ABSTRACT Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) commonly coexists with dyslipidemia and elevated cardiovascular risk. Food‐based interventions containing antioxidants and polyphenols may support lipid metabolism. This study evaluated the short‐term effects of Golden Rice cookies enriched with active Piper crocatum extract on lipid profiles in adults with DM. Methods This quasi‐experimental pretest–posttest control group study included 102 adults with DM assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention or control group. The intervention group received Golden Rice cookies enriched with P. crocatum extract, while the control group received similar cookies without the extract for 28 days. Total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), and triglycerides were measured before and after the intervention. Bivariate analyses were performed in the full sample, whereas analysis of covariance was performed among non‐statin participants, adjusting for baseline lipid values, age, body mass index, diabetes duration, carbohydrate intake, and protein intake. Results In the unadjusted analysis, total cholesterol and LDL‐C increased significantly in the intervention group, whereas total cholesterol decreased significantly in the control group. Between‐group analysis showed a significant difference only in total cholesterol. Among non‐statin participants, an exploratory adjusted analysis showed a significant between‐group difference in total cholesterol ( p = 0.016; adjusted mean difference = −12.55 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −22.74 to −2.36). No significant adjusted differences were observed for LDL‐C, HDL‐C, or triglycerides. Conclusion A 28‐day intervention with Golden Rice cookies enriched with active P. crocatum extract was associated with a limited exploratory adjusted between‐group difference in total cholesterol among non‐statin adults with DM. These preliminary findings require confirmation in longer randomized controlled trials with stronger dietary control and mechanistic biomarker assessment. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT07268781
ABSTRACT Background Wound healing involves excessive oxidative stress and cellular dysfunction, while current single therapies remain inadequate. Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and exosomes (Exos) possess antioxidative and regenerative properties, and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel provides a biocompatible platform for localized delivery. Here, we developed an APS–Exos@GelMA hydrogel to promote wound repair. Methods The biological effects of APS and Exos were assessed through in vitro cellular assays, while the physicochemical properties and biocompatibility of APS–Exos@GelMA were characterized. Its therapeutic efficacy was further evaluated in a full‐thickness skin defect model through macroscopic observation and histological analysis. Results APS–Exos treatment showed enhanced effects compared with APS or Exos alone, improving fibroblast (130.90% ± 2.98%, p < 0.05) and keratinocyte (124.50% ± 3.18%, p < 0.01) viability, promoting fibroblast migration (74.15% ± 7.72%), and reducing oxidative damage (72.11% ± 2.13%). APS–Exos@GelMA maintained favorable hydrogel properties and biocompatibility while enabling localized incorporation and application of APS and Exos. In vivo, APS–Exos@GelMA accelerated wound closure, promoted epidermal reconstruction and extracellular matrix deposition, and exhibited good biosafety. Conclusion The combination of APS and Exos within an appropriate concentration range demonstrated improved therapeutic potential compared with individual treatments. The APS–Exos@GelMA hydrogel served as a biocompatible localized delivery platform to facilitate tissue repair, highlighting its potential for wound‐healing applications.
ABSTRACT Background It has been hypothesized that certain cognitive disorders characterized by frontal executive dysfunction, such as Alzheimer's disease (a neurodegenerative conformational proteinopathy involving amyloid‐β and tau), may be associated with prior exposure to infectious agents. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that serological markers of microbial exposure are associated with frontal lobe activity in humans. Methods Executive planning latency was measured in 53 adult participants in this cross‐sectional study. A venous blood sample was collected from each participant. Assays for the serological markers of bacterial and viral exposure were performed in a blinded manner. Results Generalized linear modeling (likelihood ratio χ 2 = 27.76, df = 5, p = 0.0001) included five statistically significant independent variables. Among these, age (| t | = 4.360, p = 0.0001), Borrelia burgdorferi lymphocyte function‐associated antigen‐1 (| t | = 3.260, p = 0.002), and Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum assays (| t | = 3.138, p = 0.003) were highly significant. Conclusion This study supports the hypothesis that frontal lobe executive function, as indexed by prefrontal cortical planning latency, is associated with serological evidence of exposure to several bacterial genera, particularly Borrelia and Ehrlichia / Anaplasma , as well as with age.
ABSTRACT Background The case‐mix and inpatient rehabilitation costs of traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (TCSCI) may have shifted with population aging and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. We examined decade‐long trends in patient characteristics, injury mechanisms, and per‐diem rehabilitation costs for neurological‐level C4/C5 TCSCI. Methods All patients with C4/C5 TCSCI admitted to the China Rehabilitation Research Center were studied retrospectively, comparing 2013–2017 with 2018–2022, and, in an exploratory analysis, the pre‐pandemic (2018–2019) with the pandemic (2020–2022) period. Costs were adjusted for inflation using the medical services Consumer Price Index. Comparisons used the χ 2 , Wilcoxon rank‐sum, and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Cost drivers were modeled using multivariable Gamma generalized linear models (log link). Results Among 1063 patients (male‐to‐female ratio 5.3:1), mean age rose from 43.9 to 49.5 years and the proportion injured by low‐level falls increased from 20.7% to 33.8% ( χ 2 = 37.76, p < 0.001). Length of stay decreased ( Z = −2.33, p = 0.02) while adjusted daily cost increased ( Z = −10.07, p < 0.001; median 1330 RMB, interquartile range 908–1780, [USD 215]). In constant 2013 prices a real increase persisted (+12.5%, p < 0.001), and the later period remained independently associated with higher daily cost after case‐mix adjustment (adjusted cost ratio 1.15, 95% CI 1.07–1.24). Conclusions Admitted patients were increasingly older and frequently injured in low‐level falls. Per‐diem rehabilitation costs rose despite shorter hospital stays. Changes spanning the pandemic represent an exploratory temporal association rather than causal evidence. Fall prevention strategies for older adults and capacity planning for higher‐dependency rehabilitation are warranted.
ABSTRACT Background Cardiovascular disease remains a major public health burden. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotype on folic acid treatment response and cardiovascular endothelial function in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). Methods We retrospectively enrolled 344 patients with HHcy genotyped for MTHFR C677T (CC, n = 141; CT, n = 169; and TT, n = 34). Plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations and vascular function indicators were measured at baseline and 2, 4, and 12 months. Repeated‐measures one‐way analysis of variance, Kaplan–Meier analysis, and multivariate logistic regression were applied. Results After treatment, the Hcy concentration and pulse wave velocity decreased over time in all genotype groups, whereas the ankle‐brachial index increased. Significant main effects of time were observed for Hcy concentration ( F = 173.52, p < 0.01), pulse wave velocity ( F = 52.84, p < 0.01), and ankle‐brachial index ( F = 94.17, p < 0.01). At each time point, patients with CC showed better values than patients with CT and TT for all parameters ( p < 0.05) except for intima‐media thickness in patients with TT, which showed no significant changes ( p > 0.05). Patients with CC also had the highest Hcy concentration target achievement rate (81.6%, p < 0.01 vs. CT and TT). Patients with the CC genotype had the highest cumulative Hcy concentration target achievement rate (81.6%), which was higher than that of patients with the CT and TT genotypes ( p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression showed that the CT (OR = 0.320, 95% CI: 0.179–0.572) and TT (OR = 0.080, 95% CI: 0.019–0.326) genotypes were independent negative predictors of target achievement, whereas higher folate metabolism capacity was a positive predictor. Conclusion MTHFR C677T polymorphism significantly affects folic acid efficacy and endothelial improvement. Patients with the TT genotype had lower therapeutic efficacy of folic acid therapy. Genotyping may help estimate treatment responses and support individualized follow‐up.
