ABSTRACT

Narcissin is a natural flavonoid from some edible and traditional medicinal plants. It has been proven to have multiple biological functions and exhibits potential therapeutic effects on hypertension, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. However, the toxicity of narcissin is largely unknown. Here, we revealed that narcissin treatment led to reduced hatchability, increased malformation rate, shorter body length, and slowed blood flow in zebrafish. Furthermore, bradycardia, pericardial edema, increased SV-BA distance, diminished stroke volume, ejection fraction, and ventricular short-axis shortening rate were also found. A large accumulation of ROS, increased apoptotic cells, and histopathological changes were detected in the heart region. Moreover, the gene expression profiles and molecular docking analysis indicated that Nrf2/HO-1 and calcium signaling pathways were involved in narcissin-induced toxicity. In conclusion, here we provide the first evidence that demonstrates narcissin-induced developmental toxicity and cardiotoxicity in zebrafish via Nrf2/HO-1 and calcium signaling pathways for the first time.

PMID:37718569 | DOI:10.1002/jat.4545

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Venous thromboembolism and risk factors for deep vein thrombosis in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy

Nihon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi. 2023;120(9):755-763. doi: 10.11405/nisshoshi.120.755.

ABSTRACT

Among various types of cancers, pancreatic cancer is known to be prone to venous thromboembolism (VTE). We investigated the complication rate of VTE and risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 51 patients with pancreatic cancer who had undergone chemotherapy at our hospital from January 2016 to March 2021, had their D-dimer levels measured at the initial visit, and had undergone venous ultrasonography if D-dimer levels were elevated. At the initial visit, the complication rate of VTE was 35.3% (18/51 patients). Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk factors for DVT were primary tumors in the pancreas's body and tail and elevated D-dimer levels. Patients with DVT tended to have shorter overall survival than those without (218 vs 523 days). Patients with pancreatic cancer frequently develop VTE and should be aggressively screened for thrombosis, particularly in those with primary tumors in the pancreas's body and tail and elevated D-dimer levels.

PMID:37690831 | DOI:10.11405/nisshoshi.120.755

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Generalizability of COBRA: A Parsimonious Perioperative Venous Thromboembolism Risk Assessment Model

J Surg Res. 2023 Sep 8;293:8-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.08.008. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Standardized use of venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment models (RAMs) in surgical patients has been limited, in part due to the cumbersome workflow addition required to use available models. The COBRA score-capturing cancer diagnosis, (old) age, body mass index, race, and American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status score-has been reported as a potentially automatable VTE RAM that circumvents the cumbersome workflow addition that most RAMs represent. We aimed to test the ability of the COBRA model to effectively risk-stratify patients across various populations.

METHODS: Patients were included from the 2014-2019 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Participant Use Data File for two hospitals, representing colorectal, endocrine, breast, transplant, plastic, and general surgery services. COBRA score was calculated for each patient using preoperative characteristics. We calculated negative predictive value (NPV) for VTE outcomes and compared the COBRA score to NSQIP's expected VTE rate for all patients, between the two hospitals, and between subspecialty service lines.

RESULTS: Of the 10,711 patients included, those with COBRA <4

CONCLUSIONS: The COBRA score is concordant with the traditional gold standard NSQIP VTE RAM and demonstrates interhospital and service-specific generalizability, although performance was limited in especially low-risk patients. The model adequately risk-stratifies surgical patients preoperatively, potentially providing clinical decision support for perioperative workflows.

PMID:37690384 | DOI:10.1016/j.jss.2023.08.008

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Impact of Cardiovascular Comorbidities on the Effectiveness and Safety of Bevacizumab in Older Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Target Oncol. 2023 Sep;18(5):717-726. doi: 10.1007/s11523-023-00986-2. Epub 2023 Sep 8.