Search Results (16)

Background: Gestrinone is a synthetic hormone derived from 19-nortestosterone, exhibiting androgenic, anabolic, anti-progestogenic, and antiestrogenic effects. Gestrinone subcutaneous implants have been used “off label” for aesthetic purposes due to their anabolic action, promoting accelerated metabolism and muscle gain. Objective: Our goal is to conduct a systematic review focused exclusively on identifying the safety profile of gestrinone use, without addressing efficacy. Methods: This systematic review was performed according to the Joanna Briggs Institute and Cochrane Collaboration recommendations and is reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Network Meta-Analyses. This article’s searches were carried out in the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Results: A total of 32 articles were included in this study. The reported adverse events associated with the use of gestrinone were amenorrhea (41.4% of cases), acne, seborrhea (42.7% of reports), decreased libido (26.5%), and hot flushes (24.2%). Other nonspecific symptoms such as hoarseness and cramps were also fairly reported (3.5% and 18.6%, respectively). Other reported effects were associated with breast size reduction (23.7% of patients) and increased transaminases (15.1%). Most studies (40%, n = 24 studies) found significant weight gain (ranging from 0.9 to 8 kg per patient). Abnormalities in bone mineral density were reported in four studies. Conclusions: The evidence remains insufficient to fully understand the risks of gestrinone uses associated with its widespread, unregulated use. Thus, further standardized studies and regulatory oversight to ensure patient safety are needed to mitigate potential health risks. Full article

Spaghetti meat (SM) is a newly identified muscle abnormality that significantly affects modern broiler chickens, consequently exerting a substantial economic impact on the poultry industry worldwide. However, investigations into the meat quality and the underlying causative factors of SM in broilers remain limited. Therefore, this study was undertaken to systematically evaluate meat quality and muscle fiber characteristics of SM-affected meat. To elucidate the disparities between SM-affected and normal (NO) muscles in broiler chickens reared under identical conditions, we selected 18 SM-affected breast tissues and 18 NO breast tissues from 200 broiler chickens raised according to commercial standards under the same conditions for our study. The results showed that compared with the NO group, the muscle surface of the SM group lost integrity, similar to strip and paste. The brightness and yellowness values were significantly higher than those of the NO group. On the contrary, the shear force and protein were significantly lower in the SM group. Microscopic examination revealed that the muscle fibers in the SM group were lysed, necrotic, and separated from each other, with a large number of neutrophils diffusely distributed on the sarcolemma and endometrium. Thirty-five significantly different metabolites were observed in the breast muscles between both groups. Among them, the top differential metabolites—14,15-DiHETrE, isotretinoin, L-malic acid, and acetylcysteine—were mainly enriched in lipid metabolism and inflammatory pathways, including linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, phenylalanine, and histidine metabolism. Overall, these findings not only offer new insights into the meat quality and fiber traits of SM but also contribute to the understanding of potential mechanisms and nutritional regulators for SM myopathy. Full article

Older cancer patients have an elevated risk of sarcopenia. The aim was to estimate the prevalence of four criteria for sarcopenia case finding, assessment, diagnosis, and severity determination: abnormal strength, assistance with walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls (SARC-F), low hand-grip strength (HGS), low arm circumference (AC, a muscle mass proxy), and low physical performance (PP). Sarcopenia (low HGS and AC) and severe sarcopenia (low HGS, AC, and PP) and their predictive values for 6-month mortality were estimated in the whole population and by metastatic status. We analyzed data from the NutriAgeCancer French nationwide study of cancer patients aged ≥70 referred for geriatric assessment before anti-cancer treatment. We performed Cox proportional hazards analysis for each criterion separately and all criteria combined. Overall, 781 patients from 41 geriatric oncology clinics were included (mean age: 83.1; females: 53%; main cancer types: digestive (29%) and breast (17%); metastases: 42%). The prevalence of abnormal SARC-F, low HGS, a low AC, low PP, sarcopenia, and severe sarcopenia were, respectively, 35.5%, 44.6%, 44.7%, 35.2%, 24.5%, and 11.7%. An abnormal SARC-F and/or low HGS, sarcopenia, and severe sarcopenia were associated with 6-month mortality in patients with metastases (adjusted hazard ratios [95% confidence interval]: 2.72 [1.34–5.49], 3.16 [1.48–6.75] and 6.41 [2.5–16.5], respectively). Sarcopenia was strongly predictive of 6-month mortality in patients with metastatic cancer. Full article

Mammography is the most preferred method for breast cancer screening. In this study, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems were used to improve the image quality of mammography images and to detect suspicious areas. The main contribution of this study is to reveal the optimal combination of various pre-processing algorithms to enable better interpretation and classification of mammography images because pre-processing algorithms significantly affect the accuracy of segmentation and classification methods. In this study, the effect of combinations of different preprocessing methods in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions was investigated. All image processing algorithms used for lesion detection were used in the mini-MIAS database. In the first step, label information and pectoral muscle resulting from the acquisition of mammography images were removed. In the second step, median filter (MF), contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE), and unsharp masking (USM) algorithms with different combinations of the resolution and visibility of images are increased. In the third step, suspicious regions are extracted from the mammograms using the k-means clustering technique. Then, features were extracted from the obtained ROIs. Finally, feature datasets were classified as normal/abnormal, and benign/malign (two class classification) using Machine Learning algorithms. Test performance measures of the classification methods were examined. In both classifications made in the study, lower classification performance values were obtained when the CLAHE algorithm was used alone as a pre-processing method compared to other pre-processing combinations. When the median filter and unsharp masking algorithms are added to the CLAHE algorithm, the performance of the classification methods has increased. In terms of classification success, Support Vector Machines, Random Forest, and Neural Networks showed the best performance. It was found by comparing the performances of the classification methods that different preprocessing algorithms were effective in detecting the presence of breast lesions and distinguishing benign and malignant. Full article

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of thyme and oregano essential oils (as growth promotors), individually and in combination, on the health, growth performance, and prevalence of muscle abnormalities in broiler chickens. Six hundred day-old Cobb 500 hybrid chickens were randomized into four dietary treatment groups with three replicates each. Chicks in the control group (C) received a basal diet, while the experimental treatment groups received basal diets containing 350 mg/kg of thyme oil (T1), 350 mg/kg of oregano oil (T2), and 350 mg/kg of thyme and oregano oil (T3). Growth performance parameters were evaluated at 14, 28, and 42 days. The broilers in treatments T1 and T2 had significantly higher body weights than the control group. The feed conversion ratio was the lowest in chicks who received oregano oil, followed by those fed thyme oil. The overall prevalence of growth-related breast muscle abnormalities (including white striping and white striping combined with wooden breast) in groups receiving essential oils (T1, T2, and T3) was significantly higher than in the control group (C). The thyme and oregano oil diets showed no significant differences in antibody titers against Newcastle disease or interferon-γ (INF-γ) serum levels. In conclusion, thyme and oregano oils had a positive impact on the growth performance of broiler chickens but increased the incidence of growth-related breast muscle abnormalities. Full article

Pyrotinib is an irreversible pan-ErbB receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, designed for the therapy of HER2-positive breast cancers. Inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, HER family) efficiently and selectively suppresses the proliferation of human TSC2-deficient smooth muscle cells and reverses lung changes in LAM/TSC. Our pilot study indicated that pyrotinib dramatically restrained the vitality of TSC2-deficient cells compared to its limited impact on TSC2-expression cells. Pyrotinib induced G1-phase arrest and triggered apoptosis by blocking abnormally activated CD24 in TSC2-deficient cells. CD24 is not only an important immune checkpoint, but is also involved in the regulation of signaling pathways. Pyrotinib inhibited the nuclear import of pEGFR and restrained the pEGFR/pSTAT3 signals, which directly boosted the transcriptional expression of CD24 by binding to its promoter region. In reverse, CD24 enhanced pEGFR function by directly binding. Pyrotinib specifically targeted TSC2-deficient cells, inhibited tumor cell viability and induced apoptosis through EGFR-STAT3/CD24 Loop in vivo and in vitro. Thus, pyrotinib may be a promising new therapeutic drug for TSC treatment. Full article

Breast cancer is widespread worldwide and can be cured if diagnosed early. Using digital mammogram images and image processing with artificial intelligence can play an essential role in breast cancer diagnosis. As many computerized algorithms for breast cancer diagnosis have significant limitations, such as noise handling and varying or low contrast in the images, it can be difficult to segment the abnormal region. These challenges could be overcome by proposing a new pre-processing model, exploring its impact on the post-processing module, and testing it on an extensive database. In this research work, the three-step method is proposed and validated on large databases of mammography images. The first step corresponded to the database classification, followed by the second step, which removed the pectoral muscle from the mammogram image. The third stage utilized new image-enhancement techniques and a new segmentation module to detect abnormal regions in a well-enhanced image to diagnose breast cancer. The pre-and post-processing modules are based on novel image processing techniques. The proposed method was tested using data collected from different hospitals in the Qassim Health Cluster, Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia. This database contained the five categories in the Breast Imaging and Reporting and Data System and consisted of 2892 images; the proposed method is analyzed using the publicly available Mammographic Image Analysis Society database, which contained 322 images. The proposed method gives good contrast enhancement with peak-signal to noise ratio improvement of 3 dB. The proposed method provides an accuracy of approximately 92% on 2892 images of Qassim Health Cluster, Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia. The proposed method gives approximately 97% on the Mammographic Image Analysis Society database. The novelty of the proposed work is that it could work on all Breast Imaging and Reporting and Data System categories. The performance of the proposed method demonstrated its ability to improve the diagnostic performance of the computerized breast cancer detection method. Full article

The androgen receptor (AR) is a member of the steroid hormone receptor family of nuclear transcription factors. It is present in the primary/secondary sexual organs, kidneys, skeletal muscles, adrenal glands, skin, nervous system, and breast. Abnormal AR functioning has been identified in numerous diseases, specifically in prostate cancer (PCa). Interestingly, recent studies have indicated a relationship between the AR and microRNA (miRNA) crosstalk and cancer progression. MiRNAs are small, endogenous, non-coding molecules that are involved in crucial cellular processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, or differentiation. On the one hand, AR may be responsible for the downregulation or upregulation of specific miRNA, while on the other hand, AR is often a target of miRNAs due to their regulatory function on AR gene expression. A deeper understanding of the AR–miRNA interactions may contribute to the development of better diagnostic tools as well as to providing new therapeutic approaches. While most studies usually focus on the role of miRNAs and AR in PCa, in this review, we go beyond PCa and provide insight into the most recent discoveries about the interplay between AR and miRNAs, as well as about other AR-associated and AR-independent diseases. Full article

Aim: Recently, more attention has been paid to the role of nutritional intervention in preventing the side effects of chemotherapy in oncology patients. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of oral nutritional supplements on the body composition and biochemical parameters in women with breast cancer receiving postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: The study involved women diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent surgical treatment and were qualified for chemotherapy (doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide). Women were divided into two groups, depending on whether oral nutritional supplements were used during chemotherapy. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were analyzed twice in all patients: before and after six weeks of chemotherapy. Propensity score (PS) matching was performed to select patients balanced in terms of age, BMI, and clinicopathological features of the tumor. Statistical comparisons were conducted in a propensity-matched cohort of patients. Results: The value of BMI was maintained constant in the supplemented women older than 56 years after six weeks of chemotherapy. Regardless of age in the supplemented women, a significant increase in muscle mass, fat free mass (FFM), and fat free mass index (FFMI) was demonstrated. An increase in fat mass (FM) including visceral fat was observed only in the non-supplemented control. Regardless of age or initial FM, supplemented women exhibited a constant level of albumin. Moreover, in the supplemented women with normal initial FM, the stable values of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol were maintained after six weeks of chemotherapy. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that oral nutritional supplements could improve body composition and prevent hypoalbuminemia and lipid abnormalities in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Full article

Cosmetic silicone implants for breast reconstruction often lead to medical complications, such as abnormally excessive fibrosis driven by foreign body granulomatous inflammation. The purpose of this study was to develop a silicone breast implant capable of local and controlled release of a glucocorticoid drug triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for the prevention of silicone-breast-implant-induced fibrosis in a Yorkshire pig model (in vivo). Implants were dip-coated in a TA solution to load 1.85 μg/cm² of TA in the implant shell, which could release the drug in a sustained manner for over 50 days. Immunohistochemical analysis for 12 weeks showed a decline in tumor necrosis factor-α expression, capsule thickness, and collagen density by 82.2%, 55.2%, and 32.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the counts of fibroblasts, macrophages, and myofibroblasts in the TA-coated implants were drastically reduced by 57.78%, 48.8%, and 64.02%, respectively. The TA-coated implants also lowered the expression of vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin proteins, the major profibrotic fibroblast and myofibroblast markers, respectively. Our findings suggest that TA-coated silicone breast implants can be a promising strategy for safely preventing fibrosis around the implants. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of aging on the quality of breast meat from broilers affected of wooden breast. Samples that were classified as normal (control), moderate (hardness verified only in one region of breast fillet), and severe (hardness verified in all the extension of breast fillet) were evaluated fresh and after three and seven days of aging. Normal samples and samples with a moderate degree of myopathy showed greater water-holding capacity, which may benefit the processing industry of poultry meat. During the aging process, increase was observed in total collagen concentration (from 0.41% in normal samples to 0.56% in samples with severe degree). Samples of chicken breast affected by moderate degree showed higher myofibril fragmentation index (MFI = 115) than normal chicken samples (95.65). Although chicken samples affected with severe degree of wooden breast myopathy are more tender than normal chicken breasts, they produce more exudate, which can be detrimental to the processing of poultry meat. The aging process may improve the reduction of cooking weight loss and protein loss in exudation of broilers’ breasts affected by wooden breast myopathy. Full article

The present study aimed at assessing the impact of lysine restriction performed during different feeding phases on growth performances, meat quality traits and technological properties as well as on the incidence and severity of breast muscle abnormalities. For this purpose, a total of 945 one-day-old Ross 308 male chicks was randomly divided into three experimental groups: CONT, fed a four feeding phases commercial diet, GRW I, and GRW I + II fed CONT diet with the depletion of synthetic lysine during grower I and grower I and II feeding phases, respectively. Productive performances were recorded throughout the whole rearing cycle and the incidence of breast muscle growth-related abnormalities assessed at slaughter (49 d) on 280 breasts/group. Quality traits and technological properties of breast meat were measured on a total of 54 Pectoralis major muscles. Lysine restriction only marginally affected the productive performances and the quality parameters of breast meat. The increased (p < 0.05) solubility of the protein fraction along with the remarkably higher (p < 0.05) anserine content found in GRW I + II suggests an increased energy requirement in the pectoral muscles belonging to lysine-restricted birds and supports the hypothesis of a reduced protein synthesis taking place within these muscles. Full article

This study aimed to investigate whether dietary bile acid (BA) supplements can improve growth performance and lipid metabolism in heat-stressed broiler chickens. A total of 288 Arbor Acres broilers were blocked by BW and then randomly allocated into 4 treatments at 21 days of age. Birds reared under 32 °C had a higher cloacal temperature (p = 0.01), faster respiratory rate (p < 0.001), and a greatly reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI, p = 0.016), average daily gain (ADG, p = 0.006), final body weight (FBW, p = 0.008), and feed conversion rate (FCR, p = 0.004). In heat stress (HS) birds, the breast muscle rate (p = 0.006) and pH 24 h postmortem (p = 0.065) were lower, and the shear force was higher (p = 0.027). Dietary BA supplements tended to increase the breast muscle rate (p = 0.075) without affecting the growth performance and serum lipids (p > 0.05). Serum total bile acid (TBA) was roughly duplicated after BA supplements (p = 0.001). In the liver, total cholesterol was lower (p = 0.046), and triglycerides were higher (p = 0.04) in the HS birds, whereas the expression of SREBP-1c showed an increasing trend (p = 0.06). In contrast, dietary BA decreased triglycerides and the expressions of hepatic SREBP-1c and FAS in the liver (p < 0.05). In summary, mild HS causes hepatic lipid accumulation without obvious tissue damages, whereas BA has positive effects on relieving abnormal lipid metabolism, indicating that BA as a nutritional strategy has a certain potential in alleviating HS. Full article

Prenatal and postnatal development are closely related to healthy maternal conditions that allow for the provision of all nutritional requirements to the offspring. In this regard, an appropriate supply of fatty acids (FA), mainly n-3 and n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), is crucial to ensure a normal development, because they are an integral part of cell membranes and participate in the synthesis of bioactive molecules that regulate multiple signaling pathways. On the other hand, maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain affect FA supply to the fetus and neonate, altering placental nutrient transfer, as well as the production and composition of breast milk during lactation. In this regard, maternal obesity modifies FA profile, resulting in low n-3 and elevated n-6 PUFA levels in maternal and fetal circulation during pregnancy, as well as in breast milk during lactation. These modifications are associated with a pro-inflammatory state and oxidative stress with short and long-term consequences in different organs of the fetus and neonate, including in the liver, brain, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue. Altogether, these changes confer to the offspring a higher risk of developing obesity and its complications, as well as neuropsychiatric disorders, asthma, and cancer. Considering the consequences of an abnormal FA supply to offspring induced by maternal obesity, we aimed to review the effects of obesity on the metabolism and bioavailability of FA during pregnancy and breastfeeding, with an emphasis on LCPUFA homeostasis. Full article

Abnormal collagen infiltration in the Pectoralis major, breast muscle, of fast-growing big broilers has led to woody breast (WB) myopathy resulting in meat quality issues. Mechanisms to degrade the collagen were investigated to potentially improve WB texture. Freshly deboned WB fillets (n = 5 per trial; 3 trials) were ground and divided in to 25 g portions. Aqueous collagenase Type I solution (1 mL) from concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/mL were incorporated in ground WB samples (n = 3 samples/treatment × 3 trials). Ground WB with 1 mL water acted as a control. All the samples were placed at 4 °C for 24 h and frozen at −80 °C. Control samples without any treatment or water addition (n = 3/trial) were frozen immediately upon grinding. Data collected on total (TC), soluble (SC), and insoluble collagen (IC) content was analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) (p ≤ 0.05). Fresh WB fillets had TC, SC, and IC content of 19.5, 4.9, and 14.6 mg/g, respectively. The addition of collagenase decreased (p ≤ 0.05) the IC to 5.8 mg/g in the 10 mg/mL treatment after 24 h. Converting IC to SC using collagenase can potentially help the poultry industry to reduce WB toughness. Full article