Taipei Veterans General Hospital

About: Taipei Veterans General Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Taipei, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 11878 authors who have published 16478 publications receiving 363424 citations. The organization is also known as: Táiběi Róngmín Zǒngyī Yuàn.

Ferulic acid augments angiogenesis via VEGF, PDGF and HIF-1α

Abstract: Therapeutic angiogenesis is critical to wound healing and ischemic diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke. For development of therapeutic agents, a search for new angiogenic agents is the key. Ferulic acid, a phytochemical found in many fruits and vegetables, exhibits a broad range of therapeutic effects on human diseases, including diabetes and cancer. This study investigated the augmenting effect of ferulic acid on angiogenesis through functional modulation of endothelial cells. Through endothelial cell migration and tube formation assays, ferulic acid (10(-6)-10(-4) M) was found to induce significant angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro without cytotoxicity. With chorioallantoic membrane assay, ferulic acid (10(-6)-10(-5) M) was also found to promote neovascularization in vivo. Using Western blot analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we found that ferulic acid increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) expression in HUVECs. Furthermore, the amounts of hypoxic-induced factor (HIF) 1 alpha mRNA and protein, the major regulator of VEGF and PDGF, also showed up-regulation by ferulic acid. Electrophoretic migration shift assay showed that the binding activity of HIF-1 alpha was also enhanced with ferulic acid treatment of HUVECs. Moreover, inhibitors of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) abolished the binding activity of HIF-1 alpha and the subsequent activation of VEGF and PDGF production by ferulic acid. Thus, both mitogen-activated protein kinase and PI3K pathways were involved in the angiogenic effects of ferulic acid. Taken together, ferulic acid serves as an angiogenic agent to augment angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. This effect might be observed through the modulation of VEGF, PDGF and HIF-1 alpha.

Updated national and international hypertension guidelines: a review of current recommendations.

Abstract: Despite the availability of effective pharmacological treatments to aid the control of blood pressure, the global rate of uncontrolled blood pressure remains high. As such, further measures are required to improve blood pressure control. Recently, several national and international guidelines for the management of hypertension have been published. These aim to provide easily accessible information for healthcare professionals and patients to aid the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. In this review, we have compared new and current guidelines from the American and International Societies of Hypertension; the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention; the panel appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee; the European Societies of Hypertension and Cardiology; the French Society of Hypertension; the Canadian Hypertension Education Program; the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (UK); the Taiwan Society of Cardiology and the Chinese Hypertension League. We have identified consensus opinion regarding best practises for the management of hypertension and have highlighted any discrepancies between the recommendations. In general there is good agreement between the guidelines, however, in some areas, such as target blood pressure ranges for the elderly, further trials are required to provide sufficient high-quality evidence to form the basis of recommendations.

Hypoxia Enhances Chondrogenesis and Prevents Terminal Differentiation through PI3K/Akt/FoxO Dependent Anti-Apoptotic Effect

Abstract: Hypoxia, a common environmental condition, influences cell signals and functions. Here, we compared the effects of hypoxia (1% oxygen) and normoxia (air) on chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). For in vitro chondrogenic differentiation, MSCs were concentrated to form pellets and subjected to conditions appropriate for chondrogenic differentiation under normoxia and hypoxia, followed by the analysis for the expression of genes and proteins of chondrogenesis and endochondral ossification. MSCs induced for differentiation under hypoxia increased in chondrogenesis, but decreased in endochondral ossification compared to those under normoxia. MSCs induced for differentiation were more resistant to apoptosis under hypoxia compared to those under normoxia. The hypoxia-dependent protection of MSCs from chondrogenesis-induced apoptosis correlated with an increase in the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/FoxO pathway. These results suggest that the PI3K/Akt/FoxO survival pathway activated by hypoxia in MSCs enhances chondrogenesis and plays an important role in preventing endochondral ossification.

Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision Versus Laparoscopic Surgery for Rectal Cancer Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation: A Matched Case-Control Study.

Abstract: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (nCRT) has been indicated for locally advanced rectal cancer. While utilization of laparoscopy in rectal cancer surgery has been popular in recent years, tumors receiving nCRT is still a surgical challenge. Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) has emerged as a focused area of laparoscopic surgery that is becoming an increasingly acceptable approach in the field of rectal surgery. Between December 2013 and April 2015, a total of 50 patients (38 males) with post-nCRT middle or lower rectal cancer who then underwent TaTME at two separate institutions were prospectively documented. Overall, 100 matched control cohorts who received conventional laparoscopic rectal surgery (LapTME) were simultaneously retrieved from a prospectively registered database. Four parameters of sex, age, clinical stage, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score were matched for surgical outcomes, and short-term oncological results, including complications and pathological outcomes, were analyzed. Both the TaTME and LapTME groups received 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy and 5 weeks of long-course radiation therapy. Mean operative time for the TaTME group was 182.1 ± 55.4 min (156.6 ± 37.8 min in two-team-approach cases) and 178.7 ± 34.8 min for the LapTME group. The TaTME group yielded longer distal margin lengths. No significant differences were observed in blood loss, intraoperative complication rate, conversion rate, anastomosis type, and free circumferential margin rate. This matched case–control study demonstrated that TaTME is safe and feasible. Compared with LapTME, TaTME not only achieves identical circumferential margin status without compromising other operative and quality parameters but also benefits patients by achieving a longer distal margin. Thus, TaTME has the potential to become an option in managing irradiated rectal cancer.

Primary osteogenic sarcoma with pulmonary metastasis: clinical results and prognostic factors in 91 patients.

Abstract: Objective: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor. The long-term outcome is poor for patients with metastatic disease. Methods: From June 1989 to January 2008, 202 patients (128 males and 74 females) with high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremities were treated at our institution. Patients were divided into three groups depending on the time of identification of pulmonary metastasis: group A, identified with primary tumor diagnosis; group B, during whole treatment course; and group C, after completion of treatment. Long-term survival was calculated and factors related to metastases were analyzed. Results: Ninety-one patients developed pulmonary metastases; 21 in group A, 18 in group B and 52 in group C. The mean period from initial diagnosis to lung metastases in groups B and C was 22.2 months (+20.6). Five-year survival rates were 82.0% and 38.3% in the nonmetastasis group and metastasis group, respectively (P , 0.001). The 5-year survival rate was significantly worse in group A than in group B or C (0%, 7.4%, 59.5%, P , 0.001), in patient with more than one lobe involved (27.0%, P ¼ 0.006) and more than three pulmonary nodule metastases (21.3%, P ¼ 0.002). Factors related to the pulmonary metastasis were: old age (65.5% in older than 27.5 years old and 41.6% in younger, P ¼ 0.017), large tumor volume (54.4% in larger than 202.5 ml and 33.7% in smaller, P ¼ 0.005) and elevated lactodehydrogenase (LDH; 55.1% vs.31.0% in normal, P ¼ 0.001). Conclusions: The prognosis of osteosarcoma with pulmonary metastases is dismal, especially for patients who have primary pulmonary metastases, more than three pulmonary metastatic nodules or involvement of more than one lobe. Factors such as older age, larger tumor volume and elevated LDH may reflect high metastatic rate.