Background: Recently, several studies have examined the association between preoperative sarcopenia and prognosis evaluation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing hepatectomy. However, their conclusions remain ambiguous and controversial. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic role of preoperative sarcopenia in patients with HCC undergoing hepatectomy. Methods: We searched the existing literature reporting on the prognostic value of preoperative computed tomography (CT)-assessed sarcopenia for the survival of patients with HCC undergoing hepatectomy. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were used to assess the prognostic value of preoperative sarcopenia in HCC patients. The associations between preoperative sarcopenia and clinicopathological characteristics were also evaluated. Results: A total of six studies with 1,420 patients (including 458 sarcopenia and 962 non-sarcopenia patients) were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that preoperative sarcopenia was significantly associated with poor OS (HR =1.572, 95% CI: 1.342-1.840, P=0) and shorter DFS (HR =1.544, 95% CI: 1.178-2.024, P=0.002) in patients with HCC undergoing hepatectomy. Preoperative sarcopenia was also significantly related to larger diameter tumors (WMD =0.598, 95% CI: 0.216-0.980, P=0.002). The results of the sensitivity analysis were stable in this meta-analysis. Egger's tests revealed that there was no significant publication bias.Conclusions: Sarcopenia appears to have significant adverse impacts on postoperative outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following hepatectomy. However, further large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Background: Sarcopenia is the decline in muscle strength and mass attributed to aging. The pathogenesis of sarcopenia may be triggered by oxidative stress; uric acid (UA) has strong antioxidant properties. This study aimed to examine if the serum UA level is associated with handgrip strength (HGS), which is a useful indicator of sarcopenia among Chinese participants aged over 45.Methods: Our study included 992 eligible participants (583 males and 409 females). Based on serum UA quartiles and gender, the participants were divided into 8 groups. HGS was measured in kilograms using an electronic dynamometer. Face-to-face visits and fasting blood analyses were performed to determine the serum UA levels and various covariates. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to analyze the linear or quadratic trend between the UA levels and grip strength.Results: Participants were grouped according to UA quartiles by gender. In both genders, ANOVA showed an inverted J-shaped association between serum UA levels and HGS (P for quadratic trend =0.004 in men, P for quadratic trend =0.003 in women). After adjusting for potential confounders, the association between the UA quartiles and HGS was unchanged, irrespective of gender. Conclusions:The results suggest that a specific range of serum UA levels may be associated with better HGS among Chinese adults aged over 45.

The mechanism of depression with type 2 diabetes remains elusive, requiring further study. Objective. To evaluate the effect of TCM formula Xiaoyaosan on depressive-like behaviors in rats with type 2 diabetes. Methods. Rats were divided into 5 groups and drugs were administered during the model period of 21 days. The model of depressive-like behaviors in rats with type 2 diabetes was induced by a high fat diet, low doses of STZ injection, and chronic restraint stress for 21 days. The body weight, fasting blood glucose, ITT, OGTT, 5-HT, DA, depression behaviors, and morphological changes of formation were measured and observed. Results. After modeling, marked changes were found in model rats; behavioral analyses of rats indicated that this modeling method negatively impacts locomotor function. In the H&E staining, changes were found predominately in the CA1 and DG subregions of the hippocampus. After 21 days of treatment by fluoxetine and Xiaoyaosan, rats' body weights, behaviors and fasting blood glucose, and hippocampal formation were modified. Conclusions. A new model of depressive-like behaviors in rats with type 2 diabetes was successfully created. Xiaoyaosan and fluoxetine in this study independently contribute to exacerbate the disease progression.