PMID: 

Indian J Pediatr. 2019 12 ;86(12):1105-1111. Epub 2019 Jul 25. PMID: 31346969

Abstract Title: 

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation in the Prevention of Recurrent Pneumonia in Under-Five Children.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention of recurrent pneumonia in under-five children.METHODS: The present one year 8 months longitudinal, community-based randomized controlled study included a total of 100 under-five children with pneumonia. Children were divided into two groups: intervention group (Group I: standard treatment with vitamin D 300,000 IU; n = 50) and control group (Group C: standard treatment only; n = 50). As nine samples were hemolyzed, groups I and C comprised of 46 and 45 children, respectively. The children were followed up for 1 y and signs of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), vitamin D deficiency, and vitamin D toxicity were recorded.RESULTS: The male to female ratio in group C and I was 1.27:1 and 1.5:1, respectively (P = 0.420). Age, gender, birth, anthropometric and clinical characteristics, and feeding habits were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) between both the cohorts (Group C and I). Children with reduced vitamin D levels were high in group C (25) when compared to the group I (15). During all the follow-ups, the URTI and LRTI episodes, severity of pneumonia, number of hospital admissions, complications, mean episodes of LRTI, and mean duration of LRTI were comparable between group I and group C (P > 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the present study highlights that oral vitamin D (300,000 IU bolus dose quarterly) has some beneficial effect in the prevention of recurrent pneumonia in under-five children, although, not to a significant degree. Hence, it is recommended that further studies are required to demonstrate a significant effect of vitamin D in the prevention of pneumonia.

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PMID: 

Clin Interv Aging. 2019 ;14:2305-2314. Epub 2019 Dec 31. PMID: 32021127

Abstract Title: 

Reduced Vitamin D Levels are Associated with Stroke-Associated Pneumonia in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Abstract: 

Background and aim: Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is a common complication in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study explored the potential relationship between serum vitamin D levels and SAP.Methods: This study recruited 863 consecutive AIS patients. In-hospital SAP was defined as a complication that occurred after stroke, during hospitalization, that was confirmed radiographically. Serum vitamin D levels were measured within 24 hrs of admission and the patients were divided into vitamin D sufficient (>50 nmol/L), insufficient (25-50 nmol/L), and deficient (

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PMID: 

Nutrients. 2014 Jun 10 ;6(6):2196-205. Epub 2014 Jun 10. PMID: 24918697

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin D level and risk of community-acquired pneumonia and sepsis.

Abstract: 

Previous research has reported reduced serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels is associated with acute infectious illness. The relationship between vitamin D status, measured prior to acute infectious illness, with risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and sepsis has not been examined. Community-living individuals hospitalized with CAP or sepsis were age-, sex-, race-, and season-matched with controls. ICD-9 codes identified CAP and sepsis; chest radiograph confirmed CAP. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured up to 15 months prior to hospitalization. Regression models adjusted for diabetes, renal disease, and peripheral vascular disease evaluated the association of 25(OH)D levels with CAP or sepsis risk. A total of 132 CAP patients and controls were 60± 17 years, 71% female, and 86% Caucasian. The 25(OH)D levels

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PMID: 

Ital J Pediatr. 2019 Mar 29 ;45(1):41. Epub 2019 Mar 29. PMID: 30922377

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin D inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines in the airways of cystic fibrosis patients infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa- pilot study.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D plays an important role in inflammatory responses after antigen exposure. Interleukin-23 (Il-23) promotes Il-17-dependent inflammation during Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) pulmonary infection. We aimed to compare the ability of calcitriol and cholecalciferol to modulate the inflammatory response of the CF airways infected with P. aeruginosa.METHODS: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial. Twenty-three patients with CF (aged 6-19), chronically infected by P. aeruginosa were randomly assigned to: calcitriol group receiving 1,25(OH)D 0,5 mcg daily or cholecalciferol group receiving cholecalciferol 1000 IU daily for three months. The levels of Il-23 and Il-17A in the exhaled breath concentrate (EBC) were measured. Calcium-phosphorus balance was also evaluated (serum concentration of calcium, phosphorus, 25OHD, parathormone (PTH) and calcium/creatinine ratio in urine). Data were analyzed using means of Stata/Special Edition, release 14.2. A level of P 

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PMID: 

Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Sep ;98(38):e17252. PMID: 31567995

Abstract Title: 

The association between vitamin D deficiency and community-acquired pneumonia: A meta-analysis of observational studies.

Abstract: 

Emerging evidence has shown that vitamin D deficiency may be related with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), but individually published studies showed inconclusive results. The aim of this study was to quantitatively summarize the association between vitamin D and the CAP.We conducted this meta-analysis though a systematic literature search of PubMed, Medline, and EMBASE up to 31 September 2018 with the following keywords 'vitamin D' or 'cholecalciferol' or '25-hydroxyvitamin D' or '25(OH)D' in combination with 'community-acquired pneumonia' or 'CAP' or 'pneumonia' with no limitations. This meta-analysis was performed following the guidelines of Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. The association between vitamin D levels and CAP were measured as odds ratio (OR) and weighted mean difference (WMD). Results were combined using a random-effect or a fix-effect meta-analysis, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore potential factors.Eight observational studies involving 20,966 subjects were included. In this meta-analysis, CAP patients with vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D levels

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PMID: 

Biol Pharm Bull. 2020 ;43(2):258-265. PMID: 32009115

Abstract Title: 

Pterostilbene Inhibits Human Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells Growth and Induces DNA Damage.

Abstract: 

Pterostilbene (PTE) has inhibitory effect on a wide array of tumors. However, the therapeutic potential of PTE in renal cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms have not been evaluated. In this study, the aim is to demonstrate the growth inhibitory and the underlying mechanisms of PTE on human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells in vitro. By cell viability, cell morphology and colony formation assays, we found that PTE significantly suppressed the proliferation of RCC cells, while had little toxicity to the normal renal cell line HK-2. Flow cytometry assay revealed that PTE potently induced the apoptosis of RCC cells in a concentration-dependent manner, which was also testified by up-regulation of the pro-apoptosis-related protein (Cyto C, Bad, Bak, Bax, Cleaved-caspase 3, Cleaved-caspase 9, Cleaved-poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP)) and down-regulation of the anti-apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2. Moreover, cell cycle being arrested in S phase and down-regulation of p-Akt and p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 were observed following treatment with PTE in RCC cells, indicating that PTE exerted remarkable anti-tumor activity in RCC cells possibly via cell cycle arrest and inactivation of Akt and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Immunofluorescence analysis ofγH2AX and detecting the expression levels of γH2AX, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Rad51 by Western blot showed that PTE induced the DNA damages response in RCC cells. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrated that PTE was a potential preventive and therapeutic agent for human renal cell carcinoma.

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PMID: 

J Agric Food Chem. 2020 Feb 15. Epub 2020 Feb 15. PMID: 32064876

Abstract Title: 

Occurrence, bioavailability, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of pterostilbene.

Abstract: 

Supplementation with natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables has long been associated with a reduced risk of several types of cancer. Pterostilbene is a natural stilbenoid and a di-methylated analog of resveratrol which is found primarily in blueberries. Pterostilbene exhibits a range of pharmacological properties, particularly anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Due to two methoxy groups in its skeleton, pterostilbene is more lipophilic than resveratrol and thus possesses higher intestinal permeability and cellular uptake, and enhanced stability. Moreover, pterostilbene exhibits less toxicity and fewer adverse effects, providing it with superior potential in cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy applications. Numerous research studies have demonstrated that pterostilbene possesses detoxification activities, mediating the anti-inflammation response, regulating the cell cycle, augmenting apoptosis, enhancing autophagy, and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis by modulating signal transduction pathways which block multiple stages of carcinogenesis. In this review, we illustrate that pterostilbene is a natural compound having bioavailability. The extensive metabolism of pterostilbene will be discussed. We also summarize recent research on pterostilbene's anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties in the multi-stage carcinogenesis process and related molecular mechanism and conclude that it should contribute to improved cancer management.

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PMID: 

Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Jan ;28(1):29-33. Epub 2011 May 26. PMID: 21615235

Abstract Title: 

Effects of red clover extracts on breast cancer cell migration and invasion.

Abstract: 

Postmenopausal hormone therapy is associated with increased incidence of breast cancer. For this reason alternative therapeutic options to treat menopausal symptoms have been developed. Red clover extracts (RCE) are rich in isoflavones, particularly genistein and daidzein and they have been proved to be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms in a number of studies. Due to their partial selectivity of action on estrogen receptors (ERs) these compounds have been claimed to be safer on the breast. In this article, we explored the action of RCE on motility and invasion of ER positive breast cancer cells and we partially characterized the signaling mechanisms. The principal isoflavones contained in RCE acted as weak estrogenic compounds when administered alone. However, when provided in association with physiological amounts of estradiol, RCE acted as estrogen antagonist on remodeling of actin cytoskeleton that are requested to enact cell movement and with related modifications of the activity of actin-binding proteins, such as moesin. These results offer novel information on the molecular actions of isoflavones contained in red clover on breast cancer cells, supporting a possible action of these molecules as natural selective estrogen receptor modulators in the presence of physiological amounts of estrogens.

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PMID: 

Br J Nutr. 2017 Jun ;117(11):1511-1522. Epub 2017 Jul 10. PMID: 28689509

Abstract Title: 

Formononetin, a methoxy isoflavone, enhances bone regeneration in a mouse model of cortical bone defect.

Abstract: 

The bone regeneration and healing effect of formononetin was evaluated in a cortical bone defect model that predominantly heals by intramembranous ossification. For this study, female Balb/c mice were ovariectomised (OVx) and a drill-hole injury was generated in the midfemoral bones of all animals. Treatment with formononetin commenced the day after and continued for 21 d. Parathyroid hormone (PTH1-34) was used as a reference standard. Animals were killed at days 10 and 21. Femur bones were collected at the injury site for histomorphometry studies using microcomputed tomography (μCT) and confocal microscopy. RNA and protein were harvested from the region surrounding the drill-hole injury. For immunohistochemistry, 5 µm sections of decalcified femur bone adjoining the drill-hole site were cut. μCT analysis showed that formononetin promoted bone healing at days 10 and 21 and the healing effect observed was significantly better than in Ovx mice and equal to PTH treatment in many aspects. Formononetin also significantly enhanced bone regeneration as assessed by calcein-labelling studies. In addition, formononetin enhanced the expression of osteogenic markers at the injury site in a manner similar to PTH. Formononetin treatment also led to predominant runt-related transcription factor 2 and osteocalcin localisation at the injury site. These results support the potential of formononetin to be a bone-healing agent and are suggestive of its promising role in the fracture-repair process.

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PMID: 

Horm Metab Res. 2012 Apr ;44(4):263-7. Epub 2012 Feb 10. PMID: 22328166

Abstract Title: 

Formononetin-induced apoptosis of human prostate cancer cells through ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase inactivation.

Abstract: 

Formononetin is a main active component of red clover plants (Trifolium pratense L.), and is considered as a phytoestrogen. Our previous studies demonstrated that formononetin caused cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase by inactivating insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF1)/IGF1R-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in MCF-7 cells. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the effect of formononetin on prostate cancer cells. Our results suggested that higher concentrations of formononetin inhibited the proliferation of prostate cancer cells (LNCaP and PC-3), while the most striking effect was observed in LNCaP cells. We further found that formononetin inactivated extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner, which resulted in increased the expression levels of BCL2-associated X (Bax) mRNA and protein, and induced apoptosis in LNCaP cells. Thus, we concluded that the induced apoptosis effect of formononetin on human prostate cancer cells was related to ERK1/2 MAPK-Bax pathway. Considering that red clover plants were widely used clinically, our results provided the foundation for future development of different concentrations formononetin for treatment of prostate cancer.

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