The Suppressive Effect of NF-kB Activation After Eicosapentaenoic Acid Intake Before Surgery.

Background/aim: To ascertain whether preoperative neo-adjuvant nutritional therapy (NANT) using eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplementation can provoke a rise in blood levels of EPA capable of restricting NF-B nuclear translocation in resected specimens.

Patients And Methods: Patients were allocated to two groups depending on individual preference: Patients in the treatment group received 2 g of EPA daily for two weeks prior to surgery (NANT group, n=18). Patients in the control group had a normal diet (CONT group, n=26).

CO-Laser-Micromachined, Polymer Microchannels with a Degassed PDMS slab for the Automatic Production of Monodispersed Water-in-Oil Droplets.

In our recent study, we fabricated a pump/tube-connection-free microchip comprising top and bottom polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slabs to produce monodispersed water-in-oil droplets in a fully automated, fluid-manipulation fashion. All microstructures required for droplet production were directly patterned on the surfaces of the two PDMS slabs through CO2-laser micromachining, facilitating the fast fabrication of the droplet-production microchips. In the current extension study, we replaced the bottom PDMS slab, which served as a microfluidic layer in the microchip, with a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) slab.

Clinical diagnostic performance evaluation of five immunoassays for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis in a real-life routine care setting.

While molecular techniques remain the gold standard for diagnosis of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, serological tests have the unique potential to ascertain how much of the population has been exposed to the COVID-19 pathogen. There have been limited published studies to date documenting the performance of SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays in Nigeria and so we evaluated the diagnostic performance of five (5) immunoassay on a set of clinical samples. Five automated immunoassays (2019-nCoV IgG/IgM antibody determination kit, Tigsun COVID-19 combo IgM/IgG rapid test, rapid response COVID-19 IgG/IgM test, COVID-19 IgM-IgG combined antibody rapid test, iChroma COVID-19 Ab) were tested.

The Mechanism of the Synergistic Anticancer Effect of CDDP and EPA in the TE1 Cell Line.

Background/aim: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an unsaturated fatty acid with various bioactivities, including antitumor effects. We previously reported a synergistic antitumor effect of cisplatin (CDDP) and EPA. Here, we examined the underlying mechanism.

CCN3 (NOV) Drives Degradative Changes in Aging Articular Cartilage.

Aging is a major risk factor of osteoarthritis, which is characterized by the degeneration of articular cartilage. CCN3, a member of the CCN family, is expressed in cartilage and has various physiological functions during chondrocyte development, differentiation, and regeneration. Here, we examine the role of CCN3 in cartilage maintenance.

Inhibitory Effect of Eicosapentaenoic Acid on the Migration of the Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line TE-1.

Background/aim: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) inhibits NF-ĸB activation and IL-6 production in TE-1 esophageal cancer cells. NF-ĸB is related to cancer cell migration. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether EPA has a metastasis suppressing effect.

Effects of Metformin on Left Ventricular Size and Function in Hypertensive Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Results of a Randomized, Controlled, Multicenter, Phase IV Trial.

Background: Metformin is the most widely used oral antihyperglycemic agent for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite the possible benefits of metformin on diabetes mellitus (DM) and heart failure (HF), acute or unstable HF remains a precaution for its use.

Objective: The aim of the present prospective randomized controlled trial was to assess whether metformin treatment has beneficial effects on patients with T2DM with hypertension without overt HF.

Historical changes and between-facility differences in adrenal venous sampling for primary aldosteronism in Japan.

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a common curable cause of hypertension. Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is recommended for subtype diagnosis but is a difficult procedure. Recently, an increased prevalence of PA was reported, creating a greater demand for treatment of the condition in clinical facilities.

Clinical and biochemical outcomes after adrenalectomy and medical treatment in patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism.

Objectives: Current clinical guidelines of primary aldosteronism recommend adrenalectomy (AdX) for unilateral primary aldosteronism based on the studies showing the potential superiority of AdX over the medical treatment. However, since most medically treated cases consisted of bilateral primary aldosteronism and all surgically treated cases consisted of unilateral primary aldosteronism, the different subtype of primary aldosteronism could be a bias for their effects. This study compared the effects of AdX and medical therapy in patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism confirmed by adrenal vein sampling.

β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate Suppresses NF-ĸB Activation and IL-6 Production in TE-1 Cancer Cells.

Background/aim: Stress reactions, especially those related to surgery, cause poor convalescence of cancer patients. β-Hydroxyβ-methylbutyrate (HMB) is known to regulate excessive inflammation in the body. The objective of this work was to investigate the capacity of HMB to suppress activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ĸB) and production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in a human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line (TE-1).

Impact of adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation during adrenal venous sampling on outcomes of primary aldosteronism.

Background: Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is essential for identifying a surgically curable form of primary aldosteronism. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) infusion or bolus has been reported to improve the success rate of AVS, although the effects on lateralization and its outcomes in unilateral primary aldosteronism are unclear.

Methods: The success rate and lateralization indices were examined in a cohort of 2197 Japanese patients with primary aldosteronism from 28 centres who underwent AVS.

Clinical Characteristics and Postoperative Outcomes of Primary Aldosteronism in the Elderly.

Context: Primary aldosteronism (PA) in the elderly has increased in importance in association with population aging.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and outcomes of elderly patients with PA undergoing adrenalectomy.

Patients And Methods: Using a database of patients with PA who underwent adrenal venous sampling (AVS), we compared elderly patients (≥65 years old) with nonelderly patients (<65 years old) in terms of characteristics, subtype classification in ACTH-stimulated AVS, and outcomes after adrenalectomy.

Development and validation of subtype prediction scores for the workup of primary aldosteronism.

Objectives: A subtype prediction score for primary aldosteronism has not yet been developed and validated using a large dataset. This study aimed to develop and validate a new subtype prediction score and to compare it with existing scores using a large multicenter database.

Methods: In total, 1936 patients with primary aldosteronism were randomly assigned to the development and validation datasets, constituting 1290 and 646 patients, respectively.

Accuracy of adrenal computed tomography in predicting the unilateral subtype in young patients with hypokalaemia and elevation of aldosterone in primary aldosteronism.

Context: The current Endocrine Society Guideline suggests that patients aged <35 years with marked primary aldosteronism (PA) and unilateral adrenal lesions on adrenal computed tomography (CT) scan may not need adrenal vein sampling (AVS) before proceeding to unilateral adrenalectomy. This suggestion is, however, based on the data from only one report in the literature.

Objective: We sought to determine the accuracy of CT findings in young PA patients who had unilateral adrenal disease on CT with hypokalaemia and elevation of aldosterone.

Subtype prediction of primary aldosteronism by combining aldosterone concentrations in the left adrenal vein and inferior vena cava: a multicenter collaborative study on adrenal venous sampling.

Subtype diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) by adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is recommended as a mandatory step for indicating adrenal surgery. It is a technically demanding procedure, especially in the right adrenal vein. The aim of the study was to predict the subtype diagnosis in the absence of values from the right AVS.

Synergistic Effect of Eicosapentaenoic Acid on Antiproliferative Action of Anticancer Drugs in a Cancer Cell Line Model.

Background/aims: It has been found experimentally and clinically that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) exerts an anticancer effect and that it has a minimal adverse event profile relative to other anticancer drugs. Any synergy between EPA and other anticancer drugs could be of therapeutic relevance, especially in elderly or high-risk patients. Therefore, we investigated the synergism between anticancer drugs and EPA experimentally.

Significance of Computed Tomography and Serum Potassium in Predicting Subtype Diagnosis of Primary Aldosteronism.

Context: The number of centers with established adrenal venous sampling (AVS) programs for the subtype diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) is limited.

Objective: Aim was to develop an algorithm for AVS based on subtype prediction by computed tomography (CT) and serum potassium.

Design: A multi-institutional retrospective cohort study in Japan.

Hyperkalemia in both surgically and medically treated patients with primary aldosteronism.

Hyperkalemia is an important complication of adrenalectomy for patients with primary aldosteronism (PA). The frequency of hyperkalemia after medication using mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) for PA is unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency and the risk factors of hyperkalemia after surgery and medication for PA.

Significance of adrenal computed tomography in predicting laterality and indicating adrenal vein sampling in primary aldosteronism.

Although laterality assessed by computed tomography (CT) in primary aldosteronism (PA) is not always concordant with that assessed by adrenal vein sampling (AVS), it is unclear whether all patients diagnosed with PA should undergo AVS for subtype classification. The aim of the current study was to investigate the accuracy of CT in subtype classification and to develop a prediction score for bilateral subtype in patients without adrenal tumour. As part of the WAVES-J study, 393 patients with PA were analysed.

Reassessment of the cosyntropin stimulation test in the confirmatory diagnosis and subtype classification of primary aldosteronism.

Objective: Although corticotropin is a representative secretagogue of aldosterone, the utility of the cosyntropin stimulation test (C-ST) in diagnosing primary aldosteronism (PA) has not been elucidated. Aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical utility of C-ST for confirmatory testing and subtype classification of PA.

Design, Setting And Patients: In this retrospective study, we identified patients with hypertension and positive case-detection results for PA who underwent C-ST and saline infusion testing (SIT) between 2006 and 2013 at eight referral centres in Japan.