Anti-oxidative-initiated cognitive impairment amelioration in Alzheimer's disease model rats through preventive transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation

Heng Weng,Qing Wang,Ran Ye,Yamei Bai,Hui Yang,Guihua Xu,Qiuqin Wang 한국한의학연구원 2023 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.12 No.2

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic and irreversible neurodegenerative disease. Oxidative stress emerges at the early AD stage. As a non-invasive therapy with few adverse reactions, transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) combines acupuncture points of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and electrical stimulation. This study aimed to investigate the amelioration effects of preventive TEAS treatment (P-TEAS) on cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in AD model rats. Methods: The AD model was established via subcutaneous injections of D-galactose (D-gal, 120 mg/kg/d) into the back of neck for 9 weeks in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats to simulate the oxidative stress in the early AD stage. On the first day of the 10th week, Aβ1–42 (1 μg/μl) was injected into the CA1 regions of the bilateral hippocampus. P-TEAS was synchronized from the first day of subcutaneous D-gal injections for 9 weeks. Results: Empirical measurements showed that P-TEAS can improve the spatial memory ability of AD model rats in the Morris water maze. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was upregulated in the P-TEAS group. Through the detection of the anti-oxidative stress signaling pathway, namely, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/ NFE2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), it was found that P-TEAS could promote Nrf2 entering into the nucleus and upregulating the production of protective factors heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). It was also found that P-TEAS could downregulate the expressions of BCL2-associated X-protein (Bax), caspase 3, and caspase 9 to inhibit neuronal apoptosis. Conclusions: P-TEAS has similar efficacy to electroacupuncture in preventing AD occurrence and development. P-TEAS is a new non-invasive intervention therapy for the prevention of AD.

In Regard to Wang et al on Long-term Outcomes Following D2 Gastrectomy for Early Gastric Cancer

Tang, Weng Heng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.7

Prognostic Factors in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma and Brain Metastases: a Malaysian Perspective

Tang, Weng Heng,Alip, Adlinda,Saad, Marniza,Phua, Vincent Chee Ee,Chandran, Hari,Tan, Yi Hang,Tan, Yan Yin,Kua, Voon Fong,Wahid, Mohamed Ibrahim,Tho, Lye Mun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.5

Background: Brain metastases occur in about 20-40% of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and are usually associated with a poor outcome. Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is widely used but increasingly, more aggressive local treatments such as surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) are being employed. In our study we aimed to describe the various factors affecting outcomes in NSCLC patients receiving local therapy for brain metastases. Materials and Methods: The case records of 125 patients with NSCLC and brain metastases consecutively treated with radiotherapy at two tertiary centres from January 2006 to June 2012 were analysed for patient, tumour and treatment-related prognostic factors. Patients receiving SRS/SRT were treated using Cyberknife. Variables were examined in univariate and multivariate testing. Results: Overall median survival was 3.4 months (95%CI: 1.7-5.1). Median survival for patients with multiple metastases receiving WBRT was 1.5 months, 1-3 metastases receiving WBRT was 3.6 months and 1-3 metastases receiving surgery or SRS/SRT was 8.9 months. ECOG score (${\leq}2$ vs >2, p=0.001), presence of seizure (yes versus no, p=0.031), treatment modality according to number of brain metastases (1-3 metastases+surgery or $SRS/SRT{\pm}WBRT$ vs 1-3 metastases+WBRT only vs multiple metastases+WBRT only, p=0.007) and the use of post-therapy systemic treatment (yes versus no, p=0.001) emerged as significant on univariate analysis. All four factors remained statistically significant on multivariate analysis. Conclusions: ECOG ${\leq}2$, presence of seizures, oligometastatic disease treated with aggressive local therapy (surgery or SRS/SRT) and the use of post-therapy systemic treatment are favourable prognostic factors in NSCLC patients with brain metastases.

Epidemiological trend in inflammatory bowel disease in Taiwan from 2001 to 2015: a nationwide population-based study

Hsu-Heng Yen,Meng-Tzu Weng,Chien-Chih Tung,Yu-Ting Wang,Yuan Ting Chang,Chin-Hao Chang,Ming-Jium Shieh,Jau-Min Wong,Shu-Chen Wei 대한장연구학회 2019 Intestinal Research Vol.17 No.1

Background/Aims: Incidences of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn’s disease (CD), havebeen increasing in Asia. In this study, we report the relevant clinical characteristics and determined the epidemiological trend ofIBD in Taiwan from 2001 to 2015. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze data recorded from January 2001through December 2015 in the registered database compiled by the National Health Insurance and provided by the Ministry ofHealth and Welfare, Taiwan. Results: A total of 3,806 patients with catastrophic IBD illness were registered from 2001 to 2015 inTaiwan (CD, 919; UC, 2,887). The crude incidence of CD increased from 0.17/100,000 in 2001 to 0.47/100,000 in 2015, whereasthat of UC increased from 0.54/100,000 in 2001 to 0.95/100,000 in 2015. The prevalence of CD increased from 0.6/100,000 in2001 to 3.9/100,000 in 2015, whereas that of UC increased from 2.1/100,000 in 2001 to 12.8/100,000 in 2015. The male-to-femaleratio in the study sample was 2.19 for CD and 1.62 for UC. The median age of those registered with CD was lower than that ofthose registered for UC: 38.86 and 44.86 years, respectively. A significantly greater increase in CD incidence rate was identifiedamong 20 to 39-year-old compared with other age groups. Conclusions: Using Taiwan’s nationwide insurance database, we determinedthat the number of patients with CD increased more rapidly during the study period than the number of patients withUC, especially among age 20 to 39-year-old, resulting in a decreased UC-to-CD ratio. (Intest Res 2019;17:54-62)

Risk of Treatment Related Death and Febrile Neutropaenia with First Line Palliative Chemotherapy for De Novo Metastatic Breast Cancer in Clinical Practice in a Middle Resource Country

Phua, Chee Ee,Tang, Weng Heng,Yusof, Mastura Md.,Saad, Marniza,Alip, Adlinda,See, Mee Hoong,Taib, Nur Aishah Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.23

Background: The risk of febrile neutropaenia (FN) and treatment related death (TRD) with first line palliative chemotherapy for de novo metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains unknown outside of a clinical trial setting despite its widespread usage. This study aimed to determine rates in a large cohort of patients treated in the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). Materials and Methods: Patients who were treated with first line palliative chemotherapy for de novo MBC from 2002-2011 in UMMC were identified from the UMMC Breast Cancer Registry. Information collected included patient demographics, histopathological features, treatment received, including the different chemotherapy regimens, and presence of FN and TRD. FN was defined as an oral temperature > $38.5^{\circ}C$ or two consecutive readings of > $38.0^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours and an absolute neutrophil count < $0.5{\times}10^9/L$, or expected to fall below $0.5{\times}10^9/L$ (de Naurois et al, 2010). TRD was defined as death occurring during or within 30 days of the last chemotherapy treatment, as a consequence of the chemotherapy treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 18.0 software. Survival probabilities were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and differences in survival compared using log-rank test. Results: Between $1^{st}$ January 2002 and $31^{st}$ December 2011, 424 patients with MBC were treated in UMMC. A total of 186 out of 221 patients with de novo MBC who received first line palliative chemotherapy were analyzed. The mean age of patients in this study was 49.5 years (range 24 to 74 years). Biologically, ER status was negative in 54.4% of patients and Her-2 status was positive in 31.1%. A 5-flourouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC) chemotherapy regimen was chosen for 86.6% of the cases. Most patients had multiple metastatic sites (58.6%). The main result of this study showed a FN rate of 5.9% and TRD rate of 3.2%. The median survival (MS) for the entire cohort was 19 months. For those with multiple metastatic sites, liver only, lung only, bone only and brain only metastatic sites, the MS was 18, 24, 19, 24 and 8 months respectively (p-value= 0.319). Conclusions: In conclusion, we surmise that FEC is a safe regimen with acceptable FN and TRD rates for de novo MBC.

Antiproliferative and Antitumorigenic Activity of Toona sinensis Leaf Extracts in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Chih-Jen Yang,Yu-Jung Huang,Cheng-Yuan Wang,Chuan-Sheng Wang,Pei-Hui Wang,Jen-Yu Hung,Tung-Heng Wang,Hseng-Kuang Hsu,Hurng-Wern Huang,S.P. Anand Kumar,Ming-Shyan Huang,Ching-Feng Weng 한국식품영양과학회 2010 Journal of medicinal food Vol.13 No.1

Toona sinensis is a traditional Chinese herb, and the extracts of T. sinensis leaf possess a variety of biological functions. This study attempted to test the antiproliferative effect of TSL-1 (a bioactive fraction of T. sinensis) in H441 cells (lung adenocarcinoma). The data showed that the antiproliferative effect of TSL-1 on H441 cells is prominent using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. TSL-1-induced apoptosis was confirmed by cell morphology, sub-G1 peak accumulation, cleavage of poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase, and propidium iodide-annexin V double staining. Furthermore, decreased Bcl-2 accompanied by increased Bax (in western blotting) was found with TSL-1 treatment of H441 cells. TSL-1 treatment-induced G1 arrest was concurrent with the down-regulation of protein levels of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 in H441 cells. Peroral and intraperitoneal administrations of TSL-1 were performed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy, and peroral administration of TSL-1 was also used to elucidate the therapeutic efficacy in the H441 cell xenograft model in vivo. The data revealed that TSL-1 treatment inhibited H441 tumor growth in both therapeutic and preventive experiments. Taken together, these results demonstrate that TSL-1 possesses the capability of preventing and alleviating lung cancer proliferation in vitro and in vivo with proven nephrological and hepatic safety and has the potential to be developed as an anti–lung cancer drug.