Comparison of Calorie-Restricted Diet and Resveratrol Supplementation on Anthropometric Indices,Metabolic Parameters,and Serum Sirtuin-1 Levels in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objective: There is a promising perspective regarding the potential effect of resveratrol in preventing and treating metabolic disturbances similar to that of calorie restriction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of calorie-restricted (CR) diet on metabolic parameters and then to investigate whether resveratrol supplementation has beneficial effects similar to CR diet in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in 90 patients with NAFLD (males and females) aged 20 to 60 years with body mass index (BMI) ranging from 25 to 35 kg/m². Participants were assigned to one of three intervention groups as follows: The CR diet group (n = 30) received a prescribed low-calorie diet, the resveratrol group (n = 30) received 600 mg pure trans-resveratrol (2 × 300 mg) daily, and the placebo group (n = 30) received placebo capsules (2 × 300 mg) daily for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements, and dietary intake and physical activity data were collected for all participants at baseline and at the end of the trial.

Results: CR diet significantly reduced weight (by 4.5%); BMI; waist circumference; waist-to-hip ratio; and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lipid profiles in participants compared to resveratrol and placebo (all p < 0.05). Significant reductions in weight (by 1.1%) and BMI were found in the resveratrol group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). ALT, AST, and lipid profiles did not change significantly in the resveratrol group (all p > 0.05). No significant changes were seen in hepatic steatosis grade, serum glycemic parameters, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and sirtuin-1 levels in any group (all p > 0.05).

Conclusions: CR diet with moderate weight loss has favorable effects on NAFLD, and resveratrol supplementation induced weight loss but failed to mimic other aspects of CR diet. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term and dose-dependent effects of resveratrol on metabolic diseases.     

长链非编码RNA与微小RNA相互作用对调控疾病的研究进展

非编码RNA(ncRNA)与基因调控密切相关,ncRNA主要包括微小RNA(miRNA)和长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)。lncRNA与miRNA之间存在着相互调控关系,两者间的相互作用参与了众多疾病的发生发展。本文主要综述其在癌症、心血管疾病、免疫系统和神经系统疾病中的作用及其作用机制。     

阿魏酸哌嗪分散片联合氯吡格雷治疗冠心病的临床研究

目的观察阿魏酸哌嗪分散片联合氯吡格雷治疗冠心病的疗效。方法选择本院2015年至2016年收治的88例冠心病患者作为研究对象,按随机数表法将患者分为对照组和试验组,每组44例。对照组予以氯吡格雷治疗,于术前接受氯吡格雷75mg,qd,持续治疗6个月;在对照组基础上,试验组予以阿魏酸哌嗪分散片治疗,口服阿魏酸哌嗪分散片100 mg,tid,持续治疗1个月。比较2组的临床疗效和血清同型半胱氨酸(HCY)、超敏C反应蛋白(Hs CRP)、髓过氧化物酶(MPO)、缺血修饰清蛋白(IMA)水平,并观察药物不良反应(ADR)发生情况。结果试验组和对照组总有效率分别为90.90%(40例/44例)和72.72%(32例/44例),组间比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,试验组和对照组的血清HCY分别为(12.48±1.91),(16.36±2.02)μmol·L^-1;这2组的Hs CRP分别为(1.34±0.17),(3.82±0.56)mg·L^-1;这2组的MPO分别为(17.36±2.88),(23.26±4.26)mmol·L^-1;这2组的IMA分别为(20.10±2.44),(24.91±3.53)μg·L^-1,组间比较差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。试验组和对照组的ADR发生率分别为25.00%(11例/44例),20.45%(9例/44例),组间比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论阿魏酸哌嗪分散片联合氯吡格雷治疗冠心病的疗效优于单用氯吡格雷,能够降低血清HCY、Hs CRP、MPO、IMA水平,减缓病情。     

Cardiovascular safety of oncologic agents: A double-edged sword even in the era of targeted therapies – part 1

Introduction: Patients with cancer are subject to the cardiotoxic effects of cancer therapy and as more patients survive cancer due to improved treatment they are exposed to various forms of cardiovascular (CV) disease as they age, and vice-versa. Such an interplay of age with both malignancy and CV disease may contribute to increased morbidity and mortality.

Areas covered: This two-part review considers the effects of cancer drug treatment on the CV system. In Part I, the various types of CV and cardiometabolic toxicity of anti-cancer drugs and the possible mechanisms involved are discussed. Also, among the specific oncologic agents, the CV effects of the classical agents and of the large molecule immunological agents (monoclonal antibodies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors) are detailed.

Expert opinion: Oncologic agents produce a variety of CV adverse effects, including cardiomyopathy and heart failure, peri-myocarditis, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension (HTN), cardiac arrhythmias, valvular heart disease, and pulmonary HTN. Both the oncologist and the cardiologist need to be aware of such adverse effects and of the specific agents that produce them. They need to join forces to prevent, anticipate, recognize, and manage such complications.     

The launch of opicapone for Parkinson’s disease: negatives versus positives

Introduction: Opicapone is a novel, third generation COMT inhibitor approved for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Safety and tolerability data is critical to determine the benefit-harm balance and anticipate therapeutic adherence.

Areas covered: This review evaluates the tolerability and safety profile of opicapone. These data were extracted from all published clinical trials, including preclinical, phase I, phase II and phase III studies as well as postmarketing data. Opicapone was safe and well tolerated, with frequencies of treatment-emergent adverse events similar to placebo.

Expert opinion: Opicapone have shown a good safety and tolerability profile. This adds to its proven efficacy and convenient once-daily administration, supporting a role of opicapone as a first-line therapy for motor complications in Parkinson’s disease patients.     

Neuroprotective effect of gold nanoparticles composites in Parkinson's disease model

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Although drugs and surgery can relieve the symptoms of PD, these therapies are incapable of fundamentally treating the disease. For PD patients, over-expression of α-synuclein (SNCA) leads to the death of dopaminergic neurons. This process can be prevented by suppressing SNCA over-expression through RNA interference. Here, we successfully synthesized gold nanoparticles (GNP) composites (CTS@GNP-pDNA-NGF) via the combination of electrostatic adsorption and photochemical immobilization, which could load plasmid DNA (pDNA) and target specific cell types. GNP was transfected into cells via endocytosis to inhibiting the apoptosis of PC12 cells and dopaminergic neurons. Simultaneously, GNP composites are also used in PD models in vivo, and it can successfully cross the blood-brain barrier by contents of GNP in the mice brain. In general, all the works demonstrated that GNP composites have good therapeutic effects for PD models in vitro and in vivo.     

Clinical ultrasound stimulating angiogenesis following drug-release from polymersomes on the ischemic zone for peripheral arterial occlusive disease

Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD) is an aging disease that affects the quality of life of many people by its intermittent claudication and critical limb ischemia presentations. Traditional treatment and management of PAOD are asking patients to make a life change and medication with antiplatelet, statins and cilostazol, which decrease the possibility of clot formation. Our strategy has employed a magnetic Fe₃O₄-PLGA polymersome to carry the cilostazol into the ischemic area by magnetic attraction following remote-control drug release through low-energy ultrasound exposure. In the animal studies, the cilostazol-loaded Fe₃O₄-PLGA polymersomes were injected and accumulated at ischemic leg through magnetic attraction. Then, using a clinical-use ultrasound machine the leg was irradiated to forward cilostazol release from the accumulated polymersomes. Dramatically, we found an observable result of bloody flux recovery in the leg after 7?days compared to the non-treated leg that showed no evidence of the blood recovery.     

Anti-ageing gene therapy: Not so far away?

Improving healthspan is the main objective of anti-ageing research. Currently, innovative gene therapy-based approaches seem to be among the most promising for preventing and treating chronic polygenic pathologies, including age-related ones. The gene-based therapy allows to modulate the genome architecture using both direct (e.g., by gene editing) and indirect (e.g., by viral or non-viral vectors) approaches. Nevertheless, considering the extraordinary complexity of processes involved in ageing and ageing-related diseases, the effectiveness of these therapeutic options is often unsatisfactory and limited by their side-effects. Thus, clinical implementation of such applications is certainly a long-time process that will require many translation phases for addressing challenges. However, after overcoming these issues, their implementation in clinical practice may obviously provide new possibilities in anti-ageing medicine. Here, we review and discuss recent advances in this rapidly developing research field.