Effects of aged garlic extract on macrophage functions: a short review of experimental evidence (Review).

Macrophages play crucial roles in both the innate and adaptive immune systems, contributing to the removal of pathogens and subsequent immune responses. Conversely, aberrant macrophage functions are associated with the onset and progression of various diseases, highlighting macrophages as potential therapeutic targets. Aged garlic extract (AGE) is derived from garlic that has undergone a maturation process of over 10 months in an ethanol solution and contains a variety of bioactive components which are produced in the aging process.

Role of sirtuin 1 in depression‑induced coronary heart disease: Molecular pathways and therapeutic potential (Review).

Depression and coronary heart disease (CHD) are two interconnected diseases that profoundly impact global health. Depression is both a complex psychiatric disorder and an established risk factor for CHD. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is an enzyme that requires the cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) to perform its deacetylation function, and its involvement is crucial in reducing cardiovascular risks that are associated with depression.

Age‑related changes in endoplasmic reticulum stress response‑associated protein expression in rat tibial nerves.

In age-related peripheral neurodegeneration, changes in the promotion or inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response related to the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation system (UPS), autophagy and apoptosis signaling factors during aging remain unclear. In the present study, the expression of ER stress response signaling-related protein factors was examined in tibial nerves during aging in rats. Tibial nerves were extracted from continuously housed rats at 20, 50, 70, 90 and 105 weeks of age.

Volume-regulated anion channels conduct ATP in undifferentiated mammary cells and promote tumorigenesis in xenograft nude mouse.

The high interstitial ATP concentration in the cancer microenvironment is a major source of adenosine, which acts as a strong immune suppressor. However, the source of ATP release has not been elucidated. We measured ATP release during hypotonic stress using a real-time ATP luminescence imaging system in breast cell lines and in primary cultured mammary cells.

The Impact of Hangeshashinto on Symptoms and Gut Microbiota in Diarrhea-type Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Retrospective Analysis.

Objectives: Effective treatments for diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) are limited. Hangeshashinto (HST), an anti-inflammatory Kampo medicine, may offer benefits but its efficacy for IBS-D requires further investigation. This study evaluated IBS-D symptom improvement and gut microbiota changes following HST administration.

Prognostic Impact of Potentially Curative Resection for Synchronous Peritoneal Carcinomatosis with Lavage Cytology Positivity in Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Objectives: Although curative resection for synchronous peritoneal carcinomatosis has been reported to improve prognosis, cases with positive intraoperative lavage cytology have not been reported. In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of potentially curative resection based on colorectal cancer and lavage cytology positivity in patients with synchronous peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 72 patients who underwent intraoperative lavage cytology and one-stage potentially curative resection of primary and metastatic lesions (lavage cytology-positive, n = 21; lavage cytology-negative, n = 51) between July 2004 and December 2019.

Efficiency of Real-time Computer-aided Polyp Detection during Surveillance Colonoscopy: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: Studies have suggested that computer-aided polyp detection using artificial intelligence improves adenoma identification during colonoscopy. However, its real-world effectiveness remains unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated the usefulness of computer-aided detection during regular surveillance colonoscopy.

Does Colorectal Stenting as a Bridge to Surgery for Obstructive Colorectal Cancer Increase Perineural Invasion?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.23922/jarc.2023-057.

Efficacy of Endoscopic Evaluation and Hemostatic Intervention for Post-hemorrhoidectomy Bleeding.

Achieving hemostasis during post-hemorrhoidectomy bleeding (PHB) is often challenging owing to poor visibility within the anal canal. We investigated the feasibility of using endoscopy for observation and maintaining hemostasis during PHB. Endoscopic evaluation was performed in patients with normal vital signs and no severe pain or excessive bleeding was observed during proctoscopy.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Anterior Resection Syndrome.

Defecation disorders following rectal resection have long been overlooked as an inevitable surgical complication due to the lack of established diagnostic criteria or definitions. However, these disorders have been recently termed low anterior resection syndrome (LARS), which is a defecation disorder that occurs following rectal resection and impairs the patient's quality of life (QOL). The LARS score developed by Emmertsen et al.

Frequency and Molecular Characteristics of Mismatch Repair-deficient Status among Multiple Synchronous Colorectal Cancers.

Objectives: Mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC) have been largely categorized into three subtypes: methylated, Lynch syndrome (LS)-associated, and Lynch-like syndrome (LLS)-associated. No studies have examined the prevalence and subtypes of synchronously diagnosed dMMR CRCs in detail. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the frequency and molecular characteristics of the dMMR status among multiple synchronous CRCs to clarify the clinical significance of identifying patients with such tumors.

Rare Case of Gut-associated Lymphoid Tissue Carcinoma in the Sigmoid Colon of a Very Elderly Patient: A Case Report.

Colorectal cancer with gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) carcinoma histopathology is particularly rare in very elderly patients. GALT is characterized by submucosal localization and prominent lymphoid infiltration with germinal center formation within tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. This study aims to report a case of colorectal cancer with GALT carcinoma histopathology in a very elderly patient and to provide a comprehensive literature review.

Metastatic Status and Dissection Effect of Regional/Extraregional Lymph Nodes in Japanese Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Canal: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA) is a rare condition. Standard treatment includes chemoradiotherapy, with surgical treatment reserved for limited cases. In the future, the decrease in surgical frequency makes it more difficult to pathologically assess the depth of tumor invasion and lymph node status; therefore, those studies based on relatively recent surgical cases may offer valuable insights into diagnosing and treating SCCA.

Prognostic Impact of the Postoperative Carcinoembryonic Antigen Level after Curative Resection of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate whether preoperative or postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) with a new cut-off value is more optimal for predicting long-term outcomes in patients with Stage II/III rectal cancer, and to investigate the effectiveness of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (POAC) based on the CEA values.

Methods: Serum CEA levels were measured preoperatively (pre-CEA) and postoperatively (post-CEA). The area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) was used to determine a cut-off for CEA.

Short- and Long-term Outcomes of One-stage Radical Resection and Anastomosis without Preoperative Decompression and Diverting Stoma between Incomplete Obstructive and Non-obstructive Left-sided Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and long-term outcomes of a one-stage resection and anastomosis approach without preoperative decompression in patients with left-sided incomplete obstructive colorectal cancer.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 571 patients diagnosed with pT3-4NanyM0 left-sided colorectal cancer who underwent radical resection and primary anastomosis without preoperative decompression or a diverting stoma from April 2012 to December 2019. Of these, 97 (17%) patients presented with incomplete obstruction, while 474 (83%) had no obstruction.

Short-term Outcomes of Intracorporeal Versus Extracorporeal Totally Stapled Anastomosis after Laparoscopic Colectomy: A Propensity Score-matched Cohort Study.

Objectives: To describe detailed surgical techniques for totally stapled intracorporeal anastomosis (TSIA) and determine their feasibility and safety by comparing short-term outcomes with those of conventional totally stapled extracorporeal anastomosis (TSEA).

Methods: In total, 59 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy between June 2018 and August 2021 were retrospectively assessed. Linear staplers were used for all anastomoses.

Microbiome and Colorectal Cancer in Humans: A Review of Recent Studies.

The tumor microenvironment has recently been well-studied in various gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). The gut microbiota, a collection of microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract, is one of the microenvironments associated with colon carcinogenesis. It has been challenging to elucidate the mechanisms by which gut microbiota contributes to carcinogenesis and cancer progression due to complex interactions with the host, including its metabolites and immune and inflammatory responses.

Oncologic Impact of Conservative Treatment Compared with Surgical Treatment of Anastomotic Leakage Following Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Retrospective Study.

Objectives: Differences in oncological outcomes between conservative and surgical treatments for anastomotic leakage (AL) in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery remain unclear.

Methods: From July 2011 to June 2020, 385 patients underwent curative resection with double-stapling anastomosis for left-sided colon and rectal cancers. Among them, 33 patients who experienced AL were retrospectively evaluated and categorized into two groups: conservative (n = 20) and surgical (n = 13).

Evaluation of Artificial Intelligence: Computer-aided Detection of Colorectal Polyps.

Objectives: Colonoscopy is the gold standard for screening cancer and precancerous lesions in the large intestine. Recently, remarkable advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to the development of various computer-aided detection (CADe) systems for colonoscopy. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of AI for colonoscopy using CAD-EYE (Fujifilm, Tokyo, Japan) to calculate the adenoma miss rate (AMR).

Management of Anal Fistula with Crohn's Disease.

Crohn's disease (CD) causes gastrointestinal symptoms (i.e., diarrhea and abdominal pain), systemic symptoms (i.

Factors Affecting the Prognosis after Primary Tumor Resection for Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer with Synchronous Peritoneal Metastasis: A Multi-center, Prospective, Observational Study.

Objectives: To clarify the risk factors affecting prognosis after primary tumor resection (PTR) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with synchronous peritoneal metastasis (mCRC-SPM).

Methods: Patients were enrolled prospectively in the JSCCR project "Grading of Peritoneal Seeding in Colorectal Cancer." Factors that may influence overall survival-age, sex, location of the primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, presence of liver metastasis, degree of peritoneal metastasis, peritoneal cancer index (PCI), cancer cure, and postoperative chemotherapy-in the PTR group were examined using multivariate analysis.

Gastroenterological Surgery and Management of Infection: A Review.

Fever and diarrhea are the common symptoms of infection (CDI); however, pseudomembranous enteritis, megacolonization, and paralytic ileus have been observed in severe cases. spores are resistant to several types of disinfectants. Thus, they are often the causative pathogens of healthcare-associated infections.

Effects of Diverting Stoma Creation in Minimally Invasive Surgery for Rectal Cancer.

Objectives: In rectal cancer surgery, a diverting stoma (DS) is used to prevent severe anastomotic leakage (AL), peritonitis, reoperation, and longer hospitalization. DS creation has increased in the last few decades, without establishment of clear criteria for construction of a DS. Therefore, the goal of the study was to investigate the validity of DS construction based on risk factors for AL, as an approach to reduce the number of stoma creations.

Radiomics-based Machine Learning Approach to Predict Chemotherapy Responses in Colorectal Liver Metastases.

Objectives: This study explored the clinical utility of CT radiomics-driven machine learning as a predictive marker for chemotherapy response in colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) patients.

Methods: We included 150 CRLM patients who underwent first-line doublet chemotherapy, dividing them into a training cohort (n=112) and a test cohort (n=38). We manually delineated three-dimensional tumor volumes, selecting the largest liver metastasis for measurement, using pretreatment portal-phase CT images and extracted 107 radiomics features.

Developmental regression of novel space preference in an autism spectrum disorder model is unlinked to GABAergic and social circuitry.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social deficits and restricted behaviors, with developmental defects in GABAergic circuits proposed as a key underlying etiology. Here, we introduce the V-Y assay, a novel space preference test in which one arm of the Y-maze is initially hidden and later revealed as a novel space. Using an ASD mouse model with haploinsufficiency, which exhibits ASD-like social impairments that can be either exacerbated or ameliorated by GABAergic circuit manipulations, we observed impaired novel space preference and exploratory behavior in the V-Y assay.