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Effects of weight loss on postprandial vascular function have not been studied so far. We therefore examined (i) effects of diet-induced weight loss on postprandial changes in various vascular function markers after consumption of a mixed meal and (ii) differences between normal-weight and abdominally obese men of comparable age at baseline and after weight loss.Fifty-four apparently healthy abdominally obese (waist circumference: 102-110 cm) and 25 normal-weight men (waist circumference:94 cm) participated. The abdominally obese men were randomly allocated to a diet-induced weight-loss program or a no-weight loss control group. Men assigned to the weight-loss program followed a calorie-restricted diet for six weeks targeting a waist circumference of less than 102 cm, followed by a weight-maintenance period for two weeks. The control group maintained their habitual diet and physical activity levels. Measurements were performed before and two hours after consumption of the test meal consisting of two muffins (containing 56.6 g fat) and 300 mL low-fat milk.The mean weight loss was 10.3 kg in the weight-loss compared with the control group. The postprandial change in flow-mediated vasodilation of the brachial artery (FMD) was significantly higher at baseline in normal-weight as compared with the postprandial change in abdominally obese men (1.89 ± 2.52 versus 0.48 ± 2.50 percentage points; P = 0.027). However, no differences in postprandial changes were observed in the abdominally obese men after weight loss compared with the control treatment. Also, weight reduction did not affect postprandial changes in carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity, retinal microvascular caliber properties, or plasma markers of microvascular endothelial function. Even though postprandial increases in triacylglycerol (P = 0.028), insulin (P = 0.029) and C-peptide concentrations (P 0.001) were reduced in the abdominally obese men following weight loss, postprandial changes in FMD at the end of the weight-loss treatment were still more unfavorable as compared with those observed in normal-weight individuals.In this trial with abdominally obese men, we did not find effects of diet-induced weight loss on postprandial changes in vascular endothelial function, arterial stiffness and markers of microvascular function. This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under study number NCT01675401.

BACKGROUND: Only a limited number of studies have examined the vascular and postprandial effects of α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3n-3). Therefore, we performed a well-controlled trial focusing specifically on the effects of ALA on vascular function and metabolic risk markers during the fasting and postprandial phase in untreated (pre-)hypertensive individuals.METHODS: In a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled parallel study, 59 overweight and obese adults (40 men and 19 women, aged 60 ± 8 years) with a high-normal blood pressure or mild (stage I) hypertension consumed daily either 10 g of refined cold-pressed flaxseed oil, providing 4.7 g ALA (n = 29), or 10 g of high-oleic sunflower (control) oil (n = 30) for 12 weeks.RESULTS: As compared with the high-oleic oil control, intake of flaxseed oil did not change brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation, carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity, retinal microvascular calibers and plasma markers of microvascular endothelial function during the fasting and postprandial phase. Fasting plasma concentrations of free fatty acid (FFA) and TNF-α decreased by 58 μmol/L (P = 0.02) and 0.14 pg/mL (P = 0.03), respectively. No differences were found in other fasting markers of lipid and glucose metabolism, and low-grade systemic inflammation. In addition, dietary ALA did not affect postprandial changes in glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, FFA and plasma inflammatory markers after meal intake.CONCLUSION: A high intake of ALA, about 3-5 times the recommended daily intake, for 12 weeks decreased fasting FFA and TNF-α plasma concentrations. No effects were found on other metabolic risk markers and vascular function during the fasting and postprandial phase in untreated high-normal and stage I hypertensive individuals.

The common bean is a nutrient-dense food empirically known to have beneficial effects on human health. Many studies have looked at the effects of “pulses” on different health issues, providing general overviews of the importance of each pulse in health studies. This study systematically reviews and provides meta-analyses of the effect of bean extract as a supplement or whole bean on four health issues (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and cancers) from a dissection of clinical and randomized controlled trials using human subjects. A digital search in PubMed and Google ScholarTM resulted in 340 articles, with only 23 peer-reviewed articles matching our inclusion criteria. Findings indicated that common beans reduced LDL cholesterol by 19 percent, risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 11 percent, and coronary heart disease (CHD) by 22 percent. Besides this, we noted variances in the literature on cancer findings, with some authors stating it reduced the proliferation of some kinds of tumor cells and reduced the growth of polyps, while others did not specifically examine cancers but the predisposing factors alone. However, diabetes studies indicated that the postprandial glucose level at the peak of 60 min for common bean consumers was low (mean difference = −2.01; 95% CI [−4.6, −0.63]), but the difference between the treated and control was not significant, and there was a high level of heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 98%). Only obesity studies indicated a significantly high level of weight gain among control groups (mean difference = 1.62; 95% CI [0.37, 2.86]). There is a need for additional clinical trials using a standardized measure to indicate the real effect of the common bean on health.

Background The influence of different biological agents on the rate of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) has been extensively reviewed in animal studies with conflicting results. These findings cannot be extrapolated from animals to humans. Therefore, we aimed to systematically investigate the most up-to-date available evidence of human studies regarding the effect of the administration of different biological substances on the rate of orthodontic tooth movement. Methods A total of 8 databases were searched until the 16th of June 2020 without restrictions. Controlled randomized and non-randomized human clinical studies assessing the effect of biological substances on the rate of OTM were included. ROBINS-I and the Cochrane Risk of Bias tools were used. Reporting of this review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results A total of 11 studies (6 randomized clinical trials and 5 prospective clinical trials) were identified for inclusion. Local injections of prostaglandin E1 and vitamin C exerted a positive influence on the rate of OTM; vitamin D showed variable effects. The use of platelet-rich plasma and its derivatives showed inconsistent results, while the local use of human relaxin hormone showed no significant effects on the rate of OTM. Limitations The limited and variable observation periods after the administration of the biological substances, the high and medium risk of bias assessment for some included studies, the variable concentrations of the assessed biological agents, the different experimental designs and teeth evaluated, and the variety of measurement tools have hampered the quantitative assessment of the results as originally planned. Conclusions and implications Despite the methodological limitations of the included studies, this systematic review provides an important overview of the effects of a variety of biological agents on the rate of tooth movement and elucidates the deficiencies in the clinical studies that have been conducted so far to evaluate the effectiveness of these agents in humans, providing some guidelines for future robust research. Trial registration PROSPERO (CRD42020168481, www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero)

Introduction The pandemic of SARS CoV-2 has required urgent medical treatments for numerous patients. As no specific antiviral agents were available, different off-the-shelf alternatives have been explored. Objective Here, we review the rationale behind the use of Favipiravir, and report of the specific studies supporting this treatment being conducted. Methods Here we analyze the relevant literature to conclude about the present opportunities offered by this therapeutic agent. Results This antiviral drug approved influenza in Japan since 2014, has a demonstrated in vitro activity against SARS CoV-2 and is being investigated in several trials for SARS CoV-2. Signals of benefit were shown in a small trial for SARS CoV-2. However, in another small study, there was no advantage. Conclusions Further studies, statistically more significant, are urgently needed to understand the best opportunities offered by this treatment.

There is a strong consensus globally that a COVID-19 vaccine is likely the most effective approach to sustainably controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. An unprecedented research effort and global coordination has resulted in a rapid development of vaccine candidates and initiation of trials. Here, we review vaccine types, and progress with 10 vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19 - currently undergoing early phase human trials. We also consider the many challenges of developing and deploying a new vaccine on a global scale, and recommend caution with respect to our expectations of the timeline that may be ahead.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is one of the most successful biopharmaceuticals in history and is used for treating anemia of different origins. However, it became clear that EPO could also work in a neuroprotective, antiapoptotic, antioxidative, angiogenetic and neurotropic way. It causes stimulation of cells to delay cell apoptosis, especially in the central nervous system. In rodent models of focal cerebral ischemia, EPO showed an impressive reduction of infarct size by 30% and improvement of neurobehavioral outcome by nearly 40%. A large animal model dealing with ischemia and reperfusion of the spinal cord showed that EPO could reduce the risk of spinal cord injury significantly. In addition, some clinical studies tested whether EPO works in real live clinical settings. One of the most promising studies showed the innocuousness and improvements in follow-up, outcome scales and in infarct size, of EPO-use in humans suffering from ischemic stroke. Another study ended unfortunately in a negative outcome and an increased overall death rate in the EPO group. The most possible reason was the involvement of patients undergoing simultaneously systemic thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. An experimental study on rats demonstrated that administration of EPO might exacerbate tissue plasminogen activator-induced brain hemorrhage without reducing the ischemic brain damage. This case shows clearly how useful animal models can be to check negative side effects of a treatment before going into clinical trials. Other groups looked in human trials at the effects of EPO on the outcome after ischemic stroke, relation to circulating endothelial progenitor cells, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, hemoglobin transfusion thresholds and elective first-time coronary artery bypass surgery. Most of the results were positive, but are based mostly on small group sizes. However, some of the most neglected facts when focusing on experimental setups of ischemia of the central nervous system are issues like age and comorbidities. It might be extremely worthy to consider these points for future projects, because EPO might influence all these factors.

The green tea amino acid, L-theanine (L-THE) is associated with several health benefits, including improvements in mood, cognition and a reduction of stress and anxiety-like symptoms. This systematic review evaluated the effect of pure L-THE intake, in the form of orally administered nutritional supplements, on stress responses and anxiety levels in human randomised controlled trials. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist, 9 peer-reviewed journal articles were identified where L-THE as a supplement was compared to a control. Our findings suggest that supplementation of 200–400 mg/day of L-THE may assist in the reduction of stress and anxiety in people exposed to stressful conditions. Despite this finding, longer-term and larger cohort clinical studies, including those where L-THE is incorporated into the diet regularly, are needed to clinically justify the use of L-THE as a therapeutic agent to reduce stress and anxiety in people exposed to stressful conditions.

A high protein content combined with its enormous growth capacity make duckweed an interesting alternative protein source, but information about postprandial responses in humans is lacking. The present study aimed to assess the postprandial serum amino acid profile ofLemna minorin healthy adults in comparison with green peas. A secondary objective was to obtain insights regarding human safety. A total of twelve healthy volunteers participated in a randomised, cross-over trial. Subjects received two protein sources in randomised order with a 1-week washout period. After an overnight fast, subjects consumedL. minoror peas (equivalent to 20 g of protein). After a baseline sample, blood samples were taken 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min after consumption to assess amino acid, glucose and insulin levels. Heart rate, blood pressure and aural temperature were measured before and after consumption, and subjects reported on gastrointestinal discomfort for four subsequent days. Compared with green peas, significantly lower blood concentrations of amino acids fromL. minorwere observed, indicating lower digestibility.L. minorconsumption resulted in lower plasma glucose and insulin levels compared with peas, probably due to different glucose content. There were no significant differences concerning the assessed health parameters or the number of gastrointestinal complaints, indicating that a single bolus ofL. minor– grown under controlled conditions – did not induce acute adverse effects in humans. Further studies need to investigate effects of repeatedL. minorintake and whether proteins purified fromL. minorcan be digested more easily.

It is well established that the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals production during exercise has both positive and negative physiological effects. Among them, the present review focuses on oxidative stress caused by acute exercise, mainly on evidence in healthy individuals. This review also summarizes findings on the determinants of exercise-induced oxidative stress and sources of free radical production. Moreover, we outline the effects of antioxidant supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress, which have been studied extensively. Finally, the following review briefly summarizes future tasks in the field of redox biology of exercise. In principle, this review covers findings for the whole body, and describes human trials and animal experiments separately.

Evidence from numerous observational and clinical studies suggest that polyphenolic phytochemicals such as phenolic acids in olive oil, flavonols in tea, chocolate and grapes, and isoflavones in soy products reduce the risk of breast cancer. A dietary food pattern naturally rich in polyphenols is the Mediterranean diet and evidence suggests those of Mediterranean descent have a lower breast cancer incidence. Whilst dietary polyphenols have been the subject of breast cancer risk-reduction, this review will focus on the clinical effects of polyphenols on reducing recurrence. Overall, we recommend breast cancer patients consume a diet naturally high in flavonol polyphenols including tea, vegetables (onion, broccoli), and fruit (apples, citrus). At least five servings of vegetables and fruit daily appear protective. Moderate soy protein consumption (5–10 g daily) and the Mediterranean dietary pattern show the most promise for breast cancer patients. In this review, we present an overview of clinical trials on supplementary polyphenols of dietary patterns rich in polyphenols on breast cancer recurrence, mechanistic data, and novel delivery systems currently being researched.

Several epidemiological studies associated the consumption of wine with the reduction of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, as well as for diabetes. These conditions are characterized by inflammatory mechanisms in addition to other biological mechanisms. Acute and chronic inflammation is mediated by a plethora of biomarkers production and pathway activation. Since the health promoting properties of wine in different pathological conditions may include the reduction of inflammation, the aim of this paper was to collect and review the in vitro, in vivo, and human studies performed to evaluate the effects of wine on different models of inflammation. Although great variability in wine intake, period of consumption, and content of phenolic compounds was observed, data from both human and animal studies showed a positive modulation of inflammatory biomarkers (cytokines, coagulation parameters) and oxidative stress (mainly malondialdehyde) involved in cardiovascular function. In addition, some convincing evidence was obtained in different models suggesting a positive modulation of risk factors for gastric and intestinal inflammation. Contradictory results were obtained for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. To date, no significant paper has been published in the area of immune function. Integrating in vivo data and in vitro studies, the NF-κB pathway has been identified as a critical target for the protective properties of a moderate wine consumption.

Considerable debate exists regarding the potential antineoplastic effect of dietary long-chainn-3 PUFA contained in fatty fishes. Since the majority of published data has proven that their intake does not induce toxic or carcinogenic effects in humans, their possible preventive use against cancer has been suggested. On the other hand, it is unlikely that they could be effective in cancer patients as a single therapy. Nevertheless, a considerable effort has been put forth in recent years to evaluate the hypothesis thatn-3 PUFA might improve the antineoplastic efficiency of currently used anticancer agents. The rationale for this therapeutic combinatory strategy is trying to increase cancer sensitivity to conventional therapies. This could allow the use of lower drug/radiation doses and, thereby, a reduction in the detrimental health effects associated with these treatments. We will here critically examine the studies that have investigated this possibility, by focusing particularly on the biological and molecular mechanisms underlying the antineoplastic effect of these combined treatments. A possible use ofn-3 PUFA in combination with the innovative single-targeted anti-cancer therapies, that often are not completely devoid of dangerous side-effects, is also suggested.