and to give them better grain filling. In this review, the current environmental stimuli, their dose-response effect on grain filling, and the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved are discussed. Furthermore, what we can do to help cereal crops adapt to environmental stimuli is elaborated. Overall, we call for future research to delve deeper into the gene function-related research and the commercialization of gene-edited crops. Meanwhile, smart agriculture is the development trend of the future agriculture under environmental stimuli.
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6.
Mechanisms of and Potential Medications for Oxidative Stress in Ovarian Granulosa Cells: A Review.
Liu, S, Jia, Y, Meng, S, Luo, Y, Yang, Q, Pan, Z
International journal of molecular sciences. 2023;(11)
Abstract
Granulosa cells are essential for follicle initiation and development, and their abnormal function or apoptosis is a crucial factor leading to follicular atresia. A state of oxidative stress occurs when the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the regulation of the antioxidant system is disturbed. Oxidative stress is one of the most important causes of the abnormal function and apoptosis of granulosa cells. Oxidative stress in granulosa cells causes female reproductive system diseases, such as polycystic ovary syndrome and premature ovarian failure. In recent years, studies have confirmed that the mechanism of oxidative stress in granulosa cells is closely linked to the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, FOXO axis, Nrf2 pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and mitophagy. It has been found that drugs such as sulforaphane, Periplaneta americana peptide, and resveratrol can mitigate the functional damage caused by oxidative stress on granulosa cells. This paper reviews some of the mechanisms involved in oxidative stress in granulosa cells and describes the mechanisms underlying the pharmacological treatment of oxidative stress in granulosa cells.
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7.
Blood levels of circulating methionine components in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Zhao, Y, Dong, X, Chen, B, Zhang, Y, Meng, S, Guo, F, Guo, X, Zhu, J, Wang, H, Cui, H, et al
Frontiers in aging neuroscience. 2022;14:934070
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Plain language summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive deficits. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prodromal form of AD that is characterised by neurocognitive dysfunction. However, pathological changes associated with AD begin to occur in the brain at least 10 years before the onset of overt symptoms and clinical manifestations, making the discovery of early diagnostic methods and timely interventions important for AD management. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between circulating methionine (Met) components and AD/MCI. This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of thirty studies (10 case– control studies, 10 cohort studies, and 10 cross-sectional studies). Results show that: - individuals with AD compared with controls had significantly increased levels of homocysteine. - for people with MCI, there was no significant difference in blood homocysteine levels in the control group. - there were no differences in blood vitamin B12 levels between patients with AD or MCI and controls. Authors conclude that circulating Met components affect patients with AD compared to cognitively normal individuals, with patients exhibiting higher blood homocysteine levels. Additionally, high Met and S-adenosylmethionine levels are risk factors for AD, which supports the association between Met cycle components and AD/MCI.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating methionine components have been reported to be associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), although outcomes are not always consistent. MATERIALS AND METHODS Database searching was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to 26 December 2021. In this study, two reviewers independently identified eligible articles and extracted the data. We used Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal tools to assess the overall quality of the included studies. STATA software was employed to perform meta-analysis evaluating the standardized mean difference (SMD) with its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models. Evidence quality was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. RESULTS Totally, 30 observational studies were eligible for inclusion. Compared with cognitively normal controls, patients with AD had increased homocysteine (Hcy) levels in the blood [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36-0.82, P = 0.000], plasma (SMD = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.23-0.55, P = 0.000), and serum (SMD = 1.56, 95% CI: 0.59-2.95, P = 0.002). Patients with MCI were not significantly different from controls (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI: -0.07-0.58, P = 0.127). Patients with AD or MCI did not significantly differ from controls of blood vitamin B12 levels, AD (SMD = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.19-0.08, P = 0.440), or MCI (SMD = 0.01, 95% CI: -0.16-0.17, P = 0.94). Some cohort studies have suggested that higher Hcy, methionine, and S-adenosylmethionine levels may accelerate cognitive decline in patients with MCI or AD, and vitamin B12 deficiency is a risk factor for the disease; however, the results of other studies were inconsistent. According to the GRADE system, all these outcomes scored very low to low quality, and no high-quality evidence was found. CONCLUSION Only Hcy levels in the plasma and serum were found to be inversely related to the risk of AD. However, due to the low quality of supporting these results, high-quality studies are needed to verify these findings. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022308961.
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Efficacy of a 6-Week Home-Based Online Supervised Exercise Program Conducted During COVID-19 in Patients With Post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.
Li, J, Liu, B, Wang, Z, El-Ansary, D, Adams, R, Han, J, Meng, S
Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine. 2022;:853376
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a 6-week cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program designed for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that involved an online supervised exercise program that they could access during COVID-19. METHODS One hundred patients were randomly allocated into control group (CG) and supervision group (SG). CG accepted conventional health education with a home exercise program booklet delivered before discharge, SG had an additional home-based online supervised exercise program (HOSEP). Questionnaires, motor function and lipid profile were administered at baseline. Questionnaires included the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity questionnaire (GSLTPAQ) and Bandura's Exercise Self-efficacy (ESE). Motor function included: 6-min walk test (6 MWT), timed up and go test (TUG), 30-s sit to stand (30-s STS), and Hand Grip Strength (HG). Lipid profile included: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG). The questionnaires were re-administered after 2-weeks, all tests were re-evaluated after 6-weeks. RESULTS the questionnaire results showed that scores on GSLTPAQ and ESE were significantly improved in the SG. The changes in GSLTPAQ scores from baseline to 2- and 6-weeks in the SG were significantly higher than in the CG (2-week: 6.9 ± 13.0 for SG and 0.2 ± 10.2 for CG, p = 0.005; 6-week: 9.4 ± 18.1 for SG and 0.2 ± 11.8 for CG, p = 0.003). in terms of motor function, both the CG and SG improved TUG and 6 MWT performance, with the 6 MWT improvement being significantly greater in the SG than CG (43.7 ± 39.2 m for SG and 16.6 ± 39.1 m for CG, p = 0.001). Improvement in the 30-s STS was significantly greater in the SG than CG (2.4 ± 3.6 repetitions for SG and 0.4 ± 3.5 repetitions for CG, p = 0.007). the lipid profile level significantly improved over baseline in both SG and CG after 6-week intervention, and these changes were not statistically different between groups. CONCLUSION This pilot randomized control study demonstrated that a 6-week HOSEP, when added to education delivered pre-hospital discharge for CAD patients following PCI, was beneficial with respect to exercise self-efficacy, exercise behavior, motor function and lipid profile. Supervised exercise programs delivered online in addition to education providing effective and accessible CR during COVID-19.
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9.
Electric Field-Induced Specific Preconcentration to Enhance DNA-Based Electrochemical Sensing of Hg2+ via the Synergy of Enrichment and Self-Cleaning.
Liu, C, Li, Y, Chen, T, Meng, S, Liu, D, Dong, D, You, T
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 2022;(24):7412-7419
Abstract
Efficient preconcentration is critical for sensitive and selective electrochemical detection of metal ions, but rapid specific enrichment with depressed absorption of interfering ions at the electrode is challenging. Here, we proposed an electric field-induced specific preconcentration to boost the analytical performance of DNA-based electrochemical sensors for Hg2+ detection. As for such preconcentration, a positive external electric field was first used to enrich Hg2+ at an electrode assembled with T-rich DNA, thus boosting T-Hg2+-T recognitions. The following applied inverse electric field strips the nonspecifically absorbed Hg2+ and other interfering ions, thus depressing matrix interferences via self-cleaning. Based on this principle, we designed a portable device to realize programmable control of electric fields; a T-Hg2+-T recognition-based electrochemical sensor was thus fabricated as a model platform to assess the feasibility of electric field-induced preconcentration. The experimental results revealed that such a strategy decreased the time of T-Hg2+-T-based recognition from 60 to 20 min and led to detection with better reproducibility by depressing the influence of free Hg2+ as well as interfering ions. This strategy offered Hg2+ detection limits of 0.01 pM─three-fold better than that without preconcentration─within 22 min. The proposed preconcentration strategy offers a new way to enhance the analytical performance of sensing at the solid-liquid interface.
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10.
A combination of tetramethylpyrazine hydrochloride and butylphthalide on serum S100B, CRP, Hcy levels and NIHSS score in patients with acute cerebral infarction: A retrospective study.
Fu, B, Meng, S, Gao, G
Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences. 2022;(3(Special)):945-951
Abstract
To investigate the effect of tetramethylpyrazine hydrochloride combined with butylphthalide on serum S100B, CRP, Hcy and NIHSS score in patients with acute cerebral infarction. 80 patients with acute cerebral infarction treated in our hospital from February 2019 to February 2021 were selected for retrospective analysis, and according to different treatment methods, the patients were equally divided into control group (conventional treatment) and experimental group (tetramethylpyrazine hydrochloride and butylphthalide). After treatment, the total effective rate of patients in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); the levels of serum S100B, CRP and Hcy, and NHISS scores in the two groups decreased, and the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05); the ADL scores of the two groups increased and the experimental group witnessed higher score (P<0.05); the number of patients in the experimental group with scores of 0-2 and 5 were significantly larger than that in the control group (P<0.05). The combination of tetramethylpyrazine hydrochloride and butylphthalide emanates a promising result in the treatment of patients with ACI. It reduces serum S100B, CRP and Hcy levels, protects nerve tissue, and improves nerve function, and thus merits clinical application.