Nutrition and Cancer-An International Journal最新文献

Epimedium is a Chinese herb known as "yin and yang fire," first mentioned in the Compendium of Materia Medica. Many of the proprietary Chinese medicines used in clinical practice contain Epimedium as an ingredient, and its main active constituents include icariin, icaritin, and icariside II, among others. In addition to its traditional use in treating fatigue and sexual problems, modern research has confirmed that the main bioactive compounds in Epimedium have pharmacological effects such as antidepressant, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as inhibiting bone destruction, promoting bone growth, improving immune regulation and protecting the cardio-cerebral vascular system. With the continuous development of extraction and purification techniques, the development and use of bioactive compounds in Epimedium have significantly progressed, and the anticancer effect has received widespread attention. Since natural herbs have few side effects on the human body and do not easily develop drug resistance, they have long been the direction of research in cancer treatment. This review summarizes the latest research on the anticancer effects of Epimedium and its extracts, describes the bioactive compounds, pharmacological efficacy, and antitumor mechanism of Epimedium, and gives a new view on the administration and development of Epimedium.

The prevalence of malnutrition is high in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients. The use of oral nutrition supplementation (ONS) as part of patients' nutritional therapy seems to be effective in the improvement of nutritional status. Nevertheless, oncology patients, experience several symptoms that negatively affect their compliance with ONS products. Τhe aim of this systematic review is to examine the factors affecting compliance with ONS in patients who underwent GI cancer surgery and/or adjuvant treatments. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies published until June 2023 that assessed compliance to ONS in GI cancer patients. Eleven studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. Postoperative compliance with ONS among GI cancer surgery patients ranged between 26.2% and 71.1%, whereas in GI cancer patients receiving chemotherapy the average reported rate was 90.2%. The main reasons for noncompliance were the presence of GI symptoms, such as early satiety, bloating, and diarrhea after ONS consumption, as well as taste alterations that result in aversion to the provided ONS. Frequent monitoring of these patients is crucial in order to record adverse effects, identify patients that are in need of personalized guidance at an early stage and motivate them to follow their ONS plan.

Background: Serum adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) are dysregulated before the onset of metabolic syndrome and hence may be useful biomarkers for screening of cardiometabolic late effects in childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (cALL) survivors.

Methods: We compared serum adipokine levels between 40 cALL survivors (aged 10-18 years, >2 years from treatment completion) with similar controls. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was then done to assess the association of metabolic syndrome in cALL survivors with variables including adipokines and other metabolic parameters, demographic and treatment details, and Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan-derived variables.

Results: Compared to controls, cALL survivors had a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (8/40 vs. 2/40, P = .044) and central obesity (11/40 vs. 4/40, P = 0.042). Median Serum Leptin (7.39 vs. 4.23 ng/ml, P = 0.207) levels and derived Leptin-Adiponectin Ratio (1.44 vs. 0.80, P = 0.598), were higher but not statistically different in our survivors compared to controls; Adiponectin levels were similar (6.07 vs. 5.01 µg/ml, P = 0.283). In the cALL survivors, overweight/obesity (odds ratio [OR] 21.9, P = 0.020) or higher Leptin levels (OR 1.11, P = 0.047), were independently associated with metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions: Serum Leptin, independently predictive of metabolic syndrome in our cALL survivors, may be tested in larger studies to assess its utility in surveillance and initiation of early preventive measures.

Studies on the prognostic value of the blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D level have yielded controversial results in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. This updated meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between pretreatment 25-hydroxyvitamin D level with survival outcomes among patients with clinically localized PCa. PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched to identify studies evaluating the association of pretreatment 25-hydroxyvitamin D level with PCSM and all-cause mortality among clinically localized PCa patients. Ten cohort studies with 10,394 patients were identified. The meta-analysis revealed that PCa patients with the lowest 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels had an increased risk of PCSM (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-1.83; p < 0.001) and all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.00-1.90; p = 0.047) compared to those with higher reference 25-hydroxyvitamin D level. Subgroup analyses based on different sample sizes, follow-up duration, and adjusted times of blood draw also exhibited a significant association of vitamin D deficiency with the risk of PCSM. Lower pretreatment level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D may be an independent predictor of reduced survival in patients with clinically localized PCa. Measuring the pretreatment blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D level can provide valuable information for risk stratification of survival outcomes in these patients.

Blood cell biomarkers, such as the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), have been recently used as prognostic markers in tumors. In this study, we investigated the association between NLR and PLR with sociodemographic, clinical, anthropometric, and quality of life factors of hospitalized women with non-metastatic breast cancer. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a reference center for oncological treatment in Southeast Brazil. Female participants aged over 18 years, with a histopathological diagnosis of stage I, II or III breast cancer, in any phase of antineoplastic treatment, were included. Our study revealed a high risk for participants, with high mean values of NLR and PLR, indicating low antitumor activity and worse prognosis. The binary logistic regression model showed that there was a significant association of the NLR marker and marital status (OR = 3.1; 95%CI = 1.06-8.57; p = 0.03) and, in relation to PLR, a trend was shown for a higher chance in women of black ethnicity to have increased PLR compared to white women (OR = 4.13; 95%CI = 0.96-17.70; p = 0.05). However, the inflammatory markers (NLR and PLR) did not show any significant association with nutritional factors. NLR and PLR are inflammatory biomarkers that can be easily obtained and measured in clinical practice.

This study compared the effects of megestrol acetate (MA) prophylactic (p-MA) versus reactive (r-MA) use for critical body-weight loss (>5% from baseline) during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with advanced pharyngolaryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (PLSCC).

Patients receiving CCRT alone in two phase-II trials were included for analyses. Both the p-MA and r-MA cohorts received the same treatment protocol at the same institution, and the critical body-weight loss, survival, and adverse event profiles were compared.

The mean (SD) weight loss was 5.1% (4.7%) in the p-MA cohort (n = 54) vs. 8.1% (4.6%) in the r-MA cohort (n = 50) (p = .001). The percentage of subjects with body-weight loss >5% was 42.6% in the p-MA cohort vs. 68.0% in the r-MA cohort (p = .011). Tube feeding was needed in 22.2% of p-MA vs. 62.0% of r-MA patients (p < .001). Less neutropenia (26.0% vs. 70.0% [p < .001]) and a shorter duration of grade 3-4 mucositis (2.4 ± 1.4 vs. 3.6 ± 2.0 wk [p = .009]) were observed with p-MA treatment. Disease-specific survival, locoregional control, or distant metastasis-free survival did not differ. Less competing mortality from secondary primary cancer resulted in a better overall survival trend in the p-MA cohort.

p-MA may reduce body-weight loss and improve adverse event profiles during CCRT for patients with PLSCC.

Despite the development of several anticancer treatments, there remains a need for new drugs that can overcome resistance and reduce side effects. While the medicinal herb Hydrocotyle umbellata (H. umbellata) has been used to relieve pain and inflammation, its antitumor properties have not yet been explored. In this study, we investigated the anticarcinogenic potential of H. umbellata extract (HUE) and its major components, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that HUE inhibited the growth of various tumor cell lines, including B16F10, without affecting non-cancer cells. Furthermore, HUE was effective in treating and preventing tumor growth in mice. Our mechanistic studies revealed that HUE inhibited cellular respiration, thereby reducing tumor cell proliferation. When combined with 2-deoxy-D-glucose, HUE demonstrated an enhanced anticancer effect by increasing the rate apoptosis. Analysis of the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of HUE identified 1,3,4-trihydroxy-2-butanyl-α-d-glucopyranoside and caffeoylquinic acid derivatives as the major components responsible for the observed anticancer effects. In conclusion, our findings suggest that HUE and its two major components have the potential to be developed as effective therapeutic agents for a wide range of tumors by targeting cancer cell metabolism.

Despite those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being at increased risk of malnutrition, there is a notable absence of practical approaches for nutritional assessment in clinical practice. We investigated the usefulness of phase angle (PhA) and Total Psoas Area Index (TPAI) for indicating nutritional risk and HCC prognosis. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), adductor pollicis muscle thickness (APMT), and handgrip strength (HGS) were assessed. The Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) was calculated. Body composition was assessed using bioimpedance spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging. The Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score and Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification determined the prognosis. Fifty-one males with HCC were enrolled (CTP C = 11.8%). PhA showed a moderate positive correlation with APMT (r = 0.450; p < 0.001) and HGS (r = 0.418; p = 0.002) and a weak positive correlation with TPAI (r = 0.332; p = 0.021). PhA had a strong positive correlation with NRI (r = 0.614; p < 0.001). Mean PhA values were significantly different according to disease severity (CTP C p = 0.001, and BCLC D p = 0.053). TPAI had no significant correlation with HGS, CTP, or BCLC. PhA was a superior approach for predicting nutritional risk and prognosis in HCC than TPAI. Lower PhA is associated with disease progression, lower muscle mass and function, greater severity of nutritional risk, and increased mortality in HCC.

Objective: This study investigated how Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba (BP) was active against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database was employed to determine the active ingredients of BP and potential targets against HCC. Molecular docking analysis verified the binding activity of PTEN with BP ingredients. H22 cells were used to establish an HCC model in male balb/c mice. Immunofluorescence staining, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time quantitative PCR were used to study changes in proliferation, apoptosis, PTEN levels, inflammation, and T-cell differentiation in male balb/c mice.

Results: The major active ingredients in BP were found to be quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol. Molecular docking demonstrated that these five active BP ingredients formed a stable complex with PTEN. BP exhibited an anti-tumor effect in our HCC mouse model. BP was found to increase the CD8⁺ and IFN-γ⁺/CD4⁺ T cell levels while decreasing the PD-1⁺/CD8⁺ T and Treg cell levels in HCC mice. BP up-regulated the IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α levels but down-regulated the IL-10 levels in HCC mice. After PTEN knockdown, BP-induced effects were abrogated.

Conclusion: BP influenced the immune microenvironment through activation of the PTEN/PD-L1 axis, protecting against HCC.

Inhibiting breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) signaling pathways is a strategic method for successfully treating breast cancer. Nobiletin (NOB) is a compound widely found in orange peel that exhibits a toxic effect on various types of cancer cells, and inhibits the signaling pathways that regulate the properties of BCSCs; however, the effects of NOB on BCSCs remain elusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the target genes of NOB for inhibiting BCSCs using in vitro three-dimensional breast cancer cell culture (mammospheres) and in silico approaches. We combined in vitro experiments to develop mammospheres and conducted cytotoxicity, next-generation sequencing, and bioinformatics analyses, such as gene ontology, the Reactome pathway enrichment, network topology, gene set enrichment analysis, hub genes selection, genetic alterations, prognostic value related to the mRNA expression, and mRNA and protein expression of potential NOB target genes that inhibit BCSCs. Here, we show that NOB inhibited BCSCs in mammospheres from MCF-7 cells. We also identified CDC6, CHEK1, BRCA1, UCHL5, TOP2A, MTMR4, and EXO1 as potential NOB targets inhibiting BCSCs. NOB decreased G0/G1, but increased the G2/M cell population. These findings showed that NOB is a potential therapeutic candidate for BCSCs treatment by regulating cell cycle.