Int J Med Sci
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Background: Blood pressure (BP) control can slow down the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and protect against cardiovascular diseases, significantly improving patient survival. Herein, we analyzed the changes in BP control in adult CKD patients with hypertension in the United States from 1999-2000 to 2017-2018. Methods: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999-2000 to 2017-2018 were analyzed, including 5,510 adult CKD patients with BP above 140/90 mmHg or those under an antihypertensive regimen. ⋯ Although adult CKD patients with albumin-creatinine rate (ACR) 30-299 mg/g or ACR ≥300 mg/g were more likely to take antihypertensive medication than those with ACR <30 mg/g (PR: 2.76, 95% CI: 1.63-4.79 and PR: 4.59, 95% CI: 2.37-9.51), they were more likely to have uncontrolled BP than those with ACR <30 mg/g ((multivariable-adjusted prevalence ratio (PR): 2.25, 95% CI: 1.39-3.75 and PR: 3.14, 95% CI: 1.71-6.07). Adult CKD patients (eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73m2) being aware of their high BP diagnosis were less likely to take antihypertensive medication than those with eGFR 30-59 mL/min/1.73m2 (PR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.09-0.65). Conclusions: These results show that BP control should be reinforced in adult CKD patients, particularly in those with ACR ≥300 mg/g, while patients with eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73m2 should enhance awareness of taking antihypertensive medication.
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Background: The progression and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) remain major clinical challenges due to a lack of effective therapeutic targets. Our preliminary study identified the upregulation of the propionyl-CoA carboxylase alpha chain (PCCA) gene in CRC, prompting further investigation into its functional roles. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis, colorectal tumor tissues, and CRC cell lines were used to determine PCCA expression. ⋯ Moreover, PCCA knockdown suppressed CRC tumor growth and lung metastasis, accompanied by an increase in M1-macrophage polarization. Conclusion: Knockdown PCCA inhibits the progression and metastasis of CRC, which is associated with EMT reversion, ERK/GSK3β signaling inactivation, and M1-macrophage polarization. These findings suggest that PCCA is a potential target for controlling CRC.
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Background: Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) has been revealed to be involved in modulating cancer stemness and tumor progression, but its role in prostate cancer (PCa) remains obscure. Castration-resistant and metastatic PCa exhibit aggressive behaviors, and current therapeutic approaches have shown limited beneficial effects on the overall survival rate of patients with advanced PCa. This study aimed to investigate the biological role and potential molecular mechanism of DCLK1 in the progression of PCa. ⋯ Consistent with the in vitro findings, the in vivo findings confirmed that DCLK1 promoted the tumorigenicity and stem cell-like traits of PCa cells via Hippo-YAP signaling. Conclusion: DCLK1 promotes stem cell-like characteristics by inducing LATS1-mediated YAP signaling activation, ultimately leading to PCa tumor growth and progression. Thus, our findings identify an attractive candidate for the development of cancer stem cell-targeted therapies to improve treatment outcomes in advanced PCa.
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Effective therapies for cognitive impairments induced by brain irradiation are currently lacking. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for radiation-induced brain injury in a randomized controlled experimental model using adult male Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups: 0 Gy whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) with normal baric air (NBA) treatment, 0 Gy WBRT with HBOT, 10 Gy WBRT with NBA, and 10 Gy WBRT with HBOT. ⋯ In addition, HBOT prevented and reversed the increased apoptosis among newborn neural stem cells and neuroblasts caused by 10 Gy WBRT on 7 days. The findings suggest that WBRT disrupts neurogenesis and enhance microgliosis, apoptosis of neuronal progenitors, and lipid peroxidation in the dentate gyrus, potentially leading to cognitive deficits and neuronal death. HBOT may offer a protective effect against these cognitive impairments and their underlying mechanisms in adult male rats following WBRT.
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Excessive exercise can lead to fatigue, consequently affect exercise performance, and further have an adverse impact to human health. The synergistic effects of ginsenosides, salidroside, and syringin on improving exercise performance remain unknown. Hence, the effects of Chinese herb powder (CHP) which consisted of bioactive compounds such as ginsenosides (Rg1, Re, and Rb1), salidroside, and syringin on exercise performance, energy metabolism, tissue damage, antioxidant activity, and inflammatory cytokine were investigated in exhaustive exercise rats. ⋯ Abdominal arterial blood, liver, and gastrocnemius muscles were collected 4 hours after exhaustive exercise for further analysis. The high-dose CHP group increased the time to exhaustion, decreased serum lactate level, increased serum superoxide dismutase activity, and decreased liver interleukin-6 concentration. Therefore, CHP exhibits an anti-fatigue effect for prolonging the time to exhaustion through improving lactate clearance, and to a lesser extent, enhancing the capacity of antioxidation and anti-inflammation.