Disease Conditions Research Articles

The effect of alexithymia on self-perceived aging among community-dwelling older adults with multiple chronic conditions: the mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies

ObjectivesThis study investigated the mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between alexithymia and self-perceived aging among older adults.MethodsWe surveyed 478 Chinese community-dwelling older adults from November 2022 to May 2023. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire (B-APQ) were used. Correlation analyses, multiple linear regression analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed.ResultsThe average age of participants was 71.52 ± 7.80 years, and the number of chronic diseases was distributed as follows: 270 (56.49%) had 2 disease conditions, 156 (32.64%) had 3 disease conditions, and 52 (10.88%) had 4 disease conditions or more. Scores for alexithymia 57.83 ± 10.19; maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies 49.63 ± 10.65; and self-perceived aging 58.74 ± 10.23. Alexithymia and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies were positively correlated with negative self-perceived aging (r=0.665 and r=0.673, respectively), explaining 51.8% of the variance in self-perceived aging. Structural equation modeling results showed that alexithymia had a direct effect (of 0.368) on self-perceived aging, accounting for 44.1% of the total effect. Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies partially mediated the relationship, with a mediation effect of 0.386, accounting for 51.8% of the total effect.ConclusionThese findings suggest that addressing maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies can help reduce negative self-perceived aging in elderly individuals with multiple chronic conditions, particularly among those with alexithymia.

Toxicity Assessment of Ethanol Extract of Saussurea lappa (Costus) Root in Male Wistar Rats

: Background and Objective: Saussurea lappa is a medicinal plant that has been used in the treatment of various disease conditions for decades. Researchers have provided diversified characteristics of this medicinal plant, enormous data about the bioactive compounds and as well its pharmacological properties. However, information regarding toxicity study of Saussurea lappa root is lacking. The acute and sub-chronic toxicity of Saussurea lappa root ethanolic extract was investigated in this study using an in vivo model (male Wistar rats). Materials and Method: The acute toxicity study was done in two phases: Phase One comprised four groups of three rats each which were administered with 50 mg, 100 mg and 1600 mg per kg bodyweight ethanolic extract of S. lappa while the last group (control) was given water and normal fed once. Phase Two involved administering 1600 mg, 2900 mg and 5000 mg per bodyweight. The median lethal dose of the plant was determined in the acute toxicity study. In sub-chronic toxicity studies, the effects of S. lappa root ethanol extract in daily single oral administration at the doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg during 28 days were determined. The blood haematological and biochemical parameters as well as the histopathological examination of the liver and kidneys were studied. Results: In acute study, a single administration of the Saussurea lappa root ethanolic extract up to a dose of 5000 mg/kg did not cause mortality of animals all through the study. Thus, the median lethal dose (LD50) of Saussurea lappa root ethanolic extract was greater than 5000 mg/kg. Saussurea lappa root ethanolic extract caused no significant effect in the haematological and biochemical parameters of the treated groups when compared to the control. There were also no noticeable histological changes in the liver and kidneys of the Saussurea lappa treated rats compared to controls.. Conclusion: These results have shown that oral administration of Saussurea lappa root ethanol extract did not yield any significant toxic effect when acutely and daily administered for 28 days in the male Wistar rats. Hence, Saussurea lappa root ethanol extract could be regarded as a safe natural product for therapeutic use.

Voice or text? The role of physician media choice on patient experience in online medical communities

AbstractOnline medical communities (OMCs) are a type of online healthcare, in which physician‐patient interaction can be comprised of a variety of media options such as pictures, text, and voice. These media formats are often used to create a personalized patient experience in AI‐driven conversational healthcare platforms. To explore how physician media usage affects patient experience, we propose a counterfactual causal inference model using AI‐driven data mining methods on 131,083 online consultation records and 7,666,111 messages sent by physicians from one of the largest OMCs in China. Our study reveals the negative impact of physician use of voice on patient experience, compared to text. Drawing upon social support theory, we identify the mechanism by which physician media usage for voice produces a negative effect. The findings indicate that the negative effect of physicians' voice‐media usage occurs mainly in low‐risk disease conditions, by weakening the role of professional and emotional support. In contrast, in high‐risk disease conditions, voice‐media usage strengthens the role of professional and emotional support in improving the patient's experience. Our study is one of the first to focus on the social support attributes of the different media formats used in OMCs. We use advanced AI text‐analysis algorithms to extract features related to social support in physician‐patient conversations, and thus contribute to the use of AI in feature extraction for research.

Serum IgG Antibody against Helicobacter pylori and the CagA-VacA s1 Genotype as a Predictor of Gastric Cancer Development: A Case-control Study

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-induced inflammation increases the risk of developing various upper gastrointestinal conditions which may progress to gastric cancer (CA). Early prediction and detection of infection are crucial for reducing cancer-induced mortality rates. The present case-control study aimed to investigate the combination of serum and molecular markers and H. pylori-associated gastro-duodenal conditions as risk factors for predicting CA development in dyspeptic patients. Consecutive gastric biopsies and blood samples were collected from 100 adult dyspeptic patients. Serum IgG antibody levels against H. pylori were determined, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. The expression of the virulence genes cagA and vacA was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A significant association was reported between the disease condition and the status of several risk factors, such as family history, serum IgG antibody concentration, and the virulence genes cagA and vacA. Among the 71 H. pylori-positive patients, 35.2% (25/71) had CA. Both cagA and vacA genes were found in 46 out of 71 (64.7%) patients, and 92% (23/25) of CA patients carried the cagA+vacA s1 gene. ROC analysis of the serum IgG concentrations revealed AUC values of 0.81 and 0.78 for differentiating patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia from those with ulceration/inflammation and CA, respectively. The concordance between the IgG-positive and PCR-positive patients was 84% (k value=0.41). Patients who had a family history of CA with an increased serum IgG concentration and the presence of H. pylori cagA-vacA s1 genotypes may be considered strong predictors of future development of gastric pathologies, including CA.

Autophagy in Muscle Regeneration: Mechanisms, Targets, and Therapeutic Perspective

Autophagy maintains the stability of eukaryotic cells by degrading unwanted components and recycling nutrients and plays a pivotal role in muscle regeneration by regulating the quiescence, activation, and differentiation of satellite cells. Effective muscle regeneration is vital for maintaining muscle health and homeostasis. However, under certain disease conditions, such as aging, muscle regeneration can fail due to dysfunctional satellite cells. Dysregulated autophagy may limit satellite cell self-renewal, hinder differentiation, and increase susceptibility to apoptosis, thereby impeding muscle regeneration. This review explores the critical role of autophagy in muscle regeneration, emphasizing its interplay with apoptosis and recent advances in autophagy research related to diseases characterized by impaired muscle regeneration. Additionally, we discuss new approaches involving autophagy regulation to promote macrophage polarization, enhancing muscle regeneration. We suggest that utilizing cell therapy and biomaterials to modulate autophagy could be a promising strategy for supporting muscle regeneration. We hope that this review will provide new insights into the treatment of muscle diseases and promote muscle regeneration.

Advances in sarcopenia and urologic disorders

Sarcopenia is a loss of muscle strength, muscle mass, and function that can increase a patient’s risk of injury, illness, and can even severely impair quality of life and increase a patient’s risk of death. A growing body of research suggests that sarcopenia and urinary tract disorders are closely related. In this review, we aimed to emphasize the definition of skeletal sarcopenia, summarize the methods used to diagnose skeletal sarcopenia, discuss the advances in the study of sarcopenia in benign diseases of the urinary system, discuss the advances in the study of sarcopenia in malignant diseases of the urinary system. Sarcopenia and urologic diseases interact with each other; urologic diseases cause sarcopenia, and sarcopenia aggravates the condition of the original disease, thus falling into a vicious circle. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of sarcopenia in urologic diseases, which is very important for the management and prognosis of urologic diseases.

Response to amoxicillin and perampanel in infantile Alexander disease.

Type I Alexander disease (AxD) presents with paroxysmal neurodegeneration, refractory epilepsy, and encephalopathy in the first years of life and is associated with a poor prognosis. Although there is no treatment, mild symptomatic improvement has been reported in one case of adult Alexander treated with ceftriaxone, given its interaction with the mutant glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) responsible for the disease's pathogenesis. We describe a patient presenting with irritability starting at 2 months of age, initially attributed to gastroesophageal reflux. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt was placed at 3 months of age due to hydrocephalus secondary to aqueduct stenosis detected through an MRI scan, but the irritability persisted. At 5 months, a new brain MRI was performed due to irritability worsening, onset of abnormal ocular movements and seizures. In addition genetic testing was performed. AxD was diagnosed due to the mutation c.716G>A (p.Arg239His) in GFAP. Since irritability had worsened and had not responded to levomepromazine, treatment with amoxicillin (80 mg/kg/day) was attempted to modulate glutamate levels. The patient showed a striking improvement of irritability in 48 h that persisted over the next months. The patient had frequent daily seizures which did not respond to valproate, clonazepam, or phenobarbital. Perampanel, a postsynaptic AMPA receptor antagonist, was added to phenobarbital and he was seizure free for more than 3 months. Drugs modulating glutamate levels in the central nervous system, including β-lactam antibiotics and perampanel, may have an important role in the symptomatic treatment of AxD and other neurodegenerative diseases where glutamatergic excitotoxicity is a pathogenic determinant. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Alexander disease is a rare and serious condition that affects the brain, often leading to neurodegeneration (brain damage), seizures, and other problems in early childhood. The disease is caused by a mutation in a gene called GFAP. There is no cure, and current treatments mainly focus on relieving symptoms. This article discusses the case of a baby who showed signs of irritability and seizures from a young age. The baby was diagnosed with Alexander disease after brain scans and genetic testing. Despite treatment with various drugs, the baby continued to experience seizures and irritability. The doctors decided to try amoxicillin, a common antibiotic, because of its potential to help control the disease by affecting a brain chemical called glutamate. Surprisingly, the baby's irritability improved within 2 days of starting amoxicillin, and the improvement lasted for several months. However, the seizures persisted until another medication, perampanel, was added. This combination controlled the baby's seizures for over 3 months. Unfortunately, the baby passed away at 13 months due to complications from the disease. However, doctors believe that drugs like amoxicillin and perampanel could be promising treatments for managing symptoms of Alexander disease and other similar brain conditions in the future, especially where excess glutamate plays a role in the damage. This case suggests that these treatments may help control irritability and seizures, offering hope for better management of this challenging disease.

Labour market participation and income in patients with IBD onset before young adulthood - the role of disease severity and mental health.

Only few studies have examined the socioeconomic consequences of being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in childhood or youth. Disease severity has been linked to lower earnings, but little attention has been paid to comorbid mental health conditions. The aim is to examine labour market participation (LMP) and income in patients with IBD-onset in childhood or youth and examine how disease severity and mental health conditions affects LMP. In this register-based cohort study, we included patients with IBD-onset before 25 years of age and matched comparators. We estimated the relative risk (RR) of having low LMP and the median yearly income from ages 26 to 30. RR of low LMP was also assessed in subgroups of patients based on disease severity (severe/non-severe) and mental health conditions (yes/no). A total of 3,398 patients with IBD and 28,207 comparators were included. Overall, patients with IBD more often had low LMP (16.4% vs 14.4% in comparators), but slightly higher income (median yearly income difference at age 30: 1,141 Euro [95% CI: 483-1,798]). In subgroup analyses, only patients with severe IBD had higher risk of low LMP (RR 1.46 [95% CI 1.23-1.72]), not patients with non-severe IBD. Among patients with severe disease and mental health conditions 46% had low LMP (RR 5.03 [95% CI 4.38-5.78]). Patients with IBD more often had low LMP, but their income was not affected. The subgroup of patients with severe disease and mental health conditions had the highest risk of low LMP.

BS-clock, advancing epigenetic age prediction with high-resolution DNA methylation bisulfite sequencing data.

DNA methylation patterns provide precise and accurate estimates of biological age due to their robustness and predictable changes associated with aging processes. Although several methylation aging clocks have been developed in recent years, they are primarily designed for DNA methylation array data, which has limited CpG coverage and detection sensitivity compared to bisulfite sequencing data. Here, we present BS-clock, a novel DNA methylation clock for human aging based on bisulfite sequencing data. Using BS-seq data from 529 samples retrieved from four tissues, our BS-clock achieves higher correlations with chronological age in multiple tissue types compared to existing array-based clocks. Our study revealed age-dependent aging rates across different age stages and disease conditions, and overall low cross-tissue prediction capability by applying the model trained on one tissue type to others. In summary, BS-clock overcomes limitations of array-based techniques, offering genome-wide CpG site coverage and more robust and accurate aging quantification. This research paves the way for advanced epigenetic studies of aging and holds promise for developing targeted interventions to promote healthy aging. All analysis codes for reproducing the results of the study are publicly available at https://github.com/hucongcong97/BS-clock. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Manifestations of and factors influencing posttraumatic growth among Chinese Crohn's disease patients: a qualitative exploration.

This qualitative study aims to explore the manifestations of posttraumatic growth among Chinese patients with Crohn's disease from a cultural perspective and to identify the factors influencing it. A descriptive qualitative research method was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 19 patients with Crohn's disease from several hospitals in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and the China Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. There were five key manifestations of posttraumatic growth experienced by Chinese patients with Crohn's disease: improving interpersonal relationships, enhancing personal strengths, changing life priorities, expanding possibilities and gaining religious faith. Posttraumatic growth among patients was predominantly influenced by individual factors, the disease condition and social support. The findings regarding the manifestations of and factors influencing posttraumatic growth in Chinese patients with Crohn's disease are consistent with those in previous studies in patients with chronic diseases. However, our study underscores the multifaceted impact of Chinese cultural characteristics on posttraumatic growth among Crohn's disease patients. These findings can offer valuable guidance for future complex interventions and relevant clinical studies conducted within the Chinese population.

Inhibition of Hedgehog Signaling Ameliorates Severity of Chronic Pancreatitis in Experimental Mouse Models.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a fibro-inflammatory disease of the pancreas with no specific cure. Research highlighting the pathogenesis and especially the therapeutic aspect remains limited. Aberrant activation of developmental pathways in adults have been implicated in several diseases. Hedgehog pathway is a notable embryonic signaling pathway, known to promote fibrosis of various organs when over-activated. The aim of this study is to explore the role of hedgehog pathway in the progression of CP and evaluate its inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy against CP. CP was induced in mice by repeated injections of L-arginine or Caerulein in two separate models. Mice were administered with the FDA approved pharmacological hedgehog pathway inhibitor, Vismodegib during or after establishing the disease condition to inhibit hedgehog signaling. Various parameters of CP were analyzed to determine the effect of hedgehog pathway inhibition on the severity and progression of the disease. Our study shows that hedgehog signaling was over-activated during CP and its inhibition was effective in improving the histopathological parameters associated with CP. Vismodegib administration not only halted the progression of CP but was also able to resolve already established fibrosis. Additionally, inhibition of hedgehog signaling resulted in reversal of pancreatic stellate cell activation ex vivo. Conclusions: Findings from our study justify conducting clinical trials using Vismodegib against CP and thus, could lead to development of novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CP.

Telehealth utilization among patients with chronic disease: Insights from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey.

Telehealth has been effectively used for managing chronic disease conditions; however, utilization patterns vary across populations. This study aims to examine the prevalence of telehealth utilization, the associated factors of telehealth modality (e.g., audio, video) among patients with chronic diseases, and the role of health literacy. Participants with at least one diagnosed chronic disease from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) data (n=3686) were analyzed. Differences in participant characteristics between telehealth users and non-users were compared using χ² statistics. Multinomial logistic regression models were employed to investigate factors associated with telehealth modality. About 52% of participants reported using telehealth in the past 12 months, with 34.7% using audio-only modality. Telehealth use was highest among participants with depression (61.6%) and lowest among those with high blood pressure (47.6%). Participants over 75 years old (OR, 3.11 [95% CI, 1.99-4.85]; P < 0.001) were more likely to use audio-only modality compared to the youngest group (18-34 years). Respondents with a higher educational level (bachelor's degree: OR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.59-1.00], P = 0.049; post-baccalaureate degree: OR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.43-0.82]; P < 0.001) and higher health literacy (OR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.66-0.99]; P =0.04) were more likely to use audio-video modality compared to their counterparts. Telehealth use varied across demographics and chronic diseases, revealing significant disparities. Elderly individuals, those with lower socioeconomic status, and those with lower health literacy tended to use the audio-only modality. Providing support for digital platforms and health literacy can empower patients with chronic diseases to effectively use telehealth for self-management.

Nintedanib alleviates polypropylene mesh-induced adhesion in rabbit ventral herniorrhaphy

Abstract BACKGROUND: Nintedanib (previously known as BBIF 1120) was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and European Medical Agency to treat idiopathic lung fibrosis in the year 2014 and 2015, respectively. It is now gaining interest for its anti-fibrotic activity in other organs and disease conditions. Although a surgical mesh is used as a mainstay therapy for herniorrhaphy, postoperative peritoneal adhesion with a polypropylene mesh is a significant drawback. This study aims to assess the efficacy of nintedanib in preventing postoperative adhesion incited with a polypropylene mesh in a rabbit model of ventral hernia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ventral hernia was induced surgically in ten adult healthy New Zealand White rabbits of either sex. Hernioplasty was performed with a polypropylene mesh, and the rabbits were randomly allocated into two groups to receive either oral 1 ml sterile water or 100 mg nintedanib in 1 ml of sterile water for 7 days. The adhesion of the implanted mesh with the intra-abdominal organs was assessed clinically, by histological and ultrastructural studies with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at 30 days postoperatively. RESULTS: All rabbits were clinically healthy for 30 days post-surgery with no complication at the site of surgery. The incidence of peritoneal adhesion and tenacity was less in the nintedanib group versus the control group (P = 0.00105). Histopathological and SEM evaluations also indicated less fibrosis and adhesion in the nintedanib-treated group versus control. CONCLUSION: Our results show successful prevention of mesh-associated adhesion with nintedanib, but further studies on the mechanistic pathway, pharmacokinetics, dose standardization, and evaluation of systemic side effects are warranted.

ScImmOmics: a manually curated resource of single-cell multi-omics immune data.

Single-cell sequencing technology has enabled the discovery and characterization of subpopulations of immune cells with unique functions, which is critical for revealing immune responses under healthy or disease conditions. Efforts have been made to collect and curate single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data, yet an immune-specific single-cell multi-omics atlas with harmonized metadata is still lacking. Here, we present scImmOmics (https://bio.liclab.net/scImmOmics/home), a manually curated single-cell multi-omics immune database constructed based on high-quality immune cells with known immune cell labels. Currently, scImmOmics documents >2.9 million cell-type labeled immune cells derived from seven single-cell sequencing technologies, involving 131 immune cell types, 47 tissues and 4 species. To ensure data consistency, we standardized the nomenclature of immune cell types and presented them in a hierarchical tree structure to clearly describe the lineage relationships within the immune system. scImmOmics also provides comprehensive immune regulatory information, including T-cell/B-cell receptor sequencing clonotype information, cell-specific regulatory information (e.g. gene/chromatin accessibility/protein/transcription factor states within known cell types, cell-to-cell communication and co-expression networks) and immune cell responses to cytokines. Collectively, scImmOmics is a comprehensive and valuable platform for unraveling the heterogeneity and diversity of immune cells and elucidating the specific regulatory mechanisms at the single-cell level.

Marine-Derived Bioactive Ingredients in Functional Foods for Aging: Nutritional and Therapeutic Perspectives

Aging is closely linked to various health challenges, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. This study emphasizes the critical role of bioactive compounds derived from marine sources, such as antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and polysaccharides, in addressing oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic disorders closely related to aging. Incorporating these materials into functional foods not only provides essential nutrients but also delivers therapeutic effects, thereby promoting healthy aging and mitigating age-related diseases. The growth of the global anti-aging market, particularly in North America, Europe, and Asia, underscores the significance of this study. This review systematically analyzes the current research, identifying key bioactive compounds, their mechanisms of action, and their potential health benefits, thus highlighting the broad applicability of marine-derived bioactive compounds to enhancing healthy aging and improving the quality of life of aging populations.

Critical risk factors analysis of infection-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in children.

To analyze the critical factors of infection-associated Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in children, so as to provide theoretical basis for clinicians to evaluate the disease condition, formulate treatment plan and improve prognosis.This study is a retrospective analysis. 60 cases of children with infection-associated HLH were divided into critical and non-critical groups based on the presence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and the clinical characteristics and laboratory data of the two groups of children were analyzed. A multifactor logistic regression analysis model was used to assess the independent risk factors affecting critical illness in children with infection-associated HLH, and the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of risk factors for critical illness in children with infection-associated HLH. Children in the critical group with HLH had a younger age at onset. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), D-dimer (DD), and triglycerides (TG) were significantly higher in the critical group, while albumin (ALB) was significantly lower, showing statistical significance (P < 0.05). Multifactorial logistic regression analysis of age, ALB, and TG showed that younger age and lower ALB were associated with a higher risk of MODS in children with infection-associated HLH, with age and ALB being independent risk factors for critical illness. ALB predicted the ROC area under the curve for critical children with infection-associated HLH was 0.765 (95% CI: 0.643-0.888, P = 0.011), with the optimal cut-off value being 32.50g/L (sensitivity = 68.3%, specificity = 84.2%); age predicted the ROC area under the curve for critical children with infection-associated HLH was 0.711 (95% CI: 0.570-0.851, P = 0.009), with the optimal cut-off value being 1.50 years (sensitivity = 70.7%, specificity = 68.4%). This study suggests that younger patients and those with hypoalbuminemia among infection-related HLH patients are more likely to develop MODS. In the future, verification will be required through large-scale, multi-center studies.

Assessment of coral diseases in the shallow reefs of Aka-jima Marine Reserve (AMR), with a brief geographic perspective of disease occurrence throughout the larger Kerama-Shoto Marine National Park (KMNP), Okinawa, Japan

This study reports on the observation of coral diseases within the shallow/intertidal water habitat of the Akajima Marine Reserve (AMR), located within the Keramashoto Marine National Park (KMNP) of Japan. Major coral genera and species assessed during the survey included Montipora spp., Porites spp., Isopora palifera, Acropora spp., as well as other. Observed diseases and health conditions included Black Band Disease (BBD) in Montipora as well as in Goniopora, Skeletal Growth Anomalies (GAs) in Acropora, Montipora, Porites, Isopora and Astreopora, Terpios hoshinota covering Acropora, Montipora and Seriatopora, as well as bleaching, discoloration, and other compromised health signs. This field study recorded the presence of GAs in the genus Leptastrea for the first time within the Japanese Archipelago. The novelty in this study is reporting unreported genera to be infested with certain disease conditions, further this study demonstrates how surveys in previously poorly studied areas or habitats can reveal important information pertaining to coral diseases, thus helping to fill existing knowledge gaps. Another important aspect of this study is, we provide a review of the distribution of coral diseases within the KMNP based on our results and previous reports. Being a rapid survey, the dynamics of these diseases were not assessed, while the major cause(s) of the diseases remains to be identified. In general, climate change-related aspects including rises in sea surface temperatures, as well as other factors such as host density may be responsible for disease prevalences in the region.

Impaired insulin signaling and diet-induced type 3 diabetes pathophysiology increase amyloid β expression in the Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease

Compelling evidence has strongly linked unregulated sugar levels to developing Alzheimer's disease, suggesting Alzheimer's to be ‘diabetes of the brain or ‘type 3 diabetes. Insulin resistance contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease due to uncontrolled and unchecked blood glucose, though the interrelatedness between Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes is debatable. Here we describe the consequences of inducing type 3 diabetes by feeding Drosophila on a high sucrose diet, which effectively mimics the pathophysiology of diabetes. High sucrose diet increases glycogen and lipid accumulation. Inducing type 3 diabetes worsened neurodegeneration and accelerated disease progression in Drosophila expressing the Alzheimer's Familial Arctic mutation. High sucrose milieu also negatively affected locomotor ability and reduced the lifespan in the Alzheimer's disease model of Drosophila. The results showed that creating diabetic conditions by using insulin receptor (InR) knockdown in the eyes of Drosophila led to a degenerative phenotype, indicating a genetic interaction between the insulin signaling pathway and Alzheimer's disease. The expression of PERK reflects disruption in the endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis due to amyloid-β (Aβ) under a high sucrose diet. These observations demonstrated association between type 3 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, and that a high sucrose environment has a degenerating effect on Alzheimer's disease condition.

A journey through the inspiring life of Brahmasri VMC Sankaran Namboodirippad: An eminent toxicologist and an ardent guru

Abstract The present paper sheds light on the phenomenal and inspiring life of Brahmasri VMC Sankaran Namboodirippad, a toxicologist in Ayurveda and a renowned physician from the central part of Kerala. The article presents the life profile of Sri Namboodirippad after meticulous documentation through a series of interviews and information from other literary sources. The information available about his childhood life, education, treatment experiences, and contributions as a teacher of Ayurveda is presented here. Sri Namboodirippad, born in an orthodox Namboodiri family, was a multifaceted personality who inspired aspirants of Ayurveda from the new generation not only from India but also from abroad. This article enlists a few of his treatment experiences in various toxicological and disease conditions that enlightened the minds of his students. This article ends with a note on his contribution as a teacher who transformed students from various clans to understand the importance of the fundamentals of Ayurveda in the prevention and treatment of human ailments.

A switch from lysosomal degradation to secretory autophagy initiates osteogenic bone metastasis in prostate cancer.

The identification of both autophagy-related material degradation and unconventional secretion has paved the way for significant breakthroughs linking autophagy to a plethora of physiological processes and disease conditions. However, the mechanisms that coordinate these two pathways remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a switch from the lysosomal degradation to a secretory autophagy pathway is governed by protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B, encoded by PTPN1). Dephosphorylation at two tyrosine residues of syntaxin17 (STX17) by PTP1B reduces autophagosome-lysosome fusion while switching the cells to a secretory autophagy pathway. Both PTP1B overexpression and tumour-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) can activate the secretory autophagy pathway in osteoblasts. Moreover, we demonstrate that osteoblastic LC3+ EVs, generated via the secretory autophagy pathway, are the primary contributor to tumour-associated bone remodelling in prostate cancer. Depletion of tumour-derived EVs secretion or genetic ablation of osteoblastic PTP1B rescues aberrant bone remodelling and lesions, highlighting the relevance between LC3+ EVs and the formation of bone metastatic niche. Our results reveal the significance of tumour-regulated PTP1B in the fate decision of autophagosomes, and propose a role ofLC3+ EVs in shaping the bone metastatic niche.