MD-1 is a time-tested polyherbal diabetes supplement in Tamil Nadu, India. It is composed of dried powdered herbs: Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn, Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook. F. & Thoms, Emblica officinalis Gaertn., Eugenia jambolana Lam., Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. Ex, and Cassia auriculata Linn. This study aimed to investigate the in vivo effects of MD-1 in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetes mellitus in C57BL/6J mice.

After 10 weeks of HFD induction, diabetic mice (n = 60) were randomized to 21-day treatments with MD-1, metformin, or left untreated on a standard pellet diet. Fasting blood glucose, triacylglycerol (TAG), total cholesterol, and liver tissue markers including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, glucokinase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, and glucose-6-phosphatase expressions were measured. Adipose tissue tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α infiltration and messenger RNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) and glucose transporter type 4 (Glut4) were also analyzed.

MD-1 treatment significantly reduced elevated fasting blood glucose, TAG, and total cholesterol in HFD-fed mice and countered HFD-induced weight gain despite unchanged caloric intake. Improved adipose tissue function was evidenced by reduced TNF-α infiltration and increased messenger RNA expression of PPAR-γ and Glut4. MD-1 attenuated HFD-induced fatty liver disease by reducing oxidative stress and TAG accumulation, suggesting a possible two-hit mechanism.

MD-1 administration primarily targets adipose tissue TNF-α signaling in HFD mice, restoring function via PPAR-γ/Glut4 expression. These findings support its glycemic intervention potential and justify its supplementation in diabetes.

Craniopharyngioma (CP), although histologically benign, is a surgically challenging sellar-region tumor for which stereotactic irradiation is increasingly used as an alternative or adjuvant strategy. This review summarizes the role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in managing CP, with a focus on treatment outcomes, technical advances, and emerging strategies to support evidence-based clinical practice. Literature reports indicate that Gamma Knife radiosurgery achieves variable tumor control rates (36–100%), with optimal outcomes (79.6–91.4%) when marginal doses ≥12 Gy are delivered and patients receive adequate follow-up. Smaller tumors (<5 cm3) and those with higher solid components show particularly favorable outcomes. SRS demonstrates a favorable safety profile, with visual impairment occurring in approximately 4% of cases and endocrine dysfunction in 6%. Compared to conventional radiotherapy, SRS significantly reduces the risk of hypothalamic obesity in pediatric patients. The identification of BRAF mutations in papillary CPs has created novel opportunities for combining targeted therapies with SRS. Collectively, these advances underscore the role of SRS as an essential component of multidisciplinary CP management, particularly in the treatment of residual or recurrent lesions. It offers a more favorable toxicity profile and may improve quality of life outcomes compared to conventional radiotherapy. Further studies are needed to optimize patient selection, dosing strategies, and integration with novel systemic therapies.

Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich) Hochst (Anacardiaceae) is a plant widely used by traditional healers in several African countries to treat numerous illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, inflammation, infections, arterial hypertension, headaches, and others. This study aimed to determine the therapeutic efficacy of Sclerocarya birrea (S. birrea) against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity.

Thirty naïve white mice (Mus musculus Swiss, Muridae), of both genders and weighing between 18 and 25 g, were used in the experiments. Different doses (102.5, 205, and 410 mg/kg) of the extract and vitamin C (100 mg/kg) were administered to the animals one hour before administration of monosodium glutamate (4 mg/kg) for 15 consecutive days. T-maze and Y-maze tests were conducted over three days to assess the animals’ behavioral performance. After behavioral testing, the animals were sacrificed and their brains removed for analysis of oxidative stress parameters.

S. birrea extract reversed glutamate-induced behavioral alterations by significantly (P < 0.001) reducing the latency to reach the platform in the T-maze and significantly increasing the percentage of spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze. The extract also significantly counteracted (P < 0.001) glutamate-induced oxidative stress parameters. The 102.5 and 205 mg/kg doses of the extract significantly (P < 0.001) reduced catalase and reduced glutathione levels, as well as the increase in malondialdehyde levels induced by glutamate.

S. birrea root bark extract exhibits neuroprotective properties that facilitate memory and ameliorate glutamate-induced cognitive deficits in white mice. The results provide partial justification for the traditional medicinal use of S. birrea extract.

Potential celiac disease (PCD) is defined as elevated celiac serology with a preserved small intestinal mucosa. This study aimed to identify baseline characteristics and the outcomes of children with PCD consuming a gluten-containing diet.

This was a retrospective cohort study of pediatric PCD patients diagnosed between 12/2018 and 10/2024. Baseline data included demographics, anthropometrics, clinical symptoms and signs, celiac serology, and biopsy results. Follow-up data included repeat serology and biopsy results when performed.

PCD was diagnosed in 75/517 (14.5%) children undergoing upper endoscopy for suspected celiac disease (CeD). Baseline anti-transglutaminase IgA (TTG) was above 10× the upper limit of normal (ULN) in 18 (24%), between 3–10× ULN in 52 (69.3%), and <3× ULN in five (6.6%). Anti-endomysial antibody was positive in 57 (76%). Among 48 children (64%) with at least one year of follow-up, TTG normalized in 26 (54.1%), decreased to <3× ULN in 13 (27.1%), was between 3–10× ULN in six (12.5%), and was above 10× ULN in three (6.3%). Nine children had a repeat endoscopy, and six (66.7%) were diagnosed with CeD, while three remained PCD. Among the 11 children with TTG >10× ULN and at least one year of follow-up, TTG normalized in three, declined in five, and increased or remained above 10× ULN in three.

PCD is common and may be found in children with TTG above 10× ULN; approximately half will normalize TTG. The omission of biopsies may result in an erroneous diagnosis of CeD.

Metaplastic breast carcinoma, a rare entity (<1% of breast neoplasms), lacks comprehensive spectroscopic characterization. This study aimed to address this gap by providing a qualitative and quantitative spectroscopic profile of metaplastic carcinoma in comparison to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC).

A retrospective analysis was conducted on archival tissue blocks of metaplastic carcinoma (n = 10), DCIS (n = 12), and IDC (n = 31). Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological confirmation. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was performed on adjacent unstained sections, with normal breast tissue (n = 10) serving as the control. Spectral data were analyzed using t-tests to identify significant differences in peak intensities and ratios. Hierarchical clustering analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to assess the diagnostic potential of selected spectral features.

Spectral analysis revealed that mean peak intensities were generally lower in all carcinoma subtypes compared to normal breast tissue. Specific ratios, including A1237/A1080 (phosphate; p < 0.01), A1043/1543 (glycogen; p < 0.01), and A1080/A1632 (nucleocytoplasmic index; p < 0.03), were significantly elevated in carcinomatous tissues. Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified peak 3,280 (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.93–0.96) as highly effective in differentiating normal from carcinomatous tissues. Peak 2,922 showed specificity for distinguishing normal tissue from IDC (AUC ≈ 0.7). Peak 1,744 effectively discriminated between DCIS and metaplastic carcinoma (AUC = 0.7). The ratio 1,080/1,632 (nucleocytoplasmic ratio) demonstrated exceptional diagnostic accuracy, distinguishing normal from carcinomatous tissues (AUC ≈ 1.0), DCIS from IDC (AUC ≈ 0.86), and DCIS from metaplastic carcinoma (AUC ≈ 0.8).

Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, particularly using peak 3,280 (Amide A) and the 1,080/1,632 ratio (nucleocytoplasmic index), offers a promising approach for discriminating between normal breast tissue and carcinoma, as well as differentiating pre-IDC from metaplastic carcinoma. These spectral markers demonstrate both statistical significance and diagnostic potential.

It is established that administration of the COVID-19 vaccine may be associated with an exaggerated immune response leading to enlargement of several lymph nodes. Although most cases are benign and self-limiting, some have been reported in the literature as B-cell or T-cell lymphomas, with no reported cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We report two cases of follicular lymphoma and CLL that occurred a few weeks after COVID-19 vaccination. Case 1 is a 48-year-old woman who noticed two significantly palpable masses, one in each axilla, 48 h after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine for COVID-19. Seven days later, she noticed another mass on the right side of her neck, which was biopsied within 48 hours. Case 2 is a 75-year-old man who presented with localized swellings in the axilla and on the neck, noted 24 h after the first dose of the Moderna messenger RNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine. Neither patient reported any constitutional or associated symptoms. Surgical biopsy of the axillary lymph node in case 1 revealed a non-Hodgkin lymphoma, confirmed via immunohistochemistry as CD20-positive B-cell follicular lymphoma. The patient also had multiple pre- and para-aortic lymph nodes. In case 2, complete blood count showed lymphocytosis (total white blood cell – 148 × 109/L; lymphocyte differential – 92%), while peripheral blood film showed lymphocytosis with a predominance of small, mature-looking lymphocytes, both suggesting CLL. Although requested, immunophenotyping and molecular testing were not performed due to patient-related challenges. Although a chance occurrence is possible, lymphoid malignancies should be considered a strong differential. The vaccination history of patients presenting with clinical manifestations suggestive of a lymphoid malignancy should be thoroughly investigated, while ruling out other possible differentials such as a benign, self-limiting inflammatory process.

Lactate exerts regulatory effects on both cellular homeostasis and disease progression, far beyond being a mere metabolic waste product. As lactate accumulates, the level of lactylation increases significantly. Lactylation, a novel type of post-translational modification, bridges metabolic reprogramming and epigenetic regulation in malignant tumors, including gynecological malignancies. Both lactate and lactylation play critical roles in the tumor microenvironment, ultimately promoting tumor proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance. Therapies targeting lactate production and transport show considerable anticancer potential, particularly through the inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase and monocarboxylate transporters. These inhibitors can also act as immunotherapy potentiators, producing a synergistic therapeutic effect when combined with immunotherapy. This review emphasizes how lactate and lactylation drive the malignant progression of gynecological cancers and explores promising perspectives on potential therapeutic targets.

Systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare and potentially fatal disease characterized by the abnormal deposition of homogeneous, amorphous amyloid proteins in tissues and organs. This deposition leads to varying degrees of structural and functional abnormalities, ultimately causing organ dysfunction and failure. The disease often involves multiple systems and organs, including the heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, liver, and nervous system, with cardiac and renal involvement being the most common. Due to its rarity, multisystem involvement, and rapid progression, a comprehensive summary of the diagnosis and treatment of AL amyloidosis is crucial for guiding clinical practice and advancing research in this field. This article reviews the progress in diagnosis and discusses future treatment of AL amyloidosis, aiming to provide expanded options for clinical practice.