The effect of metformin on the metabolic parameters in polycystic ovarian syndrome.

A total of 40 women with PCOS were recruited in this study. Baseline characteristics (menstrual history, hirsutism scoring (Ferriman Gallwey score), weight, body mass index (BMI), serum luteinizing hormone and follicule-stimulating hormone (LH:FSH) ratio, fasting glucose and fasting lipid profiles were assessed at pre and 3-months post metformin therapy

Chronic consumption of fructose dysregulates genes related to glucose and lipid metabolism in prostate tissue

Fructose is commonly used as a taste enhancer in many processed foods. Excessive fructose consumption is highly associated with obesity and development of cancer particularly prostate cancer. This study aimed to investigate the biochemical and molecular changes in the prostate tissue of rats treated with 20% fructose for six months. A total of 18 rats weighted 200-250 g were divided into two groups, where each group consisted of 9 rats. Control group is given normal diet, while the treated group was given normal diet and 20% fructose in drinking water. After six months of treatment, both groups were sacrificed for further analysis. Body weight, blood pressure and glucose were measured. Lipid profiles were determined using quantitative colorimetric assay. Transcripts level of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), leptin (LEP), angiopoietin 1 (ANGPT1), microRNA (miR)-34a, miR-10b and miR-192 were determined using quantitative PCR, while the protein levels of 11β-HSD1 and leptin were determined using ELISA. The results showed that 20% fructose diet significantly increased blood glucose level as compared to the control (p<0.05). The transcript levels of LEP and miR-192 were significantly lower in the fructose-treated group as compared to the control (p<0.05). There was a significant linear relationship between prostate LEP and serum LDL/VLDL level as well as between the level of prostate LEP and serum total cholesterol level (p<0.05). Thus, our results showed that chronic consumption of fructose could down-regulate LEP and miR-192 expression in prostate tissue, and promote higher accumulation of fat in the tissue. Additionally, downregulation of miR-192 has been reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Thus, it can be concluded that long-term fructose diet leads to higher blood glucose level and down-regulation of LEP and miR-192 expression in prostate tissue

The Link Between The Opportunistic Gut Fungal Pathogens With Colorectal Adenocarcinoma

In Malaysia, colorectal cancer (CRC) is highly prevalent. The complex etiopathogenesis of CRC involves gut mycobiome. To date, little has been known about the composition and characteristics of the gut mycobiome in Malaysian CRC patients. We aimed to explore the presence of gut fungal pathogens in CRC patients

Gut Dysbiosis and Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction: Potential Explanation for Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease that commonly affects individuals aged more than 50 years old globally. Regular colorectal screening, which is recommended for individuals aged 50 and above, has decreased the number of cancer death toll over the years. However, CRC incidence has increased among younger population (below 50 years old). Environmental factors, such as smoking, dietary factor, urbanization, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity, may contribute to the rising trend of earlyonset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) because of the lack of genetic susceptibility. Research has focused on the role of gut microbiota and its interaction with epithelial barrier genes in sporadic CRC. Population with increased consumption of grain and vegetables showed high abundance of Prevotella, which reduces the risk of CRC. Microbes, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli deteriorate in the intestinal barrier, which leads to the infiltration of inflammatory mediators and chemokines. Gut dysbiosis may also occur following inflammation as clearly observed in animal model. Both gut dysbiosis pre- or post-inflammatory process may cause major alteration in the morphology and functional properties of the gut tissue and explain the pathological outcome of EOCRC. The precise mechanism of disease progression from an early stage until cancer establishment is not fully understood. We hypothesized that gut dysbiosis, which may be influenced by environmental factors, may induce changes in the genome, metabolome, and immunome that could destruct the intestinal barrier function. Also, the possible underlying inflammation may give impact microbial community leading to disruption of physical and functional role of intestinal barrier. This review explains the potential role of the interaction among host factors, gut microenvironment, and gut microbiota, which may provide an answer to EOCRC

Gut dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction: Potential explanation for early-onset colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease that commonly affects individuals aged more than 50 years old globally. Regular colorectal screening, which is recommended for individuals aged 50 and above, has decreased the number of cancer death toll over the years. However, CRC incidence has increased among younger population (below 50 years old). Environmental factors, such as smoking, dietary factor, urbanization, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity, may contribute to the rising trend of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) because of the lack of genetic susceptibility. Research has focused on the role of gut microbiota and its interaction with epithelial barrier genes in sporadic CRC. Population with increased consumption of grain and vegetables showed high abundance of Prevotella, which reduces the risk of CRC. Microbes, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli deteriorate in the intestinal barrier, which leads to the infiltration of inflammatory mediators and chemokines. Gut dysbiosis may also occur following inflammation as clearly observed in animal model. Both gut dysbiosis pre- or post-inflammatory process may cause major alteration in the morphology and functional properties of the gut tissue and explain the pathological outcome of EOCRC. The precise mechanism of disease progression from an early stage until cancer establishment is not fully understood. We hypothesized that gut dysbiosis, which may be influenced by environmental factors, may induce changes in the genome, metabolome, and immunome that could destruct the intestinal barrier function. Also, the possible underlying inflammation may give impact microbial community leading to disruption of physical and functional role of intestinal barrier. This review explains the potential role of the interaction among host factors, gut microenvironment, and gut microbiota, which may provide an answer to EOCRC

Potential biomarkers through genome-wide expression analysis of breast cancer samples from Malaysian patients

Breast cancer is a serious health concern and still a leading cause of death among women in the world. To explore the complexity of this cancer, we performed microarray analysis on highly selective cancer and normal breast tissues. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes between both tissues and to elucidate further molecular pathways involved in breast cancer carcinogenesis. Genome-wide expression profiling was performed on fifteen cancer and five normal breast tissues using the Affymetrix GeneChip® Human Gene 1.0 ST array. Supervised hierarchical cluster analysis using filtering parameters of -1.5 to 1.5 fold-change and p-value with False Discovery Rate < 0.05 revealed 404 up-regulated and 463 down-regulated genes. Pathway analysis revealed the significant genes were involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, Hedgehog pathway, histone phosphorylation, TRRAP/Tip60 chromatin remodelling and apoptosis regulation. Among the top 10 significantly overexpressed genes were CENPF, DTL and MK167 and these were related to cell cycle regulation. Among the top 10 significant down-regulated genes, HOXA5 and NRG1 were found to be associated with Wnt signalling pathway and ErbB signalling pathway respectively. Aberrations in these genes are likely to promote breast cancer carcinogenesis. Our current findings highlighted the importance of differentially expressed genes in breast cancer and their molecular pathways that linked these genes. Further studies are required to validate our findings using larger sample size

Pathogenic fungi of rhodotorula dairenensis is linked with colorectal cancer patients in Malaysia

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most lethal disease with about 1.9 million new cases and 0.9 million fatalities worldwide in 2020. It is expected that the CRC prevalence to rise steadily each year. Several studies have linked the gut microbiome to CRC, particularly emphasizing the prokaryotic communities’ functions. However, it is unclear how other gut microbiota components, such as fungal communities, could be related to the pathogenesis of CRC. Hence, we aimed to explore the role of opportunistic fungal pathogens and the host’s phenotypes among CRC patients. Methods: Biopsy samples were obtained during colonoscopy sessions from 64 individuals. Of which, 32 are colorectal cancer patients comprising the early-onset CRC, and late-onset CRC groups, 22 are diagnosed with polyps during colonoscopy and the remaining are rectal swabs from normal individuals without any previous disease history. Informed consents were obtained from all patients before collecting their biopsy samples. The g DNA were extracted using Ultra Deep Microbiome Prep Kit. Prior to sequencing, the amplicons of microbial genome libraries were by targeting the ITS1 regions. Finally, the microbial genomic data were analysed using state-of-art bioinformatic tools. Results: A total of 6,477,706 read counts were generated, representing 1,364 amplicon sequence variants of fungi. At phyla, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Chytridiomycota were mainly found in both early and late-onset CRC patients. Moreover, the alpha-diversity showed significant differences between early and late-onset CRC patients, polyps, and normal individuals; Chao1 diversity (p-value = 0.0017509). Based on Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size analysis, the species Rhodotorula dairenensis was found to have a positive correlation for both early and late-onset colorectal cancer patients. Conclusions: Our findings imply the correlation between the presence of opportunistic fungal species Rhodotorula among CRC patients in Malaysia. Previous studies reported that cancer patients are at higher risk for Rhodotorula infection. However, further study is needed in order to elucidate the role of the opportunistic pathogen during disease progression

The roles of probiotics in the gut microbiota composition and metabolic outcomes in asymptomatic post-gestational diabetes women : A randomized controlled trial

Probiotics are widely used as an adjuvant therapy in various diseases. Nonetheless, it is uncertain how they affect the gut microbiota composition and metabolic and inflammatory outcomes in women who have recently experienced gestational diabetes mellitus (post-GDM). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 132 asymptomatic post-GDM women was conducted to close this gap (Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05273073). The intervention (probiotics) group received a cocktail of six probiotic strains from Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus for 12 weeks, while the placebo group received an identical sachet devoid of living microorganisms. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical analyses, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing results were evaluated pre- and post-intervention. After the 12-week intervention, the probiotics group’s fasting blood glucose level significantly decreased (mean difference −0.20 mmol/L; p = 0.0021). The HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.05). Sequencing data also demonstrated a large rise in the Bifidobacterium adolescentis following probiotic supplementation. Our findings suggest that multi-strain probiotics are beneficial for improved metabolic and inflammatory outcomes in post-GDM women by modulating gut dysbiosis. This study emphasizes the necessity for a comprehensive strategy for postpartum treatment that includes probiotics to protect post-GDM women from developing glucose intolerance

The relationship between gut microbiome estrobolome and breast cancer: A systematic review of current evidences

Breast cancer is the most frequent kind of cancer and the second leading cause of mortality worldwide, behind heart disease. Next-generation sequencing technologies enables for unprecedented enumeration of human resident gut microorganisms, conferring novel insights into the role of the microbiota in health and individuals with breast cancer. A growing body of research on microbial dysbiosis seems to indicate an elevated risk of health complications including cancer. Although several dysbiosis indices have been proposed, their underlying methodology, as well as the cohorts and conditions of breast cancer patients are significantly different. To date, these indices have not yet been thoroughly reviewed especially when it comes to researching the estrogen-gut microbiota axis. Instead of providing a thorough rating of the most effective diversity measurements, the current work aims to be used to assess the relevance of each study's findings across the demographic data, different subtypes, and stages of breast cancer, and tie them to the estrobolome, which controls the amount of oestrogen that circulates through humans. This review will cover 11 studies which will go into a detailed discussion for the microbiome results of the mentioned studies, leaving to the user the final choice of the most suited indices as well as highlight the observed bacteria found to be related to the estrobolome in hopes of giving the reader a better understanding for the biological cross-talk between gut microbiome and breast cancer progression

Roles of microRNAs in Regulating Apoptosis in the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a gynecologic disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial tissues outside the uterine cavity affecting reproductive-aged women. Previous studies have shown that microRNAs and their target mRNAs are expressed differently in endometriosis, suggesting that this molecule may play a role in the development and persistence of endometriotic lesions. microRNA (miRNA), a small non-coding RNA fragment, regulates cellular functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis by the post-transcriptional modulation of gene expression. In this review, we focused on the dysregulated miRNAs in women with endometriosis and their roles in the regulation of apoptosis. The dysregulated miRNAs and their target genes in this pathophysiology were highlighted. Circulating miRNAs as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of endometriosis have also been identified. As shown by various studies, miRNAs were reported to be a potent regulator of gene expression in endometriosis; thus, identifying the dysregulated miRNAs and their target genes could help discover new therapeutic targets for treating this disease. The goal of this review is to draw attention to the functions that miRNAs play in the pathophysiology of endometriosis, particularly those that govern cell death