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Topic Review
Eating Disorders in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous, multifactorial disease that leads to menstrual and ovulatory irregularities, infertility, hyperandrogenism, and metabolic disturbances. It is recognized as the most prevalent endocrine/metabolic disorder in reproductive-aged women. Despite continuous research efforts, the unifying pathophysiological mechanisms that could explain the etiology of this complex disorder are still not fully understood. The interplay between genetic and epigenetic factors, mitochondrial dysfunction, altered protein and miRNA profiles, and environmental factors that also contribute to obesity lead to exaggerated gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulsatility with hypersecretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and insulin resistance (IR). Compensatory hyperinsulinemia adds to increased ovarian androgen production and impaired oocyte development. The essential role of the frequent coexistence of mental disorders and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is being increasingly recognized in the management of PCOS patients since it influences the success of weight loss interventions. Patients frequently experience disrupted eating behaviors, evidenced by the high prevalence of eating disorders in this population. Therefore, assessment and potential modification of eating disorders and eating-related behavior might be especially relevant to improve obesity treatment outcomes in this population, which remains the most efficient causal treatment in PCOS patients with high metabolic risk. 
  • 1.3K
  • 26 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Insulin Metabolism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine and metabolic disorder in women of reproductive age. Its heterogeneous clinical presentation is characterized by hyperandrogenemia, reproductive changes, polycystic ovary morphology, and insulin resistance (IR). The primary pathophysiological process in its multifactorial etiology has not yet been identified. Although commonly proposed as an initial abnormality, IR is most often looked at in isolation, without the proper investigation of other essential steps in insulin metabolism. 
  • 1.3K
  • 06 May 2023
Topic Review
Leelamine
For the last couple of decades, natural products, either applied singly or in conjunction with other cancer therapies including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have allowed us to combat different types of human cancers through the inhibition of their initiation and progression. The principal sources of these useful compounds are isolated from plants that were described in traditional medicines for their curative potential. Leelamine, derived from the bark of pine trees, was previously reported as having a weak agonistic effect on cannabinoid receptors and limited inhibitory effects on pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDKs). It has been reported to possess a strong lysosomotropic property; this feature enables its assembly inside the acidic compartments within a cell, such as lysosomes, which may eventually hinder endocytosis.
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is characterized by the development of atherosclerotic plaques in the lower-body conduit arteries. PAD is commonly accompanied by microvascular disease, which may result in poor wound healing, plantar ulcer development, and subsequent limb amputation. 
  • 1.3K
  • 15 Apr 2021
Topic Review
European Medicinal Leeches
Before the advent of modern medicine, natural resources were widely used by indigenous populations for the prevention and treatment of diseases. The associated knowledge, collectively described as folk medicine or traditional medicine, was largely based on trial-and-error testing of plant extracts (herbal remedies) and the use of invertebrates, particularly medicinal maggots of the blowfly Lucilia sericata and blood-sucking leeches. The widespread use of traditional medicine in the West declined as scientific advances allowed reproducible testing under controlled conditions and gave rise to the modern fields of biomedical research and pharmacology. 
  • 1.3K
  • 02 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Psychodrama
Psychodrama is an action method, often used as a psychotherapy, in which clients use spontaneous dramatization, role playing, and dramatic self-presentation to investigate and gain insight into their lives. Developed by Jacob L. Moreno, psychodrama includes elements of theater, often conducted on a stage, or a space that serves as a stage area, where props can be used. A psychodrama therapy group, under the direction of a licensed psychodramatist, reenacts real-life, past situations (or inner mental processes), acting them out in present time. Participants then have the opportunity to evaluate their behavior, reflect on how the past incident is getting played out in the present and more deeply understand particular situations in their lives. Psychodrama offers a creative way for an individual or group to explore and solve personal problems. It may be used in a variety of clinical and community-based settings in which other group members (audience) are invited to become therapeutic agents (stand-ins) to populate the scene of one client. Besides benefits to the designated client, "side-benefits" may accrue to other group members, as they make relevant connections and insights to their own lives from the psychodrama of another. A psychodrama is best conducted and produced by a person trained in the method, called a psychodrama director. In a session of psychodrama, one client of the group becomes the protagonist, and focuses on a particular, personal, emotionally problematic situation to enact on stage. A variety of scenes may be enacted, depicting, for example, memories of specific happenings in the client's past, unfinished situations, inner dramas, fantasies, dreams, preparations for future risk-taking situations, or unrehearsed expressions of mental states in the here and now. These scenes either approximate real-life situations or are externalizations of inner mental processes. Other members of the group may become auxiliaries and support the protagonist by playing other significant roles in the scene, or they may step in as a "double" who plays the role of the protagonist. A core tenet of psychodrama is Moreno's theory of "spontaneity-creativity". Moreno believed that the best way for an individual to respond creatively to a situation is through spontaneity, that is, through a readiness to improvise and respond in the moment. By encouraging an individual to address a problem in a creative way, reacting spontaneously and based on impulse, they may begin to discover new solutions to problems in their lives and learn new roles they can inhabit within it. Moreno's focus on spontaneous action within the psychodrama was developed in his Theatre of Spontaneity, which he directed in Vienna in the early 1920s. Disenchanted with the stagnancy he observed in conventional, scripted theatre, he found himself interested in the spontaneity required in improvisational work. He founded an improvisational troupe in the 1920s. This work in the theatre impacted the development of his psychodramatic theory.
  • 1.3K
  • 13 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Heme Burden and Kidney
As it pertains to the kidney, several clinical conditions have been recognized that are associated with significant amount of free heme and subsequent kidney damage. The kidney is frequently involved during clinical settings, with the common denominator of increased heme burden given its primary function of filtration. Moreover, the proximal tubules possess a high number of mitochondria that upon injury release their cytochrome heme content leading to higher levels of local heme and hence potentiating the cycle of injury.
  • 1.3K
  • 11 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Pain Management in Hemodialysis
Acupuncture demonstrated considerable promise as a benign and efficacious supplementary therapy for managing pain, enhancing functional capacity and muscular strength, lessening symptoms of restless leg syndrome and uremic pruritus, and bettering the quality of life (QOL) of patients on hemodialysis. Additional investigations are imperative to confirm these results and define the ideal parameters for treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy also exhibited the potential to ameliorate diverse facets of wellness in hemodialysis patients, including social support, QOL, and mental health outcomes. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) proved successful in attenuating depressive symptom severity, enhancing therapy adherence, and diminishing depression. Internet-based CBT could potentially enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of these interventions for this patient population. Relaxation techniques, encompassing progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness meditation, appear to hold potential in managing pain, fatigue, stress, and sleep patterns, as well as in promoting well-being and QOL for hemodialysis patients. Emerging as an innovative immersive technology, virtual reality has demonstrated potential benefits in pain management for individuals undergoing hemodialysis.
  • 1.3K
  • 23 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Therapeutic Options for Systemic Sclerosis
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe auto-immune, rheumatic disease, characterized by excessive fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs. SSc is accompanied by high morbidity and mortality rates, and unfortunately, few disease-modifying therapies are currently available. Inflammation, vasculopathy, and fibrosis are the key hallmarks of SSc pathology. There are current and novel treatment options in diminishing SSc-related fibrosis based on selected clinical trials. 
  • 1.3K
  • 25 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Antidiabetic Potential of Medicinal Plants
Diabetes mellitus is one of the major health problems in the world, the incidence and associated mortality are increasing. Inadequate regulation of the blood sugar imposes serious consequences for health. Conventional antidiabetic drugs are effective, however, also with unavoidable side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants may act as an alternative source of antidiabetic agents. 
  • 1.3K
  • 04 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Lysophosphatidic Acid in Cancer
Since the clear demonstration of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)’s pathological roles in cancer in the mid-1990s, more than 1000 papers relating LPA to various types of cancer were published. Through these studies, LPA was established as a target for cancer. Although LPA-related inhibitors entered clinical trials for fibrosis, the concept of targeting LPA is yet to be moved to clinical cancer treatment. The major challenges that we are facing in moving LPA application from bench to bedside include the intrinsic and complicated metabolic, functional, and signaling properties of LPA, as well as technical issues, which are discussed in this entry. Potential strategies and perspectives to improve the translational progress are suggested. Despite these challenges, we are optimistic that LPA blockage, particularly in combination with other agents, is on the horizon to be incorporated into clinical applications.
  • 1.3K
  • 18 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Definition of Hypertension and Establishment of Treatment Targets
Hypertension is the most frequent chronic and non-communicable disease all over the world, with about 1.5 billion affected individuals worldwide. Its impact is currently growing, particularly in low-income countries. Even in high-income countries, hypertension remains largely underdiagnosed and undertreated, with consequent low rates of blood pressure (BP) control.
  • 1.3K
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Stem Cell-Derived Organoids in Disease
Organoids represent one of the most important advancements in the field of stem cells during the past decade. The earliest usage of the term goes back to 1946 when Smith and Cochrane described a cystic teratoma case by referring to it as “cystic organoid teratoma”. Organoids, or as the term literally signifies “resembling an organ”, are three-dimensional (3D) in vitro culturing systems that originate from self-organizing stem cells, capable of mimicking the in vivo structural and functional specificities of an organ.
  • 1.3K
  • 28 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Carotenoids in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains a leading cause of modifiable vision loss in older adults. Chronic oxidative injury and compromised antioxidant defenses represent essential drivers in the development of retinal neurodegeneration. Overwhelming free radical species formation results in mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as cellular and metabolic imbalance, which becomes exacerbated with increasing age. Thus, the depletion of systemic antioxidant capacity further proliferates oxidative stress in AMD-affected eyes, resulting in loss of photoreceptors, neuroinflammation, and ultimately atrophy within the retinal tissue.
  • 1.3K
  • 11 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Hypertension Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Pregnant Women
Hypertension disorders during pregnancy (HDP) are the leading causes of neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Office BP is still the main method for the diagnosis of hypertension during pregnancy.
  • 1.3K
  • 16 May 2023
Topic Review
Tirzepatide in Type 2 Diabetes
Tirzepatide (TZP) is a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent-insulinotropic-polypeptide (GIP) receptor co-agonist approved for T2D. TZP provides promising evidence in improving glucose control and weight loss in T2D and obesity across preclinical and human studies, including data from the SURPASS program. TZP dramatically changes the clinical course of T2D in different clinical scenarios. 
  • 1.3K
  • 19 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Neurological Functions of Bile Acids
Bile acids (BA) are amphipathic steroid acids synthesized from cholesterol in the liver. They act as detergents to expedite the digestion and absorption of dietary lipids and lipophilic vitamins. BA are also considered to be signaling molecules, being ligands of nuclear and cell-surface receptors, including farnesoid X receptor and Takeda G-protein receptor 5. Moreover, BA also activate ion channels, including the bile acid-sensitive ion channel and epithelial Na+ channel. BA regulate glucose and lipid metabolism by activating these receptors in peripheral tissues, such as the liver and brown and white adipose tissue. Recently, 20 different BA have been identified in the central nervous system. Furthermore, BA affect the function of neurotransmitter receptors, such as the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor and γ-aminobutyric acid receptor. BA are also known to be protective against neurodegeneration. 
  • 1.3K
  • 31 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Pathophysiology of Septic Cardiomyopathy
Septic cardiomyopathy may be broadly defined as an acute cardiac dysfunction unrelated to ischemia that manifests in different ways: arrhythmias, left and/or right ventricular impairment during systole or diastole, with or without reduction in cardiac output. Endothelial, metabolic, and immune response abnormalities are generally involved in the pathogenesis of ventricular dysfunction and arrhythmias during sepsis, whereas the potential role of myocardial ischemia seems limited. Impaired blood flow autoregulation in coronary microcirculation and altered metabolism of lactate, free fatty acid, and glucose likely play a leading role. 
  • 1.3K
  • 14 Sep 2022
Topic Review
UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase Genetic and Drug Responses
UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes that metabolize endogenous fatty acids such as arachidonic acid metabolites, as well as many prescription drugs, such as opioids, antiepileptics, and antiviral drugs. The UGT1A and 2B genes are highly polymorphic, and their genetic variants may affect the pharmacokinetics and hence the responses of many drugs and fatty acids.
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Natural Compounds and Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer (PCa) represents a major cause of cancer mortality among men in developed countries. Patients with recurrent disease initially respond to androgen-deprivation therapy, but the tumor eventually progresses into castration-resistant PCa; in this condition, tumor cells acquire the ability to escape cell death and develop resistance to current therapies. Thus, new therapeutic approaches for PCa management are urgently needed. In this setting, natural products have been extensively studied for their anti-PCa activities, such as tumor growth suppression, cell death induction, and inhibition of metastasis and angiogenesis.
  • 1.3K
  • 04 Jun 2021
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