INTRODUCTION: In the clinical setting, erectile dysfunction (ED) is a significant issue that should not be neglected, as it can adversely impact the quality of life of patients and their partners, especially among overweight and obese populations. This study aims to determine the prevalence of ED and its associated factors among non-diabetic, overweight, and obese patients who attend a government health clinic in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A six-month cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2024 to August 2024 at twelve health clinics in Kuantan, Pahang. The selected respondents were married men over 18 years old, and those with diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric illness, or illiteracy were excluded. Data were collected using the validated Malay version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). ED was defined as an IIEF-5 score of less than 22. Descriptive analysis and simple and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS. RESULTS: All 221 eligible patients in the study responded (100% response rate). The prevalence of ED was 66.1% (n=146). Multiple logistic regression showed that ED was significantly associated with dyslipidemia [AOR (95% CI): 2.42 (1.06–5.52); p-value=0.036], anxiety [AOR (95% CI): 3.99 (1.44–11.01); p-value=0.008] and older age [AOR (95% CI): 1.07 (1.02–1.12); p-value=0.009]. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a high prevalence of ED among non-diabetic overweight and obese patients, potentially linked to increasing age, dyslipidemia, and anxiety. Increasing awareness among the public and healthcare providers could improve detection rates in primary care.

Dialysis has been the dominant treatment regimen in end-stage kidney disease as a means to remove uremic waste products and to maintain electrolyte, acid base, and fluid balance. However, given that dialysis may not always provide a survival benefit nor improved quality of life in certain subpopulations, there is growing recognition of the need for conservative and preservative management as an alternative treatment strategy for advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Personalized nutritional management tailored to patient’s sociodemographics, social needs, psychological status, health literacy level, and preferences is a key component of conservative and preservative care, as well as in the management of patients transitioning from non-dialysis dependent CKD to dialysis. In this review, we discuss the nutritional and metabolic alterations that ensue in CKD; the rationale for low-protein diets in the conservative and preservative management of advanced CKD; the role of plant-based diets in kidney health; emerging data on dietary potassium and sodium intake on CKD outcomes; and the practical implementation of dietary interventions in advanced kidney disease.

Dialysis has been the dominant treatment regimen in end-stage kidney disease as a means to remove uremic waste products and to maintain electrolyte, acid base, and fluid balance. However, given that dialysis may not always provide a survival benefit nor improved quality of life in certain subpopulations, there is growing recognition of the need for conservative and preservative management as an alternative treatment strategy for advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Personalized nutritional management tailored to patient’s sociodemographics, social needs, psychological status, health literacy level, and preferences is a key component of conservative and preservative care, as well as in the management of patients transitioning from non-dialysis dependent CKD to dialysis. In this review, we discuss the nutritional and metabolic alterations that ensue in CKD; the rationale for low-protein diets in the conservative and preservative management of advanced CKD; the role of plant-based diets in kidney health; emerging data on dietary potassium and sodium intake on CKD outcomes; and the practical implementation of dietary interventions in advanced kidney disease.

Dialysis has been the dominant treatment regimen in end-stage kidney disease as a means to remove uremic waste products and to maintain electrolyte, acid base, and fluid balance. However, given that dialysis may not always provide a survival benefit nor improved quality of life in certain subpopulations, there is growing recognition of the need for conservative and preservative management as an alternative treatment strategy for advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Personalized nutritional management tailored to patient’s sociodemographics, social needs, psychological status, health literacy level, and preferences is a key component of conservative and preservative care, as well as in the management of patients transitioning from non-dialysis dependent CKD to dialysis. In this review, we discuss the nutritional and metabolic alterations that ensue in CKD; the rationale for low-protein diets in the conservative and preservative management of advanced CKD; the role of plant-based diets in kidney health; emerging data on dietary potassium and sodium intake on CKD outcomes; and the practical implementation of dietary interventions in advanced kidney disease.

Dialysis has been the dominant treatment regimen in end-stage kidney disease as a means to remove uremic waste products and to maintain electrolyte, acid base, and fluid balance. However, given that dialysis may not always provide a survival benefit nor improved quality of life in certain subpopulations, there is growing recognition of the need for conservative and preservative management as an alternative treatment strategy for advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Personalized nutritional management tailored to patient’s sociodemographics, social needs, psychological status, health literacy level, and preferences is a key component of conservative and preservative care, as well as in the management of patients transitioning from non-dialysis dependent CKD to dialysis. In this review, we discuss the nutritional and metabolic alterations that ensue in CKD; the rationale for low-protein diets in the conservative and preservative management of advanced CKD; the role of plant-based diets in kidney health; emerging data on dietary potassium and sodium intake on CKD outcomes; and the practical implementation of dietary interventions in advanced kidney disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive accumulation of hepatic lipids and metabolic stress-induced liver injury. There are currently no approved effective pharmacological treatments for NAFLD. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for centuries to treat patients with chronic liver diseases without clear disease types and mechanisms. More recently, TCM has been shown to have unique advantages in the treatment of NAFLD. We performed a systematic review of the medical literature published over the last two decades and found that many TCM formulas have been reported to be beneficial for the treatment of metabolic dysfunctions, including Potentilla discolor Bunge (PDB). PDB has a variety of active compounds, including flavonoids, terpenoids, organic acids, steroids and tannins. Many compounds have been shown to exhibit a series of beneficial effects for the treatment of NAFLD, including anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory functions, improvement of lipid metabolism and reversal of insulin resistance. In this review, we summarize potential therapeutic effects of TCM formulas for the treatment of NAFLD, focusing on the medicinal properties of natural active compounds from PDB and their underlying mechanisms. We point out that PDB can be classified as a novel candidate for the treatment and prevention of NAFLD.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether topical applications of thiosulfinate-enriched Allium sativum extract (TASE) can accelerate acute cutaneous wound healing (WH) in a murine model. METHODS: Keratinocyte viability and in vitro wound closure were assessed in keratinocyte cultures. Effects of topical TASE (0.5 μg/mL of allicin in 97% ethanol) on acute cutaneous WH were determined in a murine model of acute cutaneous wound. Twelve mice were alternately assigned to the vehicle- and TASE-treated groups (n=6 per group). Expression levels of mRNA for keratinocyte differentiation marker-related proteins (filaggrin, loricrin and involucrin) and lipid synthetic enzymes (elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 4 (ELOVL4), fatty acid synthase (FA2H), 3-hydroxy- 3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCoA), and serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT)) were assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction on day 3 and 8 after wounding, while transepidermal water loss (TEWL) rates were measured in wounded areas. RESULTS: TASE accelerated WH both in vivo (40% vs. 22% reduction in wound area, P<0.01) and in vitro (90% vs. 65% reduction in wound area, P<0.01). Moreover, topical applications of TASE upregulated the expression levels of epidermal mRNA for ELOVL4, HMGCoA, SPT, filaggrin, loricrin and involucrin (P<0.05 vs. vehicle-treated controls) on day 3 after wounding. Likewise, TASE significantly lowered TEWL rates in comparison with vehicle alone on day 8 (33.06±2.09 g/(m CONCLUSIONS Topical applications of TASE stimulated keratinocyte proliferation and formation of epidermal permeability barrier function, leading to acceleration of acute cutaneous WH. Topical products containing TASE could be used to manage acute cutaneous WH.

To explore the role of cortical actin-binding protein (cortactin) in shear stress-induced mucin (MUC) 5AC secretion in human airway epithelial cells and the effect of phosphorylation of cortactin at different sites.
 Methods: HBE16 airway epithelial cells were cultured, and then transfected with mutation carrier, such as pEGFP-N1-cortactin (Cort), pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y421A, pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y470A and pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y486A. The cells were divided into a normal control group, a shear stress group, a shear stress + pEGFP-N1 group, a shear stress + PEGFP-N1-Cort group, a shear stress + pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y421A group, a shear stress + pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y470A group, and a shear stress + pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y486A group. The shear stress were set at 4 dynes/cm2. The levels of MUC5AC protein and mRNA in cells and culture supernatant were assayed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time PCR. The cortactin and phosphorylated cortactin were detected by Western blot. F-actin was stained by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-phalloidin.
 Results: There was an obvious increase of phosphorylated cortactin in cells exposed to 4 dynes/cm2 of shear stress for 30 min, which reached climax at 2 hours concomitant with elevation of MUC5AC protein production and mRNA expression in the different experiment groups (all P<0.05). Compared with single shear stress-stimulated group, MUC5AC in supernatant was increased obviously, and the distribution of F-actin in cytomembrane was also increased in the pEGFP-N1-Cort group (both P<0.05), while there were no changes in the MUC5AC protein and mRNA levels in cytoplasm. Compared with the shear stress+pEGFP-N1-Cort group, the MUC5AC protein in the culture supernatant was decreased, and the polymerization of F-actin at cell membranes were also attenuated in the shear stress+pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y421A group and the shear stress + pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y470A group (both P<0.05), while there was no significant effect in the shear stress + pEGFP-N1-Cort-Y486A group (P>0.05).
 Conclusion: Cortactin is involved in shear stress-mediated MUC5AC secretion in human airway epithelial cells, and the phosphorylated site of Tyr421 and Tyr470 may play an important role in it.
Cortactin ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Mucin 5AC ; Mucus ; Phosphorylation

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is among the most common skin disorders in humans. Although a variety of regimens are available for the treatment of AD, preventive approaches are limited. Recent studies have demonstrated that certain naturally-occurring herbal medicines are effective in preventing the development of AD via divergent mechanisms, such as inhibiting cytokine and chemokine expression, IgE production, inflammatory cell infiltration, histamine release, and/or enhancement of epidermal permeability barrier function. Yet, they exhibit few adverse effects. Since herbal medicines are widely available, inexpensive and generally safe, they could represent an ideal approach for preventing the development of AD, in both highly developed and developing countries.
Animals ; Chemokines ; metabolism ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; prevention & control ; Disease Models, Animal ; Herbal Medicine ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; metabolism ; Inflammation ; pathology

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the influence of temporal patterns related to the availability of new endovascular treatment (EVT) devices on care processes and outcomes among patients with AIS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 720 consecutive patients (January 2011 to May 2016) in a retrospective registry, ASIAN KR, from three Korean hospitals, who received EVT for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by cervicocephalic arterial occlusions. We performed period-to-period analyses based on stent retriever reimbursement and the availability of second-generation direct-aspiration devices (Period 1: January 2011–July 2014 vs. Period 2: August 2014–May 2016); time metrics and outcomes were compared when the onset-to-puncture time was <720 min among patients with EVT for intracranial occlusion. RESULTS: Period 2 had better post-EVT outcomes (3-month modified Rankin Scale 0–2 or equal to prestroke score, 48.3% vs. 60.2%, P=0.004), more successful reperfusion rates (modified Treatment In Cerebral Ischemia 2b–3, 74.2% vs. 82.2%, P=0.019), fewer subarachnoid hemorrhages (modified Fisher grade 3–4, 5.5% vs. 2.0%, P=0.034) and lower hemorrhagic transformation rates (any intracerebral hemorrhage, 35.3 vs. 22.7%, P=0.001) than Period 1. Compared to Period 1, Period 2 had a shorter door-to-puncture time (median 109 vs. 90 min, P<0.001), but longer onset-to-door time (129 vs. 143 min, P=0.057). CONCLUSION: Recent temporal improvements in post-EVT AIS outcomes in Korea are likely due to a combination of enhanced hospital care processes and administration of newer thrombectomy devices.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Brain Ischemia ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Infarction ; Humans ; Korea ; Learning Curve ; Reperfusion ; Retrospective Studies* ; Stents ; Stroke* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Thrombectomy ; Treatment Outcome