Search

This meta-analysis examines and compares the perioperative results (such as complications, recovery, and other surgical outcomes) in obese patients who undergo either robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN) or open partial nephrectomy (OPN). Essentially, the study is looking at how these two types of surgeries perform in obese patients, specifically focusing on outcomes related to the surgery process itself. We conducted a comprehensive search of major databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, focusing on English studies, up to November 2024. Review articles, research protocols without published data, conference abstracts, and irrelevant studies were excluded. We performed data analysis using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method and random-effects models, followed by mean differences, inverse variance, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results were presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs, and data with p values less than 0.05 were identified. This meta-analysis included three cohort studies with a total of 604 patients. Compared to OPN, RPN was associated with significantly shorter hospital stays (WMD – 2.27, 95% CI – 3.67 to – 0.87; p = 0.002), lower overall complication rates (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.34–0.73; p = 0.0004), and reduced estimated blood loss (WMD – 125.12, 95% CI – 198.02 to – 52.22; p = 0.0008). No significant differences were found between the two groups in transfusion rates, major complications, renal ischemia times, or operative times. RPN offers a safe and feasible option for obese patients compared to OPN, with advantages such as shorter hospital stays, reduced blood loss, and fewer overall complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the efficacy and adverse consequences between KangDuo and Da Vincii surgical robotic systems in facilitating radical prostatectomy. All the papers, that were included in the current analysis, were identified with PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library through October 1, 2024. To make the comparison easier, only the English-language articles have been used for the analysis and only those focusing on comparing the use of the KangDuo and da Vinci robotic systems in radical prostatectomy were used. There are several avenues of bias when considering articles to include, when selecting the articles for this study to adopt the RCTs and cohort studies and excluding the others, the bias selection targeted was minimal. For the systematic review, 1 cohort study was found as well as 2 RCTs were found that involved 150 adult patients assigned to undergo urological surgery. Of those, 76 patients operated by the Kang Duo robotic system, and the remaining 74 patients operated by the Da Vinci system. In conclusion from this study, it was noted that though there was an increase in the operative time used in the KangDuo system, the estimated blood loss, number of days needed to stay in hospital, and the incidences of postoperative complications were comparable to the other system. Compared to the da Vinci robotic system, the KangDuo robotic system, while associated with longer operative times for radical prostatectomy, showed no significant difference in perioperative or short-term outcomes. In addition, the KangDuo system is more cost-effective and easier to implement in developing countries or other regions. However, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine novel aminoalkoxy substituted benzoxanthones (3a-3i) were synthesized. Their antitumor activities were evaluated in five human solid tumor cell lines including Hep-G2, BEL-7402, HeLa, MGC-803 and CNE by MTT method. The results showed that most of the compounds displayed moderate to good inhibitory activities on the tested cancer cell lines in vitro, among them compounds 3a and 3h showed higher antitumor activity than other tested compounds against most cell lines. The influence of two kinds of structural factors including the terminal amino group and length of carbon spacers on the anticancer activities were explored to discuss the preliminary structure-activity relationships.

Abstract: Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng, has been used as folk medicine in the treatment of various diseases for thousands of years in China. Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), one of the effective components of ginseng, has been reported to release nitric oxide and decrease intracellular free Ca2+ in cardiac myocytes, both of which play important roles in antihypertrophic effect. This study was to investigate the potential effect of Rb1 on right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) induced by monocrotaline (MCT) and its possible influence on calcineurin (CaN) signal trasnsduction pathway. MCT-treated animals were administered with Rb1 (10 and 40mg /kg) from day 1 to day 14 (preventive administration) or from day 15 to day 28 (therapeutic administration), or with vehicle as corresponding controls. After 2 weeks, significantly hypertrophic reactions, including RVH index and the expressions of atrial natriuretic peptide mRNA, appeared in right ventricle of all MCT-treated animals (p <0.05), which were significantly decreased with some improvements of myocardial pathomorphology in both Rb1 prevention- and therapy-groups (p <0.05). Similarly, MCT-treatment caused the high expressions of mRNA and/or proteins of CaN, NFAT3 and GATA4 from cardiocytes (p <0.05) and Rb1 could alleviate the expressions of these factors above (p <0.05). These results suggest that Rb1 treatment can inhibit the RVH induced by MCT, which may be involved in its inhibitory effects on CaN signal transduction pathway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Context: Metabolic syndrome (MS) refers to the clustering of metabolic derangements that include hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and chronic kidney impairment. Those conditions are well known as being synergistically responsible for morbidity from cardiovascular disease as well as for driving the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes. It is still unknown whether an exact unifying pathogenesis of MS exists.Objective: The meta-analysis intended to analyze the use of Chinese medicine (CM) as a therapeutic tool to explore indirectly the unifying pathogenesis of MS.Methods: PubMed, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Wanfang databases were systematically searched from inception to November 2013 for randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) that compared treatment efficacy for MS patients using the Wen Dan decoction (WDD), a CM formula, versus Western conventional therapeutics.Outcome Measures: Measurements included tests of the overall therapeutic efficacy of WDD for hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and renal functions, and the study also analyzed adverse events. Data were expressed as weighted mean differences (WMDs), with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) and the odds ratio (OR).Results: A total of 31 RCTs were included for meta-analysis, involving 2512 patients and including 1282 participants in the intervention groups. The pooled data favored WDD over the control treatments as follows: (1) hyperglycemia, with a WMD of -0.95 mmol/L (95% CI: -1.19 to -0.71); (2) hypertension, with a WMD of -7.40 mm Hg (95% CI: -9.86 to -4.93); (3) dyslipidemia: (a) total cholesterol (TC), with a WMD of -0.62 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.90 to -0.33); (b) triglycerides (TGs), with a WMD of -0.32 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.52 to -0.13); (c) low-density lipoproteins (LDPs), with a WMD of -0.22 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.41 to -0.02); and (d) high-density lipoproteins (HDPs), with a WMD of 0.10 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.17); and (4) of renal functions: (a) urea, with a WMD of -3.41 mmol/L (95% CI: -5.50 to -1.32) and (b) creatinine, with a WMD of -68.81 μmol/L (95% CI: -132.63 to -4.98). No statistical significance was documented in creatinine clearance between the 2 treatments with a WMD of 15.47 mL/min (95% CI: -7.71 to 38.64). The overall efficacy rate was 91.4% for WDD and 66.9% for the control treatments (OR: 5.33; 95% CI: 4.06 to 6.99). Adverse events were rare and minor.Conclusions: The consistent improvements found in metabolic profiles by use of the single herbal formula may indirectly imply a common pathogenesis in MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to characterize hepatocarcinogenesis in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-treated hamsters. Syrian golden hamsters (n=36) were administered DEN by hypodermic injection and addition to drinking water. Morphological analyses, including light microscopy and immunohistochemistry of α-fetal protein (AFP), were performed on liver and lung tissues. Primary cell culture and tumor transplantation were carried out to evaluate the potential application in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) research. From 25 to 50 weeks of treatment, liver tumors, including macronodular HCC and ascites, were found in one-third (4/12) of the animals treated with DEN. HCC was characterized by poor differentiation, frequent mitosis, AFP reaction, vessel invasion and potential application in primary cell culture and xenotransplantation. Pre-neoplastic lesions were hyperplastic nodules comprised of clear cells, bile duct proliferation, fatty metamorphosis and multilocular cysts. The DEN-treated hamsters also showed lung tumors consisting of AFP-negative, well-differentiated neoplastic cells. Characterization of DEN-induced HCC in hamsters provides insights into human hepatocarcinogenesis. This animal model has potential applications in HCC research.

Objective: To investigate anticancer effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combined with CL, extract of Rosa roxburghii Tratt on human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line (JEC)., Methods: JEC cells cultured in vitro in the logarithmic growth phase were seeded in the culture plate and divided into the control group (RPMI 1640), the positive group (10(-4) mol/L 5-FU), the CL groups (at the dose of 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 microg/mL), and the CL (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 microg/mL) combined with 5-FU groups. Effects of 5-FU combined with CL on JEC cell growth were drawn and measured by MTT and growth curves. Effects of CL combined with 5-FU on the JEC cell differentiation was analyzed by detecting the reduction capability of nitrobenzene thiocyanate (NBT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) contents in the cultured medium. Effects of CL combined with 5-FU on the JEC cell apoptosis and cell proliferation cycle were detected by acridine orange (AO)/ethidium bromide (EB) fluorescent staining and flow cytometry (FCM)., Results: The proliferation inhibitory effect of CL combined with 5-FU on JEC cells was enhanced when compared with that of CL or 5-FU alone (P<0.05). The percentages of NBT positive JEC cells and apoptotic JEC cells increased in the 5-FU combined with CL groups when compared with 5-FU group or the CL group alone (P<0.05). The LDH concentration of the JEC cell culture supernate decreased in 5-FU combined with CL groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, the percentage of G0-G1 phase JEC cells treated by 5-FU combined with CL was higher than that of 5-FU or CL alone (P<0.05)., Conclusion: CL could enhance anticancer effects of 5-FU. Its mechanisms might be correlated with reinforcing the cytotoxicity of 5-FU, inducing cell differentiation and apoptosis, and inhibiting cell proliferation and division.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from the petroleum ether fraction of Buxus microphylla., Methods: The petroleum ether fraction of Buxus microphylla was isolated and identified by silica gel column chromatography. And the anticancer activity of different chemical constituents was measured by MTT reduction test., Results: Eight compounds were isolated and identified as lupeol (1), butulin (3), beta-sitosterol (4), stigmasterol (5), dibutyl phthalate (6), 3beta, 30-dihydroxy-lup-20 (29) ene (7), daucosterol (8). Compound 7 inhibited KB cells' proliferation in a dose-dependent manner., Conclusion: Compounds 2 - 5, 7, 8 are isolated from this genus for the first time. Compound 7 has certainly anticancer effects.

Objective: To investigate the anti-HBV effects of the extracts with alcohol and water from Arenaria kansuensis in vitro., Methods: HepG2.2.15 cells were used to estimate the effects of the extracts with alcohol and water from Arenaria kansuensis on the levels of HBsAg and HBeAg in medium by ELISA., Results: Incubation of HepG2.2.15 cells with both the extracts with alcohol and water from Arenaria kansuensis (50-400 mg/L) for 72 and 96h significantly inhibited the levels of HBsAg and HBeAg. The maximum inhibiting rate of HBeAg from the Arenaria kansuensis extracts with alcohol was 63.2% and 90. 8% at 72h and 96h, respectively. Meanwhile, the Arenaria kansuensis extracts with water had obvious inhibitory effects on the levels of HBsAg and HBeAg in HepG2.2.15 cells at 96 h, compared with that of the control group (P < 0.01). The maximum inhibiting rates were 52.5% and 72.8%, respectively., Conclusion: The extracts with water from Arenaria kansuensis has obvious anti-HBV effects in vitro.

Objective: To investigate anticancer effects and potential mechanisms of CL, extract of Rosa roxburghii., Method: In vitro anticancer effect was observed in Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC) mice model. Cell toxicity of CL on human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line JEC (JEC) cells was measured by MTT reduction test and growth curves drawing by trypan blue dye exclusion method. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration of cultured medium was detected by auto-biochemistry-meter. Cell differentiation was showed by detection of NBT reduction ability. Apoptosis was showed by AO/EB fluorescent staining and flow cytometer detection. Cell proliferation cycle was detected by flow cytometer., Result: Comparing with the negative group, life span of EAC mice treated with CL was prolonged (P <0.05), and thymus index and spleen index of them were raised (P <0.05). The inhibitory effect of CL on JEC cells was in concentration-and time-dependent manner. IC50 of CL on JEC cells was 0.05 microg mL(-1) in 96 hours. Growth curves showed right-shift with CL concentration increasing. The number of NBT positive JEC cells increased and the LDH concentration of cultured medium declined with CL increasing. Apoptosis of JEC cells with CL treated was induced in concentration-dependent manner, apoptotic percentage of CL 10 microg mL(-1) on JEC cells was 25.59% in 24 hours. CL arrested JEC cells in G2-M phase (P <0.05)., Conclusion: CL has certainly anticancer effects in vivo and in vitro. Anticancer effect of CL in vivo was in relation to enhancing immune function of EAC mice; anticancer mechanisms of CL on JEC cells may be its direct cytotoxic effect, inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting cell segmentation.

In this paper, we studied the relationship between the prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha))-induced cardiac hypertrophy and calcineurin (CaN) signal transduction pathway in vivo and in vitro. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given a single i.p. injection with monocrotaline (MCT) (60 mg/kg) and then given orally with celecoxib (20 mg/kg) or vehicle once a day for 14 d before (from d 1 to d 14) or after (from d 15 to d 28) right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) was formed. Body weight (BW), right ventricular weight (RV), left ventricular with septum weight (LV), as well as lung weight were determined. RVH index (RVHI=RV/LV), RV/BW, and lung weight/BW were calculated and histological changes were observed with transmission electron microscope. PGF(2alpha) level, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and CaN mRNA expressions, expression of CaN and its downstream effectors, NFAT(3) and GATA(4) protein were assayed by EIA kit, RT-PCR, and Western blotting, respectively. The cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in primary culture induced by PGF(2alpha) (0.1 micromol/L) was evaluated by measuring the cell diameter, protein content, and ANP mRNA as well as CaN mRNA expressions. It was found that 14 d or 28 d after MCT was given, the RVHI, RV/BW, and lung weight/BW were significantly increased by 47%, 53% and 118%, and by 64%, 94% and 156%, respectively; at the same time PGF(2alpha) levels in RV tissue were increased by 44% and by 51% with increasing RVHI, and elevated expressions of ANP and CaN mRNA, as well as CaN, NFAT(3) and GATA(4) proteins in a positive correlation manner. Furthermore, some histological injuries were found in RV tissue. Celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, obviously blunted the elevation of RVHI, RV/BW, and lung weight/BW no matter it was given before or after RVH. In vitro experiments showed that 0.1 micromol/L PGF(2alpha) significantly increased the cardiomyocyte diameter and protein content, and promoted ANP and CaN mRNA expressions, which was blocked by cyclosporin A, a CaN inhibitor. Our results indicate that PGF(2alpha) may be involved in cardiac hypertrophy induced by MCT in rats through CaN signal transduction pathway.