Purpose
The objective of this retrospective study was to assess safety and comparative clinical effectiveness of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) and robot-assisted inguinal hernia repair ...(RIHR) from multi-institutional experience in Taiwan.
Methods
Medical records from a total of eight hospitals were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Patients primarily diagnosed of inguinal hernia, recurrent inguinal hernia or incarceration groin hernia patients who either underwent laparoscopic or robot-assisted inguinal hernia repair between January 2018 and December 2022 were included in the study. Baseline characteristics, intra-operative and post-operative results were analyzed. To compare two cohorts, overlap weighting was employed to balance the significant inter-group differences. We also conducted subgroup analyses by state of a hernia (primary or recurrent/incarceration) and laterality (unilateral or bilateral) that indicated complexity of surgery.
Results
A total of 1,080 patients who underwent minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair from 8 hospitals across Taiwan were collected. Following the application of inclusion criteria, there were 279 patients received RIHR and 763 patients received LIHR. In the baseline analysis, RIHR was more often performed in recurrent/incarceration (RIHR 18.6% vs LIHR 10.3%,
p
= 0.001) and bilateral cases (RIHR 81.4 vs LIHR 58.3,
p
< 0.001). Suturing was dominant mesh fixation method in RIHR (RIHR 81% vs LIHR 35.8%,
p
< 0.001). More overweight patients were treated with RIHR (RIHR 58.8% vs LIHR 48.9%,
p
= 0.006). After overlap weighting, there were no significant difference in intraoperative and post-operative complications between RIHR and LIHR. Reoperation and prescription rates of pain medication (opioid) were significantly lower in RIHR than LIHR in overall group comparison (reoperation: RIHR 0% vs. LIHR 2.9%,
p
= 0.016) (Opioid prescription: RIHR 3.34 mg vs LIHR 10.82 mg,
p
= 0.001) while operation time was significantly longer in RIHR (OR time: RIHR 155.27 min vs LIHR 95.30 min, p < 0.001).
Conclusions
This real-world experience suggested that RIHR is a safe, and feasible option with comparable intra-operative and post-operative outcomes to LHIR. In our study, RIHR showed technical advantages in more complicated hernia cases with yielding to lower reoperation rates, and less opioid use.
Background. Given the apparent high mortality associated with the novel swine-origin influenza A/H1N1 virus (S-OIV) in Mexico, we aimed to study the cytokine profiles induced by S-OIV and the effect ...of immunomodulators. Methods. We assayed cytokines and their messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in culture supernatants of human macrophages infected with H5N1, S-OIV California/04/2009 (S-OIV-CA), S-OIV Hong Kong/415742 (S-OIV-HK), or seasonal H1N1 with or without celecoxib and mesalazine. Results. Among the 12 cytokines showing detectable levels, levels of 8 proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin IL 2R, IL-6, interferon IFN α, macrophage inflammatory protein MIP α, MIP-1b, IFN-induced protein 10, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted RANTES, and monocyte chemotactic protein MCP 1) were higher in cells infected by H5N1 but similar among cells infected with H1N1, S-OIV-CA, or SOIV- HK. The levels of the other 4 cytokines were similar for H5N1, H1N1, S-OIV-CA and S-OIV-HK. Among the 8 cytokines induced by H5N1, 6 were suppressed by celecoxib and mesalazine. The mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor a, IFN-γ, IL-6, and MCP-1 induced by H5N1 were higher than the levels of other cytokines at 12 and/or 24 h. Conclusions. No major cytokine storm, as seen in H5N1 infection, is associated with S-OIV infection of cell lines. The mainstay of treatment for uncomplicated S-OIV infections should be antiviral agents without immunomodulators. For individual S-OIV-infected patients with severe primary viral pneumonia, severe sepsis, and multiorgan failure, immunomodulators may be considered as an adjunctive therapy in clinical trials.
The strongest BMI-associated GWAS locus in humans is the FTO gene. Rodent studies demonstrate a role for FTO in energy homeostasis and body composition. The phenotypes observed in loss of expression ...studies are complex with perinatal lethality, stunted growth from weaning, and significant alterations in body composition. Thus understanding how and where Fto regulates food intake, energy expenditure, and body composition is a challenge. To address this we generated a series of mice with distinct temporal and spatial loss of Fto expression. Global germline loss of Fto resulted in high perinatal lethality and a reduction in body length, fat mass, and lean mass. When ratio corrected for lean mass, mice had a significant increase in energy expenditure, but more appropriate multiple linear regression normalisation showed no difference in energy expenditure. Global deletion of Fto after the in utero and perinatal period, at 6 weeks of age, removed the high lethality of germline loss. However, there was a reduction in weight by 9 weeks, primarily as loss of lean mass. Over the subsequent 10 weeks, weight converged, driven by an increase in fat mass. There was a switch to a lower RER with no overall change in food intake or energy expenditure. To test if the phenotype can be explained by loss of Fto in the mediobasal hypothalamus, we sterotactically injected adeno-associated viral vectors encoding Cre recombinase to cause regional deletion. We observed a small reduction in food intake and weight gain with no effect on energy expenditure or body composition. Thus, although hypothalamic Fto can impact feeding, the effect of loss of Fto on body composition is brought about by its actions at sites elsewhere. Our data suggest that Fto may have a critical role in the control of lean mass, independent of its effect on food intake.
Metformin, the world's most prescribed anti-diabetic drug, is also effective in preventing type 2 diabetes in people at high risk
. More than 60% of this effect is attributable to the ability of ...metformin to lower body weight in a sustained manner
. The molecular mechanisms by which metformin lowers body weight are unknown. Here we show-in two independent randomized controlled clinical trials-that metformin increases circulating levels of the peptide hormone growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), which has been shown to reduce food intake and lower body weight through a brain-stem-restricted receptor. In wild-type mice, oral metformin increased circulating GDF15, with GDF15 expression increasing predominantly in the distal intestine and the kidney. Metformin prevented weight gain in response to a high-fat diet in wild-type mice but not in mice lacking GDF15 or its receptor GDNF family receptor α-like (GFRAL). In obese mice on a high-fat diet, the effects of metformin to reduce body weight were reversed by a GFRAL-antagonist antibody. Metformin had effects on both energy intake and energy expenditure that were dependent on GDF15, but retained its ability to lower circulating glucose levels in the absence of GDF15 activity. In summary, metformin elevates circulating levels of GDF15, which is necessary to obtain its beneficial effects on energy balance and body weight, major contributors to its action as a chemopreventive agent.
Talaromyces marneffei is an opportunistic dimorphic fungus prevalent in Southeast Asia. We previously demonstrated that Mp1p is an immunogenic surface and secretory mannoprotein of T. marneffei. ...Since Mp1p is a surface protein that can generate protective immunity, we hypothesized that Mp1p and/or its homologs are virulence factors.
We examined the pathogenic roles of Mp1p and its homologs in a mouse model. All mice died 21 and 30 days after challenge with wild-type T. marneffei PM1 and MP1 complemented mutant respectively. None of the mice died 60 days after challenge with MP1 knockout mutant (P<0.0001). Seventy percent of mice died 60 days after challenge with MP1 knockdown mutant (P<0.0001). All mice died after challenge with MPLP1 to MPLP13 knockdown mutants, suggesting that only Mp1p plays a significant role in virulence. The mean fungal loads of PM1 and MP1 complemented mutant in the liver, lung, kidney and spleen were significantly higher than those of the MP1 knockout mutant. Similarly, the mean load of PM1 in the liver, lung and spleen were significantly higher than that of the MP1 knockdown mutant. Histopathological studies showed an abundance of yeast in the kidney, spleen, liver and lung with more marked hepatic and splenic necrosis in mice challenged with PM1 compared to MP1 knockout and MP1 knockdown mutants. Likewise, a higher abundance of yeast was observed in the liver and spleen of mice challenged with MP1 complemented mutant compared to MP1 knockout mutant. PM1 and MP1 complemented mutant survived significantly better than MP1 knockout mutant in macrophages at 48 hours (P<0.01) post-infection. The mean fungal counts of Pichia pastoris GS115-MP1 in the liver (P<0.001) and spleen (P<0.05) of mice were significantly higher than those of GS115 at 24 hours post-challenge.
Mp1p is a key virulence factor of T. marneffei. Mp1p mediates virulence by improving the survival of T. marneffei in macrophages.
Thyroid hormones (THs) act in the brain to modulate energy balance. We show that central triiodothyronine (T3) regulates de novo lipogenesis in liver and lipid oxidation in brown adipose tissue (BAT) ...through the parasympathetic (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS), respectively. Central T3 promotes hepatic lipogenesis with parallel stimulation of the thermogenic program in BAT. The action of T3 depends on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-induced regulation of two signaling pathways in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH): decreased ceramide-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which promotes BAT thermogenesis, and increased c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation, which controls hepatic lipid metabolism. Of note, ablation of AMPKα1 in steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) neurons of the VMH fully recapitulated the effect of central T3, pointing to this population in mediating the effect of central THs on metabolism. Overall, these findings uncover the underlying pathways through which central T3 modulates peripheral metabolism.
Display omitted
•Central T3 regulates lipogenesis in liver via the parasympathetic nervous system•Central T3 regulates lipid oxidation in BAT via the sympathetic nervous system•Ablation of AMPK in SF1 neurons of the VMH recapitulates the effects of T3•Hypothalamic JNK1 and ceramides/ER stress mediate T3 actions on liver and BAT
Martínez-Sánchez et al. show that thyroid hormones act in the hypothalamus to regulate hepatic lipogenesis and brown fat lipid oxidation via the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. These peripheral effects are orchestrated by two distinct signaling pathways in the VMH, JNK1 and ceramides/ER stress, which are under AMPK control.
Abstract Objectives Liver regeneration and donor safety in right-lobe (RL) and left-lobe (LL) grafts are essential for donors in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Our aim was to compare the ...liver regeneration rate and postoperative outcome between different donor graft types in LDLT. Materials and Methods A total of 95 donors were divided into 2 groups: RL (n = 42) and LL (n = 53). The remnant liver of LL donors were subdivided into 3 subgroups according to the different hepatic venous drainage pattern that dominates from right hepatic vein (dominant RHV; n = 34), middle hepatic vein (dominant MHV; n = 10), and include MHV for left lateral segment (LLS) graft (n = 9). The demographic data, postoperative laboratory data, complications, remnant liver volume (RLV), and remnant liver regeneration rate (RLRR) 6 months after surgery were compared. Results The postoperative total bilirubin (TB), prothrombin time (PT), and intensive care unit (ICU) stays of the LL group were lower than the RL group ( P < .05). The LL group has no significant better regeneration rate 6 months after surgery than the RL group. However, dominant RHV and LLS groups have significantly better RLRR than the RL group (89.2% vs 86% and 95.1% vs 86%, respectively, P < .05), but no significance in the dominant MHV group. Conclusion In conclusion, different hepatic venous drainage patterns of remnant liver grafts may affect the regeneration rate in LL LDLT, especially with dominant RHV donors, may have more comparable outcomes with that of RL, and should be a favorable option during donor selection.
The intestinal crypt-niche interaction is thought to be essential to the function, maintenance, and proliferation of progenitor stem cells found at the bases of intestinal crypts. These stem cells ...are constantly renewing the intestinal epithelium by sending differentiated cells from the base of the crypts of Lieberkühn to the villus tips where they slough off into the intestinal lumen. The intestinal niche consists of various cell types, extracellular matrix, and growth factors and surrounds the intestinal progenitor cells. There have recently been advances in the understanding of the interactions that regulate the behavior of the intestinal epithelium and there is great interest in methods for isolating and expanding viable intestinal epithelium. However, there is no method to maintain primary human small intestinal epithelium in culture over a prolonged period of time. Similarly no method has been published that describes isolation and support of human intestinal epithelium in an in vivo model. We describe a technique to isolate and maintain human small intestinal epithelium in vitro from surgical specimens. We also describe a novel method to maintain human intestinal epithelium subcutaneously in a mouse model for a prolonged period of time. Our methods require various growth factors and the intimate interaction between intestinal sub-epithelial myofibroblasts (ISEMFs) and the intestinal epithelial cells to support the epithelial in vitro and in vivo growth. Absence of these myofibroblasts precluded successful maintenance of epithelial cell formation and proliferation beyond just a few days, even in the presence of supportive growth factors. We believe that the methods described here can be used to explore the molecular basis of human intestinal stem cell support, maintenance, and growth.
Klebsiella pneumoniae-caused liver abscess (KLA) is an emerging infectious disease. However, factors other than K1-specific loci that contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease have not been ...identified. pLVPK is a 219,385-bp plasmid of K. pneumoniae CG43, an invasive K2 strain associated with KLA. We aimed in this study to evaluate the involvement of pLVPK in K. pneumoniae virulence and its clinical significance in abscess formation. A pLVPK-cured CG43 was isolated and its virulence was examined in a mouse model. The prevalence of pLVPK-derived loci terW, iutA, rmpA, silS, and repA was investigated in 207 clinical isolates by screening with specific primers. Loss of pLVPK abolished the ability of K. pneumoniae to disseminate into extraintestinal sites and, consequently, attenuated abscess formation in mice. Primary K. pneumoniae abscess isolates (n = 94) were more likely to be terW ⁺-iutA ⁺-rmpA ⁺-silS ⁺ than those related to non-abscess infections (n = 113) (62% vs. 27%; p < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of the terW-rmpA-iutA-silS loci was a significant risk factor (odds ratio, 4.12; 95% confidence interval, 2.02-8.4; p < 0.0001) for abscess formation. pLVPK is a determinant for K. pneumoniae virulence and infection with strains carrying the pLVPK-derived terW-rmpA-iutA-silS loci may predispose patients to abscess formation.