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Topic Review
Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration Factors as Phytocheimcals Targets
Aging is a normal process in the life of any species. Still, some individuals experience early or premature aging and, thus, advanced age-associated diseases impacting the quality of their life, accompanied by enormous economic and social burdens. Therefore, it would be rational to mitigate aging processes, not only to support healthy aging but also to hamper age-associated diseases. During aging, different functional systems are affected interactively. These include the central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular system, immune system, and the gut ecosystem. Additionally, the musculoskeletal system is prone to progressive weakening, causing movement problems that could intensify the aforementioned complications and increase the risk of all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
  • 807
  • 14 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Lipids and Lipoproteins in Pregnancy
Inflammation and oxidative stress are essential components in a myriad of pathogenic entities that lead to metabolic and chronic diseases. Moreover, inflammation in its different phases is necessary for the initiation and maintenance of a healthy pregnancy. Therefore, an equilibrium between a necessary/pathologic level of inflammation and oxidative stress during pregnancy is needed to avoid disease development. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are important for a healthy pregnancy and a good neonatal outcome. Their role in fetal development during challenging situations is vital for maintaining the equilibrium. 
  • 804
  • 08 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is on the rise worldwide representing a public health issue. Its coexistence with obesity and other metabolic alterations is highly frequent. Therefore, current therapy interventions for NAFLD are mainly focused on progressive weight loss through modulation of overall calorie intake with or without specific macronutrient adjustments. Furthermore, other relevant nutritional interventions are built on food selection and time-restricted eating. Since every strategy might bring different results, choosing the optimal diet therapy for a patient is a complicated task, because NAFLD is a multifactorial complex disease. Importantly, some factors need to be considered, such as nutrition-based evidence in terms of hepatic morphophysiological improvements as well as adherence of the patient to the meal plan and adaptability in their cultural context.
  • 802
  • 05 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Diet, Inflammation & Youth
In children and adolescents, chronic low-grade inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of co- and multi-morbid conditions to mental health disorders. Diet quality is a potential mechanism of action that can exacerbate or ameliorate low-grade inflammation. A good quality diet, high in vegetable and fruit intake, wholegrains, fibre and healthy fats ameliorates low-grade inflammation, and therefore represents a promising therapeutic approach, as well as an important element for disease prevention in both children and adolescents.
  • 795
  • 11 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Nutritional Education Interventions in Children
Childhood obesity is a global public health issue and is linked to metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Social, economic and cultural factors influence changes in nutrition and lifestyle characterized by poorer diets and reduced physical activity.
  • 794
  • 26 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Mediterranean Diet during Pregnancy
The traditional Mediterranean diet has been shown to be a healthy eating pattern that protects against the development of many diseases in adults and children. Pregnancy is a critical period of plasticity during which foetal development may be significantly influenced by maternal nutrition. In this review, we systematically summarized and discussed results of studies investigating the protective role of Mediterranean diet against foetal growth, prematurity, congenital pathologies, asthma and allergy. Although current data are insufficient and randomized control trials are needed, growing evidence suggests the beneficial effect of the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy on children's health. In this sense, strategies aiming to promote adherence to this dietary pattern might be of considerable importance to public health. 
  • 794
  • 30 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Pathophysiological Mechanism of Cognitive Impairment in Obese Persons
Cognition is a global concept encompassing various processes virtually scattered over the whole brain. Obesity itself can be viewed as a consequence of impaired energetic feedback loops or as a higher disorder of impaired reward—behavior control mechanisms. However, the adipose tissue—brain relation is much more than a simple direct bilateral communication involving virtually all metabolically active organs and a plethora of messengers.
  • 794
  • 26 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Home Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
The evolution of home parenteral and enteral nutrition (HPEN) has been a critical medical advance for patients who are unable to maintain their nutrition by mouth. Technological advances during the 20th century have allowed these life-saving therapies to be delivered to patients at home, revolutionizing the field of clinical nutrition. Worldwide prevalence of home enteral nutrition (HEN) and parenteral nutrition (HPN) is difficult to estimate.
  • 793
  • 06 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Alcohol, Drinking Pattern, and Chronic Disease
Alcohol is an addictive substance consumed worldwide, especially in European countries. Recommendations on alcohol consumption are controversial. On one hand, many nonrandomized studies defend that moderate consumption has a beneficial cardiovascular effect or a lower risk of all-cause mortality. On the other hand, alcohol is associated with an increased risk of cancer, neurological diseases, or injuries, among others.
  • 791
  • 17 May 2022
Topic Review
Fermented Foods, Gut Microbiota, and Metabolic Regulation
Fermented foods are part of the staple diet in many different countries and populations and contain various probiotic microorganisms and non-digestible prebiotics. Fermentation is the process of breaking down sugars by bacteria and yeast species; it not only enhances food preservation but can also increase the number of beneficial gut bacteria. Regular consumption of fermented foods has been associated with a variety of health benefits (although some health risks also exist), including improved digestion, enhanced immunity, and greater weight loss, suggesting that fermented foods have the potential to help in the design of effective nutritional therapeutic approaches for obesity.
  • 791
  • 06 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Lipid-Based Antioxidant Systems in Photoreceptors and RPE Cells
The retina, a multi-layered nervous structure in the back of the eye, detects light stimuli via specialised primary sensory neurons, named after their morphologies as retinal rods and cones. Rods and cones in vitro may retain their ability to respond to light for several hours by generating an electrical response. However, their viability and long-term operation require the functional interaction with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and a vascular system with peculiar features, the choroidal capillaries (ChC), whose specific form and shape support its function.
  • 788
  • 20 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Cobalamin Status and Deficiency in Cats
Cobalamin is a water-soluble molecule that has an important role in cellular metabolism, especially in DNA synthesis, methylation, and mitochondrial metabolism. Cobalamin is bound by intrinsic factor (IF) and absorbed in the ileal tract. The IF in cats is synthesized exclusively by pancreatic tissue. About 75% of the total plasma cobalamin in cats is associated with transcobalamin II, while in this species, transcobalamin I is not present. In cats, the half-life of cobalamin is 11–14 days.
  • 785
  • 15 May 2023
Topic Review
PNO and PNLA Inhibit the Inflammatory Response
The health implications of pine nuts oil (PNO) and Pinolenic acid (PNLA) in weight reduction, lipid-lowering and anti-diabetic actions as well as in suppression of cell invasiveness and motility in cancer. The expression of many mRNAs and microRNAs was regulated by PNLA indicating potential transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of inflammatory and metabolic processes. The anti-inflammatory effects of PNO have been shown in in vitro and in in vivo animal models, which have also been demonstrated with PNLA. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)  impact inflammation by several mechanisms, including altering membrane function and structure, and regulating the synthesis of lipid mediators.
  • 783
  • 14 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Dietary Flavonoid Intake and Chronic Sensory Conditions
Dietary flavonoids have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vascular health benefits, which align with the proposed pathophysiology of age-related eye conditions and hearing problems (hearing loss and tinnitus). The flavonoid subclass, flavonols, are protective against eye conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and glaucoma. Dietary flavonol intake appears to be protective against some chronic eye conditions. 
  • 780
  • 27 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Dietary Interventions in Cancer Treatment and Response
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are first-line treatments in the management of advanced solid tumors. While these treatments are directed at mitigating the growth of and potentially eliminating cancer cells, they cause significant adverse effects that can be detrimental to a patient’s quality of life or even life-threatening. Diet is a modifiable risk factor that has been shown to affect cancer risk, recurrence, and treatment toxicity, but little information is known how diet interacts with cancer treatment modalities. Dietary interventions, such as caloric restriction, intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets, have shown promise in clinical pilot studies and pre-clinical mammal model studies by reducing the toxicity and increasing the efficacy of chemotherapeutics and radiotherapy treatment. However, further clinical trials on a wider scale and much more evidence are required to before any changes to clinical practice can be advised.
  • 779
  • 28 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Mediterranean Diet in Italian Adolescents
Our aim was to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a group of 726 secondary school students (336 girls, 390 boys) who completed the web-based Medi-Lite questionnaire simultaneously, during school hours, at the “Istituto Professionale per l’Enogastronomia e l’Ospitalità Alberghiera Marco Polo” in Genoa, Italy. The mean adherence score was 9.28 ± 2.29, with significantly (p = 0.017) higher values in girls (9.5 ± 2.2) than boys (9.1 ± 2.4). As to the individual food components of the Medi-Lite score, 84% of students reported non-optimal consumption (i.e., the choice that yielded ≤ 1 point) of meat and meat products, and over 50% reported non-optimal consumption of vegetables, legumes, dairy products, and fish. Significant differences between girls and boys were observed for fruit (p = 0.003), cereals (p < 0.001), meat and meat products (p < 0.001), and dairy products (p = 0.003). By conducting a principal component analysis, we observed that Medi-Lite items on the consumption of some animal products (meat and meat products and dairy products) and some plant products (fruit, vegetables, and legumes) generated contrasting patterns of responses, denoting excessive consumption in the first case and underconsumption in the second. This result suggests the need for effective actions to promote healthy eating habits in young people.
  • 778
  • 29 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Vitamin D Deficiency and T2DM
It seems that vitamin D deficiency may be one of the crucial factors responsible for increased cancer risk among T2DM patients. Vitamin D via alleviation of insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, oxidative stress and inflammation reduces diabetes driven cancer risk factors. Moreover, vitamin D strengthens the DNA repair process, and regulates apoptosis and autophagy of cancer cells as well as signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis i.e., tumor growth factor β (TGFβ), insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and Wnt-β-Cathenin. It should also be underlined that many types of cancer cells present alterations in vitamin D metabolism and action as a result of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) and CYP27B1 expression dysregulation.
  • 778
  • 22 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Mediterranean Lifestyle
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as the accumulation of excessive fat in the liver not linked to alcohol abuse. A Mediterranean diet has many healthy components: it decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease, MetS, cancer, and overall mortality. The benefits of following a Mediterranean diet on NAFLD have also been described because it provides antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients useful in slowing the development of hepatic steatosis. A high adherence to a Mediterranean diet improves liver fat content, fibrosis, and insulin sensitivity.
  • 776
  • 26 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Placental Amino Acid Transport
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with reduced placental amino acid transport (AAT). However, it remains to be established if changes in AAT contribute to restricted fetal growth. We hypothesized that reduced in vivo placental AAT precedes the development of IUGR in baboons with maternal nutrient restriction (MNR). Baboons were fed either a control (ad libitum) or MNR diet (70% of control diet) from gestational day (GD) 30. At GD 140, in vivo transplacental AA transport was measured by infusing nine (13)C- or (2)H-labeled essential amino acids (EAAs) as a bolus into the maternal circulation at cesarean section. A fetal vein-to-maternal artery mole percent excess ratio for each EAA was measured. Microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) system A and system L transport activity were determined. Fetal and placental weights were not significantly different between MNR and control. In vivo, the fetal vein-to-maternal artery mole percent excess ratio was significantly decreased for tryptophan in MNR. MVM system A and system L activity was markedly reduced in MNR. Reduction of in vivo placental amino acid transport precedes fetal growth restriction in the non-human primate, suggesting that reduced placental amino acid transfer may contribute to IUGR.
  • 775
  • 10 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Pioglitazone Use and Sepsis Mortality
The pioglitazone use via the PPARγ agonist in sepsis patients is inconclusive. It was based on a great number of animal studies. However, except for information from animal studies, there are merely no data of human for reference. This study was conducted by a unique database including 1.6 million of diabetic patients. From 1999 to 2013, a total of 145,327 type 2 diabetic patients, first admitted for sepsis, were enrolled. Propensity score matching was conducted in a 1:5 ratio between pioglitazone users and nonusers. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of hospital mortality in pioglitazone users. Further stratification analysis and Kaplan-Meier plot were utilized. A total of 9,310 sepsis pioglitazone users (defined as "ever" use pioglitazone in any dose within 3 months prior to the first admission for sepsis) and 46,550 matched nonusers were retrieved, respectively. In the multivariate logistic regression model, the cohort of pioglitazone users (9,310) had a decreased aOR = 0.95 (95% CI, 0.89-1.02) of sepsis mortality. Further stratification analysis demonstrated that "chronic pioglitazone users" (defined as "at least" 4 weeks drug use within 3 months) (3,399) was much associated with significant aOR = 0.80 (95% CI, 0.72-0.89) in reducing sepsis mortality. This first human cohort study demonstrated the potential protective effect of chronic pioglitazone use in type 2 diabetic sepsis patients.
  • 770
  • 16 Mar 2021
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