The incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been escalating annually, positioning it as the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Ursolic acid has demonstrated promising therapeutic efficacy in managing MASLD, thereby justifying the need for an in-depth exploration of its pharmacological mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate elucidate the therapeutic mechanisms by which ursolic acid modulates estrogen conversion in the treatment of MASLD. Building upon prior studies that have highlighted the potent anti-inflammatory effects of ursolic acid and its specific targeting of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 14 (HSD17B14), this investigation employed a western diet to induce MASLD in murine models with varying severities over different time intervals. The protein expression of HSD17B14 initially increased, followed by a subsequent decrease. This trend was accompanied by corresponding changes in 17β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) levels. Intervention with ursolic acid resulted in a reduction in HSD17B14 and E1 levels during the phase of high HSD17B14 expression, while simultaneously elevating E2 levels. In steatotic hepatocytes, E1 promoted cellular inflammation, whereas E2 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects. However, the alleviated effects of E2 were antagonized by HSD17B14. As expected, ursolic acid modulated HSD17B14, thereby mitigating the inflammatory response in steatotic hepatocytes. HSD17B14, a crucial enzyme regulating the balance between E1 and E2, catalyzes the conversion of estrogen E2 into E1, thereby exacerbating tissue inflammation induced by metabolic stress. Ursolic acid, by modulating HSD17B14-mediated estrogen conversion, appears to ameliorate immune-related inflammation in MASLD. Ursolic Acid Modulates Estrogen Conversion to Relieve Inflammation in Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease via HSD17B14. Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) Volume 17, Issue 3, on March 14, 2025, titled "Effects of a natural ingredients-based intervention targeting the hallmarks of aging on epigenetic clocks, physical function, and body composition: a single-arm clinical trial." A team of researchers, led by first authors Natalia Carreras-Gallo and Rita Dargham, and corresponding author Varun B. Dwaraka from TruDiagnostic, studied how a natural anti-aging supplement called the Cel System might influence the aging process. They found that participants who took the supplement for one year showed a reduction in biological age, along with improved muscle strength and body composition. "The Cel System supplement range was formulated to target pathways associated with the Hallmarks of Aging when combining Cel1, Cel2, and Cel3 formulas." Cel System is a natural supplement made from a mix of plant compounds, vitamins, and antioxidants designed to target the biological mechanisms associated with aging. Researchers tracked changes in biological age using DNA-based tests known as epigenetic clocks, along with physical performance and body composition metrics. In addition, the supplement appeared to reduce stem cell turnover, a key marker of aging at the cellular level. The study also reported changes in immune cell composition, suggesting that the supplement may help regulate immune function as people age. Biomarkers associated with liver function also shifted, pointing to potential improvements in organ health. However, levels of inflammation markers did not significantly change. Analysis of methylation chemical marks on DNA revealed that the supplement influenced gene activity related to stress response, brain function, and cell communication. These molecular-level changes may help explain the broader benefits seen in physical and biological aging measures. Although this was a pilot study without a control group, the findings suggest that the Cel System supplement shows potential for reducing signs of aging and improving overall health. The authors suggest future randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes to confirm these results and explore the supplement's long-term effects on longevity. This study adds to growing evidence that targeted natural supplements may slow biological aging and extend healthspan. By combining epigenetic analysis with real-world health data, the findings offer new insight into how nutraceuticals, like Cel System, could promote long-term health and resilience. Effects of a natural ingredients-based intervention targeting the hallmarks of aging on epigenetic clocks, physical function, and body composition: a single-arm clinical trial. Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. To start a conversation, please log into your AZoProfile account first, or create a new account. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. Please check the box above to proceed. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

A new study asked three questions about muscle protein synthesis in response to a nine-day diet and weight training regimen: First, does the source of protein - plant or animal-based - make any difference to muscle gain? Second, does it matter if total daily protein intake is evenly distributed throughout the day? And third, does a moderate but sufficient daily protein intake influence any of these variables? This belief was rooted in science: Previous studies that took muscle biopsies after a single feeding found that an animal-based meal provided more of a stimulus for muscle protein synthesis than a vegan meal, Burd said. "And so, our general hypothesis based on these previous studies was that the animal-based eating pattern would be more effective at supporting the muscle-building response." But measurements taken after a single meal might not reflect the effects of consuming a balanced vegan diet over time, Burd said. One previous clinical trial had looked at muscle responses in vegans and omnivores who ate a laboratory diet and engaged in weight training for 10 weeks. That study found no significant differences in muscle protein synthesis over time. However, volunteers in that study consumed 1.6-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, which is much higher than what is needed to maximize muscle protein synthesis and build bigger muscles with weight lifting, Burd said. It also gave those on the vegan diet the bulk of their plant protein in supplements, which is not a realistic recreation of how vegans normally eat, he said. Burd and his colleagues wanted to know whether the habitual consumption of a varied vegan or meat-based diet of whole foods - rather than ingestion of just a single meal or getting one's protein from limited sources - would influence the rate of muscle protein synthesis over time. They also wanted to test the hypothesis that a moderate protein intake - in the range of 1.1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day - should be distributed evenly throughout the day to maximize muscle growth. A previous study from Burd's lab found that protein intakes higher than 1.1 g/kg per day make no difference to the rate of muscle protein synthesis when weight training. This amount of protein also is more in line with a typical American diet, and testing what people normally eat is important, he said. Then they were randomly assigned to either a vegan or omnivorous diet. The research team provided all meals, some of which were eaten in the lab while most were consumed at home. Roughly 70% of the protein for the omnivorous meals was obtained from animal sources: beef, pork, chicken, dairy, eggs. They also wore accelerometers to keep track of their activity levels when not in the lab. Each day, participants drank "heavy" water, which was labeled with deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen. The deuterium atoms "exchanged with hydrogen atoms within amino acids to make them heavy and served as tracers" that allowed the team to trace their incorporation into muscle tissue, Burd said. Burd was initially surprised to see that there were no differences in rates of muscle protein synthesis between those eating vegan or omnivorous diets. He also was surprised to see that protein distribution across the day had no effect on the rate of muscle building given results from past studies of acute responses to dietary interventions and weight training. "It was thought that it was better to get a steady-state delivery of nutrients throughout the day," he said. "I also thought that if you're getting a lower quality protein - in terms of its digestibility and amino acid content - that perhaps distribution would make a difference. And surprisingly, we showed it doesn't matter." Now, Burd says, if anyone asks him what's the best type of food they should eat for muscle building, he'll tell them: "It's the kind you put in your mouth after exercise. As long as you're getting sufficient high-quality protein from your food, then it really doesn't make a difference." Impact of Vegan Diets on Resistance Exercise-Mediated Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis in Healthy Young Males and Females: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Scientists from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and University of Las Vegas Nevada (UNLV) have uncovered a genetic link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a rare genetic condition called myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). The study, published today in Nature Neuroscience, suggests that while ASD has previously been characterized by a loss of gene function, another mechanism may be leading to the social behaviours often observed in individuals with ASD. DM1 is an inherited condition which causes progressive muscle loss and weakness. While ASD is present in around one per cent of the general population, it is 14 times more likely to develop in people with DM1. The research team found that the effects of TREs interfere with a critical process called gene splicing, which is essential for gene function. The disruption causes a protein imbalance that can result in mis-splicing of multiple genes involved in brain function, and may explain why some of the social and behavioural outcomes of ASD develop in people with DM1. Our findings represent a new way to characterize the genetic development of autism. By identifying the molecular pathway behind this connection, we can begin to investigate new approaches to ASD diagnosis and the development of precision therapies that release these proteins back into the genome." Dr. Ryan Yuen, Senior Scientist in the Genetics & Genome Biology program, SickKids TREs occur when sections of a DNA strand are repeated two or more times, and the likelihood of those repeats causing errors in gene function increases each time. Similarly, people with DM1 have a TRE in the DMPK gene. "A variation really stood out to me that we see in rare neuromuscular disease," says Dr. Łukasz Sznajder, a research lead and Assistant Professor at UNLV. "This is how we started connecting the dots. We found a molecular link, or overlap, which we believe is the core of causing autistic symptoms in children with myotonic dystrophy." This so-called "toxic RNA" depletes the protein and prevents it from binding to other RNA molecules in important areas of the genome, causing a protein imbalance which results in mis-splicing other genes. "TREs are like a sponge that absorbs all these important proteins from the genome. Without this protein, other areas of the genome don't function properly," explains Yuen. The Yuen Lab and Sznajder Lab are already exploring whether this mis-splicing is happening in other genes associated with ASD, as well as how their findings could inform precision therapies that release these proteins back into the genome. While more research is needed to identify how this could be applied to other conditions, the team remains optimistic their findings could inform future research and care for DM1, ASD and other conditions. Autism-related traits in myotonic dystrophy type 1 model mice are due to MBNL sequestration and RNA mis-splicing of autism-risk genes. Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Ticks are more likely to carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in areas where pheasants are released, new research shows. Pheasants are not native to the UK, but about 47 million are released here each year for recreational shooting. Researchers studied ticks in 25 woodland areas in South West England where pheasants are released – and 25 nearby control sites where no pheasants are released. – the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease – was almost 2.5 times more common in ticks in the pheasant-release areas. Borrelia bacteria can live in a wide range of hosts, including pheasants, wild birds and mammals – and humans. Pheasants are known to be 'competent' hosts of Borrelia – meaning they have a relatively high likelihood of contracting and retransmitting the bacteria. More research is needed, but our findings suggest there may be an increased risk of potential exposure to Borrelia-infected ticks for people – such as gamekeepers – who work in woodlands where pheasants are released in numbers." Emile Michels, Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus, Cornwall Researchers tested ticks at different life stages (nymphs and adults) and found that, overall, the proportion containing Borrelia was 7.8% in pheasant-release woodlands, and 3.2% where pheasants were not released. "This can be an important route for the emergence of zoonoses (diseases that animals can give to humans)." Dr Jolyon Medlock, head of the Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology team at UKHSA, said: "While we have observed an increase in the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in ticks, we do not have data on the resulting impact on human health, including evidence of Lyme infection. "Following these findings, we continue to work with academic partners to better understand what drives Borrelia transmission, including the roles of climate and environmental change." The control sites in the study were one to two kilometres from the pheasant-release sites, so more research would be required to see if Borrelia in ticks declines further at greater distances. Emile Michels' PhD is funded by the NERC GW4+ DTP scheme. The Release of Non‐Native Gamebirds Is Associated With Amplified Zoonotic Disease Risk. Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. Please check the box above to proceed. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

A recently released statement on Trump administration's drug policy priorities called for a focus on stopping illicit drugs from coming into the United States, prosecuting those responsible for overdose deaths, expanded access to naloxone, and new campaigns “to inform the American people of the dangers of illicit drug use, the hope of a life in recovery, and the ways to prevent an overdose death.” The administration's plans to address opioid use disorder (OUD) include encouraging state and local authorities to “increase the availability of drug test strips and naloxone” and that it would also support efforts to connect people using drugs to supportive services, diverting them from incarceration. The office does not yet have a permanent leader. In late March, President Donald Trump nominated Sara A. Carter, a former Fox News journalist, to the post. Carter, whose appointment requires Senate confirmation, has reported on drug cartels and immigration. The White House said in a statement it will seek to ensure that “effective, timely, and evidence-based treatment is available to all Americans who need it,” including expanding access to medications for OUD and strengthening the peer recovery support services workforce. Brian Hurley, MD, president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), said in a statement that the organization “is pleased to see the Trump Administration prioritize efforts to make evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment readily available.” ASAM urged the White House to also direct the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to modify a regulation that keeps methadone for the treatment of OUD restricted to a single type of federally defined program. The administration will use evidence-based prevention programs in schools and use social media to promote healthy behaviors, warn of the dangers of illicit drug use, and educate Americans on how to access treatment and recovery services. Those hearings were postponed and then delayed again in January as multiple parties sued, alleging that the agency had engaged in misconduct. Two of the parties to the suits, Village Farms International and Hemp for Victory, “are awaiting action from DEA,” according to their attorney, Shane Pennington, with Blank Rome in Houston. Thirty-nine states, three territories, and Washington, DC, allow the medical use of cannabis, whereas 24 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia allow or regulate recreational use, according to the National Council of State Legislatures. Alicia Ault is a Saint Petersburg, Florida-based freelance journalist whose work has appeared in many health and science publications, including Smithsonian.com.

California has halted a court-ordered medical parole program, opting instead to send its most incapacitated prisoners back to state lockups or release them early. The move is the latest wrinkle in a long-running drive to free those deemed so ill that they are no longer a danger to society. "We have concerns that they cannot meet the needs of the population for things like memory care, dementia, traumatic brain injury," said Sara Norman, an attorney who represents the prisoners as part of a nearly three-decade-old federal class-action lawsuit. It is twice as expensive to imprison older people than those younger, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers, and prisoners 55 and older are more than twice as likely to have cognitive difficulties as non-incarcerated older adults. Medical parole is reserved for the sliver of California's 90,000 prisoners who have a "significant and permanent condition" that leaves them "physically or cognitively debilitated or incapacitated" to the point they can't care for themselves, according to the state parole board. Prisoners who qualify — excluded are those sentenced to death or life without parole — can be placed in a community health care facility instead of state prison. Attorneys said the roughly 20 parolees the state has returned to lockup need significant help performing basic functions of daily life, with some in wheelchairs or suffering from debilitating mental or physical disabilities. Prisoners granted compassionate release have their sentences reduced and are released into society, while those on medical parole remain technically in custody. "There were multiple considerations that went into this decision," Buis said. Gavin Newsom also cited "eliminating non-essential activities and contracts" to save money. Texas, for instance, screened more than 2,600 prisoners in 2022 but approved just 58 people. Officials also often face procedural hurdles, according to the Vera Institute of Justice, a national nonprofit research and advocacy group. Some states, however, have tried to expand medical parole programs. Michigan did so because an earlier version of the law proved too difficult to use, resulting in the release of just one person. New York has some of the nation's broadest criteria for release but is among states struggling to find nursing home placements for parolees. California's first effort to free prisoners deemed so incapacitated that they are no longer dangerous began in 1997 with a little-used process that allowed corrections officials to seek the release of dying prisoners. The medical parole program was officially created by a state law that took effect in 2011 and was expanded in 2014 to help reduce prison crowding so severe that federal judges ruled it was harming prisoners' physical and mental health. Nearly 300 prisoners had been granted medical parole since July 2014, state officials reported. The average annual cost per medical parolee was between about $250,000 and $300,000 in 2023, Buis said. And despite lawmakers' expectations when they started the program, he said, Medi-Cal — California's Medicaid program, which is partly funded by the federal government — did not reimburse the state for their care because they were still considered incarcerated. California has had a rollercoaster relationship with its sole nursing home contractor for medical parolees. In 2021, prison officials said they were sending dozens of paralyzed and otherwise disabled prisoners back to state prisons and limiting medical parole, blaming a federal rule change that barred any restrictions on prisoners in such facilities. The move came after state public health inspectors fined Golden Legacy for handcuffing an incapacitated patient's ankle to the bed in violation of state and federal laws. Golden Legacy did not return repeated telephone and email requests for comment. Attorney Rana Anabtawi, who also represents prisoners in the class-action suit, toured Golden Legacy's medical parole building with Norman in November and saw caregivers offering memory care patients special art classes and a "happy feet" dance party. She felt it "was a much better place for our patients than being in prison — there appeared to be regular programming aimed at engaging them, there were no officers walking around, the patient doors were open and unlocked, patients had general freedom of movement within their building." Over the past several years, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has built up its capacity to service those with severely compromised health. Yet Norman fears the in-prison facilities are a poor substitute. Officials expect about 100 prisoners each year will qualify for compassionate release, Buis said. Compassionate release would allow them to "sort of die with dignity," said Daniel Landsman, vice president of policy for the criminal justice advocacy group FAMM, previously known as Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and ensure "that the California prison system is not turning into a de facto hospice or skilled nursing facility.” Mark Leno, who authored California's medical parole law when he was a Democratic state senator, criticized prison officials for ending their use of the law without legislative approval and instead just terminating the Golden Legacy contract. "Is it just cruel punishment and retribution or is this thoughtful execution of the law put in place by the legislature?” he said. This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. This article was reprinted from khn.org, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF - the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism. Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.