BioMedicine-Taiwan最新文献

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious complication of diabetes mellitus and are often challenging to treat, particularly in patients who fail to respond to standard wound care. Adjunctive therapies such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) have shown potential in promoting wound healing in chronic cases.

Case presentation: A 66-year-old male with a 10-year history of type 2 diabetes mellitus presented with a chronic, non-healing DFU on the right foot. Despite oral antibiotic therapy and conventional wound management, the ulcer demonstrated progressive necrosis, persistent infection, and tissue exposure. Wound culture identified Klebsiella oxytoca. After targeted antibiotic treatment, the patient underwent 35 sessions of HBOT at 2.4 ATA for 90 min per session, five days per week, in conjunction with hydrogel dressings and structured wound care strategies.

Results: Over the treatment course, the wound exhibited substantial clinical improvement, including reduced edema, infection control, emergence of granulation tissue, and near-complete epithelialization. No complications occurred during HBOT, and the patient tolerated the therapy well.

Conclusion: This case demonstrates the potential benefits of HBOT as an adjunctive therapy in chronic DFUs unresponsive to standard care. HBOT, when combined with modern wound care strategies, may accelerate healing and reduce the risk of amputation in select patient populations. Further research is warranted to refine treatment protocols and establish evidence-based criteria for patient selection.

Background: The prevalence of obesity has increased significantly over the years, and its health concerns cannot be underestimated. Obesity not only causes potential mobility limitations in daily life but also increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and other health conditions. While an imbalanced diet and lack of exercise are well-known causes of obesity, genetic patterns also influence its development. Although the GNB3 gene is known to be involved in lipid metabolism and fat cell differentiation, studies have shown inconsistent associations between a common single nucleotide polymorphism of GNB3 (c.825C > T, rs5443) and obesity across different populations. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the association between the GNB3 c.825C > T polymorphism and obesity in the Taiwanese population using various grouping criteria.

Subjects/methods: The study recruited 372 eligible subjects for GNB3 SNP rs5443 (c.825C > T) testing at China Medical University Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan. Clinical parameters, including age, sex, weight, BMI and body fat percentage were assessed for all participants. The GNB3 rs5443 C/T genotypes were determined using two differentially labeled allele-specific probes and a specific paired PCR primer set.

Results: Our results demonstrated that the distribution of GNB3 rs5443 genotypes (C/C, C/T, T/T) was not significantly correlated with sex and age ( p > 0.05). However, the distribution of GNB3 genotypes (C/C, T/T) showed a statistical significance between subjects with BMI < 24 and BMI ≥ 27. Furthermore, our results revealed that the C/T and T/T genotypes had higher frequency distributions compared to the C/C genotype in females with body fat percentages below 30 % ( p = 0.022 and p = 0.004, respectively).

Conclusions: Taiwanese individuals carrying the C/C homozygous genotype of the GNB3 gene may have a higher susceptibility to obesity, particularly among females. This finding could potentially be combined with polymorphisms of other obesity-related genes to develop a clinical screening tool for assessing obesity risk.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of mortality among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). While Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is commonly used by CKD patients in Taiwan, the impact of CHM use on cardiovascular outcomes in this population remains insufficiently understood.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the association between CHM use and the long-term risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with CKD.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to identify patients aged over 20 years with newly diagnosed CKD. A 1:1 propensity score matching was performed based on age, sex, comorbidities, medication use, and CHM exposure, resulting in 6351 matched pairs. Participants were followed from 2000 to 2017 to assess the incidence of MACEs, including heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke (IS), cardiovascular death, and all-cause mortality.

Results: The CHM group comprised 56.4 % females with a mean age of 49.4 ± 15.3 years. After matching, CHM use was associated with a statistically significant reduction of 23 %-31 % in the adjusted hazard ratios for various cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality (P < 0.001). The most commonly prescribed CHM formula and single herb were Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan (JSSQW) and Danshen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae), respectively.

Conclusions: The use of CHM as an adjunct therapy in CKD patients was associated with a significantly lower risk of MACEs and all-cause mortality. These findings support the potential of CHM in cardiovascular risk mitigation among CKD patients and highlight the need for future clinical and ethnopharmacological investigations.

Background: Over recent decades, considerable attention has been directed toward the discovery of novel compounds capable of targeting survival-related signaling networks as therapeutic candidates for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Central to TNBC pathobiology are the Akt/mTOR and MAPK/ERK signaling axes, both contribute to tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Caffeic acid (CA), a naturally derived phenolic compound with anti-inflammatory activity, has previously been investigated for its anti-cancer potential.

Purpose: In the present study, we explored the therapeutic value of newly synthesized CA derivatives in TNBC models using both cellular and animal based systems.

Methods: The anti-tumor efficacy of these CA derivatives was examined through a series of functional assays, including cell proliferation, clonogenicity, cell cycle profiling, apoptosis quantification, ELISA, western blotting, and histopathological analysis.

Results: Among the tested derivatives, decyl caffeate (DC) demonstrated the most pronounced inhibitory effects on TNBC cell growth, significantly decreasing viability, colony formation, and enhancing cisplatin responsiveness (P < 0.05). DC induced G2/M phase arrest in MDA-MB-468 cells, accompanied by suppression of cyclin B1 and CDK1 expression. In addition, DC downregulated both total and phosphorylated c-Myc and reduced secretion of TGF-α, a key ligand for EGFR. Apoptotic responses were evident through upregulation of Bax, cleaved caspase3, and cleaved-PARP. Mechanistic analysis revealed that these effects were mediated via concurrent inactivation of the Akt/mTOR and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways. Oral administration of DC in a murine TNBC xenograft model significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusion: Altogether, these results highlight DC as a promising bioactive compound that targets essential oncogenic pathways in TNBC and support its potential for further preclinical development.

Background: Linear growth in children and adolescents, a key health indicator, is influenced by various factors, including physical activity (PA). The COVID-19 lockdown in Taiwan created a unique opportunity to examine the effect of PA restrictions on growth.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at two hospitals in central Taiwan. The study included 72 children and adolescents (26 males, 46 females) who attended a growth clinic. Height and weight measurements were recorded in three stages: pre-lockdown, during lockdown, and post-lockdown. Growth rates were compared across stages using paired t-tests.

Results: The average growth rate was lowest during lockdown (0.0181 cm/day) and highest pre-lockdown (0.0198 cm/day), although the difference was not statistically significant. In males, growth rates significantly increased post-lockdown compared to those during lockdown (p = 0.04), while no significant differences were observed in females across stages.

Conclusion: PA positively influences linear growth in children, with a more pronounced effect in boys. Lockdown restrictions led to reduced PA, particularly impacting boys' growth rates. These findings emphasize the importance of PA for healthy growth in children, especially under restrictive conditions, and suggest the need to further encourage active lifestyles among children, particularly girls.

Background: Integrating artificial intelligence-based large language models (AI-LLMs) into medical and other scientific domains is increasingly recognized as a tool to support complex tasks, such as interpreting histopathology slides and scientific figures. AI-LLMs can simplify these processes by providing clearer explanations. By improving accessibility and comprehension, AI-LLMs can significantly assist healthcare professionals in diagnosing and therapy determination. Students and the public also find it easier to understand complex scientific concepts and images.

Objectives: This study explores the capability of AI-LLMs in interpreting histopathological slides and scientific images. This study aims to evaluate the performance of AI-LLMs in supporting diagnostics and improving comprehension in biomolecular sciences.

Methods: The study was divided into two parts: interpreting histopathology slides and scientific figures. Twelve histopathology images and twelve scientific figures were tested on each of the three most frequently used chatbots (ChatGPT-4, Gemini Advanced, and Copilot). Responses from the chatbots were coded and blindly examined by expert raters using five parameters-relevance, clarity, depth, focus, and coherence-on a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression.

Results: ChatGPT-4 outperformed Gemini Advanced and Copilot in histopathology and scientific image interpretation (P < 0.001) with significantly higher scores across all parameters (relevance, clarity, depth, focus, and coherence). ChatGPT-4's superior performance may be due to its advanced algorithms, extensive training data, specialized modules, and user feedback.

Conclusions: ChatGPT-4 excels in interpreting histopathology and scientific images, which may lead to improving diagnostic accuracy, clinical decision-making, and reducing pathologists' workload. It also benefits education by enhancing students' understanding of complex images and promoting interactive learning. ChatGPT-4 shows a significant potential to improve patient care and enrich student learning.

Introduction: Pineal lesions are rare and surgically challenging due to their deep location, histological diversity, and potential malignancy. The complexity of the pineal region anatomy and the diverse pathological spectrum contribute to the lack of standardized treatment strategies, making appropriate management controversial.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the surgical outcomes of patients with pineal tumors or cysts and to assess the impact of different surgical approaches, particularly the extent of resection, on progression-free survival.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 27 patients treated for pineal tumors or cysts at our institution between 2010 and 2020. Data regarding clinical presentation, surgical technique, extent of resection, pathological diagnosis, and follow-up outcomes were collected and analyzed. Surgical outcomes were compared between patients undergoing biopsy and those receiving varying degrees of tumor resection.

Results: Our analyses suggest that total resection could be the most effective approach for reducing the risk of tumor recurrence. Furthermore, our findings indicate that histological subtype is a statistically significant predictor of progression-free survival in patients.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that achieving a greater extent of resection, when safely feasible, may contribute to improved long-term outcomes. These results emphasize the need for larger, multicenter studies to further optimize treatment strategies for these complex lesions.

Background: Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker of biological aging and a predictor of age-related diseases. Dietary patterns, including dairy consumption, may influence telomere dynamics, but the evidence remains limited, particularly in Asian populations. This study investigates the association between dairy consumption and relative telomere length (RTL) in Taiwanese adults, with results analyzed by hypertension status.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 259 adults in Taipei, Taiwan. RTL was measured using quantitative PCR from buccal cells. Dietary intake was assessed through self-reported questionnaires, with a focus on dairy frequency and fat content. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association between dairy intake and TL, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors.

Results: Among normotensive individuals, higher frequency of dairy consumption was significantly associated with shorter RTL (β = -0.082, p < 0.01), particularly with low-fat and fat-free dairy products (β = -0.106, p < 0.01). No significant associations were observed in the hypertensive group.

Conclusion: Dairy intake, particularly of low-fat products, may contribute to telomere shortening in normotensive adults. This association was not evident in hypertensive individuals, possibly due to a ceiling effect of chronic inflammation. These findings highlight the need for individualized nutritional guidance in public health strategies targeting healthy aging.

Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, is known for regulating circadian rhythms and has emerging therapeutic potential in psychiatric disorders. This systematic review examines evidence from clinical and preclinical studies to assess melatonin's efficacy in the following conditions: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Beyond its role in circadian regulation, melatonin exhibits antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties, which intersect with nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). The review finds that melatonin improves sleep quality, restores circadian balance, and modulates stress-related neuroimmune pathways. It also supports neuroplasticity and reduces oxidative stress, contributing to resilience against psychosocial and environmental stressors. Lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, and sleep hygiene, enhance melatonin's effects, positioning it as a valuable component of multimodal treatment strategies. Within the PNI framework, melatonin facilitates communication between the nervous and immune systems, offering potential for targeted psychiatric interventions. This synthesis underscores melatonin's promise as a therapeutic and adjunctive strategy in personalized mental health care. Future research should prioritize rigorous clinical trials, biomarker-driven patient stratification, and integrative approaches combining melatonin with lifestyle interventions and digital health tools to optimize its therapeutic impact.

Background: Depression is one of the common mental disorders worldwide, and currently used antidepressants have undesirable effects; therefore, the development of new antidepressants without side effects is urgently needed. Paeoniflorin (PF) exhibits various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. NMDA receptors in the hippocampus play a vital role in the pathophysiology of depression. Due to the scarcity of reports on the neuroprotection of PF on NMDA-induced excitotoxicity in the hippocampus, the present study aims to investigate the effects of PF on NMDA-mediated EPSP and calcium influx in the hippocampus to evaluate the potential of PF as an antidepressant.

Methods: In order to investigate the effects of PF on the NMDA receptor in the hippocampus, the hippocampal slices, primary-cultured hippocampal neurons, and in silico molecular docking analysis of PF with the NMDA receptor were used.

Results: PF (2 μM) significantly depressed the NMDA-mediated EPSPs, resulting in a 50 % inhibition. The intracellular calcium level in primary-cultured hippocampal neurons was 102.67 nM, and 520.36 nM after NMDA (125 μM) treatment. With NMDA and PF co-treatment, the calcium level was 204.58 μM, showing a 60.68 % decrease. After NMDA was co-treated with 1 μM ruthenium red (RuR), the calcium level increased (from 534.58 nM to 665.68 nM). Additionally, co-treatment with PF significantly decreased the calcium level (468.05 nM, representing a 29.50 % decrease). In the presence of NMDA and 1 μM ω-conotoxin MVIIC (ω-Cono) co-treatment, the calcium level was 496.29 nM. In the presence of NMDA, ω-Cono, and RuR, the calcium level was 568.5 nM. Additionally, NMDA, ω-Cono, RuR, and PF co-treatment significantly decreased the calcium level to 270.94 nM. In silico molecular docking analysis revealed a binding energy of -48.5188 kcal/mol for PF with the NMDA receptor.

Conclusions: PF binds to the NMDA receptor, exhibits neuroprotection, and contributes to its potential as an antidepressant.