Heart Stroke Research Articles

LDL-C and TC mediate the risk of PNPLA3 inhibition on cardiovascular diseases.

PNPLA3 is a promising target for the treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease. ARO-PNPLA3 is a drug that efficiently lowers PNPLA3 expression in hepatocytes at the mRNA level, resulting in a significant reduction in liver fat in Phase I clinical trials. However, the long-term effects and potential side effects of ARO-PNPLA3 are not well understood. We conducted a two-sample, two-step Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the association between PNPLA3 inhibition and 10 cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), as well as the role of lipid traits as mediators. We identified genetic variants near the PNPLA3 gene, which are linked to liver fat percentage, as instrumental variables for inhibiting PNPLA3. Additionally, positive control analyses on liver diseases were conducted to validate the selection of the genetic instruments. Genetically predicted PNPLA3 inhibition significantly increased the risk of coronary atherosclerosis (1.14, 95% CI 1.06, 1.23), coronary heart disease (1.14, 95% CI 1.08, 1.21), and myocardial infarction (1.16, 95% CI 1.08, 1.26). Suggestive associations were observed for increased risk of heart failure (1.09, 95% CI 1.02, 1.17, P = 0.0143) and atrial fibrillation (1.17, 95% CI 1.00, 1.36, P = 0.0468). Blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) mediated approximately 16-25%, 16-30%, and 14-22% of the associations between PNPLA3 inhibition and coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and coronary heart disease, respectively. This study suggests that PNPLA3 inhibition increases the risk of major CVDs. Moreover, blood LDL-C and TC may mediate a significant proportion of the associations between PNPLA3 inhibition and coronary atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, or myocardial infarction.

Mechanistic correlation of molecular pathways in obesity-mediated stroke pathogenesis.

Obesity, a prominent risk factor for the development of heart attacks and several cardiovascular ailments. Obesity ranks as the second most significant avoidable contributor to mortality, whereas stroke stands as the second leading cause of death on a global scale. While changes in lifestyle have been demonstrated to have significant impacts on weight management, the long-term weight loss remains challenging, and the global prevalence of obesity continues to rise. The pathophysiology of obesity has been extensively studied during the last few decades, and an increasing number of signal transduction pathways have been linked to obesity preclinically. This review is focused on signaling pathways, and their respective functions in regulating the consumption of fatty food as well as accumulation of adipose tissue, and the resulting morphological and cognitive changes in the brain of individuals with obesity. We have also emphasized the recent progress in the mechanisms behind the emergence of obesity, as elucidated by both experimental and clinical investigations. The mounting understanding of signaling transduction may shed light on the future course of obesity research as we move into a new era of precision medicine.

Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics for Precision Cardiac RiskStratification and Heart Diseases

The data explosion hasushered in a new era where insights are mined from vast data pools known as big data. Strategies for harnessing this data have emerged as critical decision-making tools across fields, employing various data analysis methods. Data mining techniques play an essential role in extracting meaningful patterns and insights. Thispaper focuses on the intersection of data mining and healthcare, particularly the critical concern of heart disease prediction.It presents a novel system that estimates heart attack risk, combining data mining with machine learning. Employing classification, the system stratifies data intotwo classes: heart disease presence or absence. Two powerful algorithms,decision tree classification and Naïve Bayes classification, enhance accuracy in predicting heart disease risk, achieving up to 91% and 87% accuracy, respectively. This review paper comprehensively analyzes the system's architecture, methodologies, and outcomes in healthcare, emphasizing data mining and machine learning's potential in medicine. Subsequent sections delve into methodology, results, and implications,providing a holistic view of this innovativeapproach.

Denis Aristide Baylor. 30 January 1940 — 16 March 2022

Denis Baylor was one of the leading sensory neuroscientists of the latter part of the twentieth century. His research on the rod and cone photoreceptors of the retina provided a deep understanding of the electrical responses of these cells to light and also of the molecular mechanisms of photo­transduction, whereby light absorption is linked via biochemical reactions within the cell to ion channels in its membrane and thence to cellular membrane voltage changes. He also made major contributions to knowledge of the transmission of these signals to the retina's ganglion cells, which forward information to the brain. Over his career, he invented and/or exploited three important methods for electrophysiological recording: ultra-high-resistance sharp microelectrodes; the suction-pipette technique for photoreceptors; and multielectrode arrays for retina. His research findings have provided important advances in our understanding of visual neuroscience, from the detection of individual photon absorptions by rod photoreceptors, through the underlying molecular mechanisms, to the processing and transmission of these visual signals through the retina. He instilled a love for experimental neuroscience and rigorous scientific investigation into a generation of postdoctoral trainees, students and colleagues. He died of a heart attack on 16 March 2022.

Diosgenin improves post-myocardial infarction cardiac function via HAND2-induced angiogenesis

While diosgenin has been demonstrated effective in various cardiovascular diseases, its specific impact on treating heart attacks remains unclear. Our research revealed that diosgenin significantly improved cardiac function in a myocardial infarction (MI) mouse model, reducing cardiac fibrosis and cell apoptosis while promoting angiogenesis. Mechanistically, diosgenin upregulated the Hand2 expression, promoting the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells under hypoxic conditions. Acting as a transcription factor, HAND2 activated the angiogenesis-related gene Aggf1. Conversely, silencing Hand2 inhibited the diosgenin-induced migration of hypoxic endothelial cells and angiogenesis. In summary, these findings provide new insights into the protective role of diosgenin in MI, validating its effect on angiogenic activity and providing a theoretical basis for clinical treatment strategies.

Predicting Coronary Heart Disease using Various Regression Analysis

Nowadays, cardiovascular diseases are the major concern for Human beings. Cardiovascular Heart Diseases (CHDs) are the major reason for mortality globally causing millions of deaths each year. The global death toll from Cardiovascular Heart Disease (CHD) rose from 12.1 million in 1990 to 20.5 million in 2021. The age-standardized death rate for CHD in India was 282 deaths/100000 was higher compared with global levels that is 233 deaths/100000. The leading factors contributing to cardiovascular diseases or fatalities encompass high cholesterol level, triglyceride, etc. These are the most common factors nowadays which result in heart attack in humans. The main aim of this particular project is to explore various risk factors associated with myocardial infarction, commonly known as Heart Attack. We have used tensorflow and Keras frameworks for the following project. In this project, we utilize neural network models to forecast the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) using various features. The prediction process involves training the models on a portion of the data and assessing their effectiveness on the remaining test set. These models are designed to discern patterns and correlations between input features and the target variable, 'chd'. The choice of features, architecture, and training parameters influences the model's predictive performance. The research focuses on two distinct neural network models: the first, 'sbp_model,' predicts CHD using only systolic blood pressure ('sbp'), while the second, 'linear_model,' utilizes all available features after normalization. Both models are evaluated on their ability to predict CHD through mean absolute error, with training histories and loss curves analysed. We have taken into consideration all the important Regression Models.

Heart Attack Prediction using Machine Learning Algorithms

One of the most crucial parts of the human body is the heart. When the heart's blood supply is cut off, a heart attack happens. The most frequent cause of a blockage is the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances inside the coronary arteries that provide blood to the heart (which eventually results in plaque growth). This study sought to identify which anthropometric characteristics had a high likelihood of having an impact on a person having a heart attack in order to design a program for heart attack analysis using machine learning algorithms. The researchers were able to acquire data from a variety of sources to identify the variables that may be used to create the output in order to fulfill the study's objectives. The existing heart attack analysis was reviewed by the researchers. They discovered that the researchers' algorithms were hardly noteworthy. Another ongoing study uses a variety of data mining and machine learning approaches to analyze vast volumes of patient data in an effort to predict heart attacks before they happen, ultimately helping professionals and the healthcare industry. The software for Heart Attack Prediction was created by taking into account various data from previous studies.

FBXL8 inhibits post-myocardial infarction cardiac fibrosis by targeting Snail1 for ubiquitin-proteasome degradation

Abnormal cardiac fibrosis is the main pathological change of post-myocardial infarction (MI) heart failure. Although the E3 ubiquitin ligase FBXL8 is a key regulator in the cell cycle, cell proliferation, and inflammation, its role in post-MI ventricular fibrosis and heart failure remains unknown. FBXL8 was primarily expressed in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and remarkably decreased in CFs treated by TGFβ and heart subjected to MI. The echocardiography and histology data suggested that adeno-associated viruses (AAV9)-mediated FBXL8 overexpression had improved cardiac function and ameliorated post-MI cardiac fibrosis. In vitro, FBXL8 overexpression prevented TGFβ-induced proliferation, migration, contraction, and collagen secretion in CFs, while knockdown of FBXL8 demonstrated opposite effects. Mechanistically, FBXL8 interacted with Snail1 to promote Snail1 degradation through the ubiquitin–proteasome system and decreased the activation of RhoA. Moreover, the FBXL8ΔC3 binding domain was indispensable for Snail1 interaction and degradation. Ectopic Snail1 expression partly abolished the effects mediated by FBXL8 overexpression in CFs treated by TGFβ. These results characterized the role of FBXL8 in regulating the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of Snail1 and revealed the underlying molecular mechanism of how MI up-regulated the myofibroblasts differentiation-inducer Snail1 and suggested that FBXL8 may be a potential curative target for improving post-MI cardiac function.

Myocardial motion in acute ischemia: revealing invisible deformation by echocardiography.

Echocardiography has been used clinically to assess regional myocardial wall motion for the diagnosis of acute myocardial ischemia or stress-induced ischemia, but it is often difficult to distinguish hypokinetic motion from normal motion. Myocardial wall motion is affected by loading conditions as well as intrinsic contractility, making it challenging to define a normal range of wall motion. Therefore, hypokinesis is usually diagnosed by comparing target areas with other areas of myocardium considered normal (relative hypokinesis). Myocardial strain analysis by tissue Doppler echocardiography and speckle-tracking echocardiography has enabled objective and quantitative evaluation of regional myocardial wall motion. Peak systolic strain decreases during acute ischemia, but subtle and invisible myocardial motion, such as early systolic lengthening (ESL) and postsystolic shortening (PSS), also occurs, and the analysis of these subtle motions can improve the diagnostic accuracy of ischemia. However, the diagnosis of ischemic myocardium by strain analysis is not widely performed in clinical practice at this time due to several limitations. This article reviews the features of myocardial motion during acute ischemia, the mechanisms of ESL and PSS, the diagnosis of ischemic myocardium using strain analysis, and current approaches and future challenges to overcome the limitations in the detection of relative hypokinesis. This article also explains the use of ESL and PSS to detect myocardial ischemic memory that remains after brief ischemia.

Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life following Acute Type A Aortic Dissection with a Focus on Male-Female Differences: A Cross Sectional Study.

Objectives: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular emergency, of which the long-term impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and male-female-specific insights remain inadequately clarified. Methods: Consecutive adult ATAAD patients who underwent surgery were retrospectively included between 2007 and 2017 in four referral centers in the Netherlands, and baseline data were collected. The 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36) Health Survey was sent to all survivors between 2019 and 2021 and compared to validated SF-36 scores of the Dutch general population stratified by age group and sex. Results: In total, 324/555 surviving patients returned the SF-36 questionnaire (response rate 58%), of which 40.0% were female; the median follow-up was 6.5 years (range: 1.7-13.9, IQR: 4.0-9.4) after surgery for ATAAD. In comparison to the general population, ATAAD patients scored significantly lower on 6/8 SF-36 subdomains and higher on bodily pain. Differences in HRQoL domains compared to the sex-matched data were largely comparable between sexes, apart from bodily pain. In the age-matched subgroups impaired HRQoL was most pronounced in younger patients aged 41-60 (5/8 impaired domains). Female ATAAD patients scored significantly worse on 5/8 SF-36 subdomains and the physical component summary (PCS) scores than male patients. Age at ATAAD, female sex, hypertension, COPD, and prior thoracic aortic aneurysm were associated with worse PCS scores. Conclusions: Long-term HRQoL was impaired in both male and female ATAAD patients when compared to the general population. Further studies on the nature of this impairment and on interventions to improve HRQoL after ATAAD are clearly warranted, with special attention to females and younger patients.

Number of Pregnancies and Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study of NHANES from 1999 to 2018.

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the most common cause of death in women. Pregnancy is an exposure unique to women leading to significant changes in maternal cardiovascular function. However, studies of the relationship between the number of pregnancies and ASCVD are rare. We aimed to clarify the association between the number of pregnancies and ASCVD. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used publicly available data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2018. The number of pregnancies was divided into 0 (reference), 1, 2-3, 4-5, or ≥6, to create more stable estimates. A multiple logistic regression approach was used to examine the correlation between pregnancy and ASCVD in women aged 45 years or older who reported no menstruation in the past 12 months due to menopause, as well as in those aged 55 years or older, encompassing various age groups. We also separately estimated the association between the exposure of pregnancy and individual components of ASCVD. Results: In this study, age-adjusted data showed that women with six or more pregnancies had a doubled risk (odds ratio [OR]: 2.07) of ASCVD. The risk remained elevated at 1.69 times in women with four to five pregnancies and further increased to 1.90 times in women with six or more pregnancies, after adjusting for social factors. Similar patterns were observed when considering reproductive health and cardiovascular risk factors. Across the full population, every model that accounted for these variables consistently indicated that with an increasing number of pregnancies, we observed higher ORs for ASCVD risk (all p values <0.05). Conclusions: A higher number of pregnancies was associated with a higher risk of ASCVD after menopause, especially among women aged 45-64 years. Moreover, this association is particularly significant in the risk of stroke, cardiovascular heart disease, and heart attack.

Temporal characteristics and health effects related to NO2, O3, and SO2 in an urban area of Iran

This study reports on temporal variations of NO2, O3, and SO2 pollutants and their related health effects in urban air of Khorramabad, Iran using AirQ 2.2.3 software. Based on data between 2015 and 2021, hourly NO2, O3, and SO2 concentrations increase starting at 6:00 a.m. local time until 9:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. local time, respectively, before gradually decreasing. The highest monthly NO2, O3, and SO2 concentrations are observed in October, August, and September, respectively. Annual median NO2, O3, and SO2 concentrations range between 17 ppb and 38.8 ppb, 17.5 ppb–36.6 ppb, and ∼14 ppb–30.8 ppb, respectively. Two to 93 days and 17–156 days between 2015 and 2021 exhibit daily concentrations of NO2 and SO2 ≤ WHO AQGs, respectively, while 187–294 days have 8-h maximum O3 concentrations ≤ WHO AQGs. The mean excess mortality ascribed to respiratory mortality, cardiovascular mortality, hospital admissions for COPD, and acute myocardial infraction are 121, 603, 39, and 145 during 2015–2021, respectively. O3 is found to exert more significant health effects compared to SO2 and NO2, resulting in higher cardiovascular mortality. The gradual increase in NO2 and possibly O3 over the study period is suspected to be due to economic sanctions, while SO2 decreased due to regulatory activity. Sustainable control strategies such as improving fuel quality, promoting public transportation and vehicle retirement, applying subsidies for purchase of electric vehicles, and application of European emission standards on automobiles can help decrease target pollutant levels in ambient air of cities in developing countries.

Knowledge and self-perceived competence about cardiopulmonary resuscitation among youths: a cross-sectional study in a sample of Italian undergraduates.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is fundamental to improve the outcomes of a life-threatening event. The correct knowledge of first aid actions to provide may guarantee the victim's survival. This study was aimed at evaluating the competence about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and its predictors in a sample of Italian undergraduate students. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, first aid training, knowledge of stroke and heart attack symptoms and perceived ability to provide first aid, were collected through a web-based questionnaire. On a total of 744 respondents (mean age 23.9±5.4 years, 62.5% female), 71.4% identified correctly first aid actions, 59.9% and 60.8% showed a good knowledge of stroke and heart attack symptoms, respectively. However, only 39.0% of them declared their ability to intervene in case of emergency. Attending a healthcare degree course and having had first aid training were associated with knowledge of symptoms and perceived ability to provide first aid. Female gender was negatively related with perceived ability to intervene. In spite of the satisfactory level of knowledge, these findings highlight the need to enhance the competence about cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the lay population, especially among females.

Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Risk Among Egyptian Resident Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide and are considered silent killers that threaten different age groups. The stressful lifestyle of resident physicians might make them vulnerable to CVDs. Since 2021, Egypt has recently reported more frequent sudden deaths of junior physicians after long shifts. Many factors can be associated with this prevalence, such as diabetes mellitus, increased blood pressure, or a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the risk of developing heart attack and stroke within 10 years among resident physicians in Egypt with the goal of informing health policymakers to improve the healthcare systems for Egyptian physicians. This cross-sectional study was conducted at six university teaching hospitals around Egypt: Cairo, Al-Azhar, Zagazig, Menoufia, South Valley, and Sohag. Data were collected on the ground using a questionnaire developed from a validated tool, the QRISK3 calculator, developed by the National Health Service, and used to measure the development of CVDs and stroke over the next 10 years. Four hundred twenty-eight resident physicians filled out the study questionnaire, including 224 (52.3%) females. The mean age of the participants was 28.22 years (±2.54). The study revealed that 258 (60.3%), with a median (IQR) = 0.2% (0.1%-0.5%), of the resident physicians are at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke within 10 years. Migraine symptoms (n=65, 15.2%) and angina or heart attack in a first-degree relative (n=26, 6.1%) were the most reported risk factors. The risk was variable among the six university hospitals, with a significant P-value <0.001, where Menoufia University hospitals ranked first, followed by Zagazig University hospitals. However, the percentage of each specialty differs from others. The highest risk was among anesthesiology and ICU residents (n=18, 78.3%), followed by surgery residents (n=44, 62.9%). About 258 (60.3%) of the resident physicians are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke within 10 years. There is an urgent need to increase resident physicians' awareness about their heart attack and stroke risks and for health policymakers to ensure a better lifestyle and friendly training environment for resident physicians in Egypt.

Heat and health of occupational workers: a short summary of literature.

Globally, occupational workers suffer various health impacts due to extreme heat. In this short review, we examined the literature discussing health impacts of heat on occupational workers, and then discussed certain individual and institutional measures needed to address the problem. Though the available literature in the recent decade discusses health impacts of heat on workers as various heat-related illnesses, we found very few studies examining how occupational workers suffer from issues concerning cardiovascular health, neurological health, respiratory health, and mental health. In this regard, we highlight the need for more studies to examine how occupational workers exposed to extreme heat conditions suffer from fatal health issues like heart stroke, brain stroke, and other ailments impacting vital organs of the body. Occupational workers across the world should be made aware of the measures to protect themselves from extreme heat. Further, countries should develop occupational heat safety guidelines with statutory effect.

A novel LC-QTOF-MS/MS method for trace level identification and quantification of potential genotoxic impurity, 5-Nitro-2-(propylthio)pyrimidine-4,6-diol in ticagrelor drug substance

An important objective of the present work is to develop and validate a novel LC-QTOF-MS/MS method to identify and quantify 5-Nitro-2-(propylthio) pyrimidine-4,6-diol genotoxic impurity at trace level (∼8.33 ppm) in ticagrelor drug substance, is an antiplatelet medicine used in the treatment of heart attacks and strokes. The potential genotoxic impurities must be controlled below acceptance limit during process of ticagrelor synthesis and release. In reversed-phase mode, the ACQUITY UPLC CSH C18 (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.7 μm) with ambient column temperature was used. 0.1% formic acid in Milli-Q water and methanol in the ratio of 30:70 v/v used as mobile phase A and mobile phase B with isocratic elution mode and the run time was 8.0 min. The flow rate was maintained at 0.25 mL/min, autosampler temperature was 5°C, Injection volume was 20 μL. The Retention time of 5-Nitro-2-(propylthio)pyrimidine-4,6-diol was found at 1.345 minutes. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were found at 0.56 ppm and 1.67 ppm, respectively. The 5-Nitro-2-(propylthio)pyrimidine-4,6-diol was linear (R2=0.9986) over the concentration range 1.666 to 12.495 ppm. The method was accurate and precise, it was demonstrated by calculating the %mean recovery values ranging from 98.0-106.9%.

Cardiovascular disease in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases: The relationship between self-perceived risk and actual risk

IntroductionAutoimmune diseases are known to be associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases; however, there exists a lack of awareness regarding this increased risk among patients. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and events in various systemic autoimmune diseases, including Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and Sjögren's syndrome (SS), matched by age, sex, and disease duration. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate the perceived and actual risks of cardiovascular disease among patients. MethodsA cross-sectional self-reported survey on the patient's perspective of cardiovascular risk was conducted between January and June 2023. Sociodemographic and clinical data, including disease activity, were collected through medical records and questionnaires. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors and events were assessed, alongside the perceived cardiovascular risk. The SCORE calculation and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were employed for cardiovascular risk assessment. ResultsSurvey responses from 180 patients (45 patients each with SSc, SLE, RA, and SS) with systemic autoimmune diseases revealed that 20% perceived a low risk, 23% perceived neither lower nor higher, and 56% perceived a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the next ten years. Only 45% agreed that their autoimmune disease could increase the risk of a heart attack, even in the absence of other risk factors, and 46.7% were unaware that NSAIDs pose a cardiovascular risk. An association between cardiovascular risk measured by SCORE, comorbidities, and risk perception was observed in RA, SSc, and SS patients, with no association found in SLE patients (p=0.27). Except for SS patients (p=0.02), no association between CCI and disease activity level was found. Regarding the influence of age, working status, and education in CVD risk perception, an association between CVD risk perception and age was observed (p=0.01), with patients over 40 years exhibiting a higher perception of CVD risk. No differences were found regarding working status (p=0.19) nor education level (p=0.06). ConclusionsPatients with SS, RA, and SSc displayed a heightened perception of cardiovascular risk, correlating with their actual risk and preexisting comorbidities. However, patients exhibited unawareness of certain cardiovascular risk behaviors. This underscores the need for tailored education programs on cardiovascular risk for autoimmune disease patients, to be implemented at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up in outpatient clinics.

Functionality and Health-Promoting Properties of Polysaccharide and Plant-Derived Substances from Mesona chinensis.

Mesona chinensis, in Thai called Chao Kuay and in Chinese Hsian-tsao, belongs to the Lamiaceae family. This herbal plant grows widely in Southern China, Taiwan (China), Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The Mesona plant is used to make functional products such as drinks and soft textured sweet treats, and also traditional medicine, to treat heat stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack, high blood sugar, hepatic diseases, colon diseases, inflammatory conditions, and to alleviate myalgia. The proximate composition of M. chinensis is a mixture of protein, fat, fiber, ash, and minerals. The main biological compounds in M. chinensis extracts are polysaccharides, terpenoids, flavonoids, and polyphenols, with wide-ranging pharmacological properties including antioxidant, antidiabetic, antilipidemic, carcinoma-inhibitory, renal-protective, antihypertensive, DNA damage-protective, and anti-inflammatory effects. This review investigated the proximate composition, polysaccharide type, and pharmacological properties of M. chinensis extracts. Phytochemical properties enhance the actions of the gut microbiota and improve health benefits. This review assessed the functional and medicinal activities of M. chinensis extracts. Future studies should further elucidate the in vitro/in vivo mechanisms of this plant extract and its impact on gut health.

The low expression of matrix metalloproteinases: a key to longevity?

Over the past few decades, it has become clear that an excessive activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) can accelerate the progression and fatal outcomes of several serious age-related diseases, including atherosclerotic coronary heart disorders and various types of malignancies. These proteolytic enzymes mediate the degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix through cleaving its various components, thereby affecting many critical functions of surrounding cells and intercellular communication. Consequently, the low expression levels of MMPs can be important in the prevention and treatment of such chronic life-threatening pathologies, contributing to the better quality of life and longer life expectancy. In this review article, the pathogenic proteolytic roles of MMPs are examined in more detail, especially in the cases of heart attack and stroke as well as cancer invasion and metastasis, showing that these enzymes can be considered not only as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers but also as important therapeutic targets in the fight against many age- and lifestyle-related serious disorders. The identification and development of suppressing agents with a selective activity towards specific MMPs have, however, still remained a complex and complicated challenge, in which natural plant-derived compounds are increasingly recognized as promising leads for the new-generation inhibitors.

The Probiotic Kluyveromyces lactis JSA 18 Alleviates Obesity and Hyperlipidemia in High-Fat Diet C57BL/6J Mice.

Obesity poses a significant threat to various health conditions such as heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart attack, with the gut microbiota playing a crucial role in maintaining the body's energy balance. We identified a novel probiotic fungal strain, Kluyveromyces lactis JSA 18 (K. lactis), which was isolated from yak milk and was found to possess anti-obesity properties. Additionally, Lactobacillus plantarum CGMCC 8198 (LP8198) from our previous study was also included to evaluate its anti-obesity properties. The findings indicated that K. lactis caused a notable reduction in weight gain, liver and fat indexes, and hyperlipidemia in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Administering K. lactis and LP8198 to mice on a high-fat diet resulted in a reduction of serum triglyceride levels. Furthermore, the supplements reduced ALT and AST activity, and inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1β. In addition, lipid metabolism was enhanced by the downregulation of ACC1, PPAR-γ, SREBP-1, and Fasn. Moreover, this study found that K. lactis and LP8198 have little effect on gut bacteria. Additionally, K. lactis partially influenced intestinal fungi, while LP8198 had a minor influence on gut mycobiota. The main goal of this research was to show how effective K. lactis can be as a probiotic in combating obesity.