No abstract

Background: The role of repeat fine-needle aspiration (RFNA) or core needle biopsy (CNB) has not been established in nodules categorized as atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS). Objective: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively determine whether CNB is more useful for management decisions than RFNA at each subcategory of AUS/FLUS nodules. Methods: This study included 158 AUS/FLUS nodules (≥1 cm) from 153 consecutive patients who underwent both RFNA and CNB. The AUS/FLUS nodules were subcategorized into nuclear atypia (NA) and follicular lesions with other atypia (FOA). The diagnostic results and rate of determined management by RFNA and CNB were compared at each subcategory. The diagnostic values of RFNA and CNB for malignancy were evaluated in nodules with final diagnoses. Results: CNB showed a lower rate of AUS/FLUS diagnosis, higher rates of benign and follicular neoplasm or suspicious for a follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN) diagnoses (p ≤ 0.038), and marginally higher rates of malignant diagnosis than RFNA in the NA subcategory. CNB showed a higher rate of FN/SFN (p = 0.007) than RFNA in the FOA subcategory. CNB also demonstrated a higher rate of surgery decision than RFNA in both the NA subcategory (20.2 vs. 9.6%, p < 0.001) and FOA subcategory (20.8 vs. 5.6%, p = 0.007), and a higher rate of observation decision only in the NA subcategory (48.1 vs. 35.6%, p = 0.035). CNB demonstrated a higher diagnostic performance for malignancy overall in the nodules compared with RFNA. Conclusion: CNB may be more useful for management decisions than RFNA in both the NA and FOA subcategories, and has the potential to be a first-line alternative diagnostic tool in initially diagnosed AUS/FLUS nodules.

This study purposed to examine the effects of ginger extract and swimming exercise administered to hyperglycemic rats on their insulin resistance, antioxidant ability and apoptosis. For this purpose, we divided 40 15-week-old male SD rats with induced hyperglycemia into control group (CON), exercise group (EX), ginger extract group (GI), and ginger extract + exercise group (GI+EX), and through 8 weeks' experiment we performed weight, blood glucose, insulin concentration, HOMA-IR, SOD activity, TBARS content and apoptosis of gastrocnemius muscle. Body weight was not significantly different among the groups. Blood glucose changed significantly over time in GI and GI-EX. Insulin concentration decreased significantly over time in GI and GI-EX, and was significantly lower in GI-EX among the groups. HOMA-IR decreased significantly over time in EX, GI and GI-EX, and was significantly lower in GI-EX among the groups. Among time points x groups, significant difference was observed in GI-EX at time points 2, 3 and 5. As to the antioxidant ability of gastrocnemius muscle, SOD activity and TBARS content were not changed by ginger extract and exercise, and apoptosis. No significant difference was observed in apoptotic factors P53 and caspase-3, anti-apoptotic factors Bcl-2 among the groups. Accordingly, the administration of ginger extract and exercise are expected to lower blood glucose and prevent diabetes and hyperglycemia, antioxidant capacity and apoptosis in the additional study is necessary.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of glasswort powder intake on lipid metabolism. Rats were divided into three groups: a group fed a normal diet (CON), one fed a high fat diet (HFC), and one fed a high fat diet with glasswort powder (HFG). They were fed their respective diet for four weeks. Body weight was significantly lower (9%) in the HFG group than in the HFC group at the fourth week. According to the feces analysis, the HFG group showed the highest fat level (120% vs. CON; 138% vs. HFC) and fecal calories (110%). The concentration level of TG and LDL-C was 71.8% lower in the HFG group compared to the HFC group, while the concentration level of HDL-C was 152% higher in the HFG group. Expression of FABP in the liver was 197% greater in the HFG compared to the HFC group, with the expression of CPT-1 showing a similar tendency. These results suggest that glasswort powder intake suppresses weight gain and improves fat metabolism at the level of liver cells. From these results, we suggest that glasswort powder is effective against obesity by inhibiting the absorption of fat in the digestive tract.