A Meta-Analysis of Mid-Term Outcomes of Endovascular Aneurysm Sealing

BACKGROUND-AIM

Several studies have been published showing conflicting results on the outcome after endovascular aneurysm sealing (EVAS). The aim of the present study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published evidence to assess the efficacy of EVAS in the management of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

METHODS

An electronic search of the English medical literature, from 2010 to March 2021, was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases to find studies relevant to outcome after EVAS.

RESULTS

The final analysis included 12 articles published between 2011 and 2021, including 1440 patients. In total, 79.3% of the included patients underwent aneurysm treatment according to the instructions for use. Technical success was 98.8%. Overall, 30-day mortality was 1.3%. Procedure-related complications were reported in 4% of the cohort. During median follow-up of 28.1 months (range 9-72 months), the pooled estimate of endoleak type I, migration and reinterventions was 16% (95% confidence interval [CI]=7-25), 16% (95% CI=9-23), and 19% (95% CI=11-28), respectively. In a sub-analysis, 7 studies (703 patients) reported outcome with a mean follow-up of more than 2 years (range 24-72 months). In these studies, the pooled estimate of endoleak type I, migration, and reinterventions was 25% (95% CI=13-38), 22% (95% CI=19-26), and 27% (95% CI=21-33), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Patients who have been treated with EVAS are in high risk for reintervention especially beyond 2 years following implantation. Close surveillance for patients treated with EVAS is mandatory.

Linking spatial distribution of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus to climatic variables important for the successful biocontrol by Metarhizium anisopliae in Eastern Africa

Cattle production is constantly threatened by diseases like East Coast fever, also known as theileriosis, caused by the protozoan parasite Theileria parva which is transmitted by ticks such as the brown ear tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. To reduce the extensive use of chemical acaricides, fungal-based microbial control agents such as Metarhizium anisopliae have been tested and show promising results against R. appendiculatus both in field and in semi-field experiments in Africa. However, no known endeavors to link the spatial distribution of R. appendiculatus to climatic variables important for the successful application of M. anisopliae in selected East African countries exists. This work therefore aims to improve the successful application of M. anisopliae against R. appendiculatus by designing a temperature-dependent model for the efficacy of M. anisopliae against three developmental stages (larvae, nymphs, adults) of R. appendiculatus. Afterward a spatial prediction of potential areas where this entomopathogenic fungus might cause a significant epizootic in R. appendiculatus population in three selected countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) in Eastern Africa were generated. This can help to determine whether the temperature and rainfall at a local or regional scale might give good conditions for application of M. anisopliae and successful microbial control of R. appendiculatus.

Self-organization of plasticity and specialization in a primitively social insect

Biological systems have the capacity to not only build and robustly maintain complex structures but also to rapidly break up and rebuild such structures. Here, using primitive societies of Polistes wasps, we show that both robust specialization and rapid plasticity are emergent properties of multi-scale dynamics. We combine theory with experiments that, after perturbing the social structure by removing the queen, correlate time-resolved multi-omics with video recordings. We show that the queen-worker dimorphism relies on the balance between the development of a molecular queen phenotype in all insects and colony-scale inhibition of this phenotype via asymmetric interactions. This allows Polistes to be stable against intrinsic perturbations of molecular states while reacting plastically to extrinsic cues affecting the whole society. Long-term stability of the social structure is reinforced by dynamic DNA methylation. Our study provides a general principle of how both specialization and plasticity can be achieved in biological systems. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.

Feeding strategies for small-scale rearing black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) as organic waste recycler

Processing organic waste using black soldier fly (BSF)-based technology offers a promising alternative for sustainable organic waste management and urban sanitation. This study was conducted to assess the influence of feeding strategies on the efficacy of BSF larvae to recycle organic wastes into value products. Fruit waste and chicken manure were used as organic waste samples while commercial chicken feed was used as a control, and were processed for 15 days in circular plastic containers (Ø 30 × 12 cm) with 50; 100; 150; and 200 mg/larva/day continuous and batch feeding diets, using 500 four-day-old larvae per diet, repeated four times. Larval survival rates were not significantly affected by the feeding strategies. However, average larval biomass of 83.69 ± 13.04 g and 82.46 ± 08.52 g was achieved for the continuous and batch feeding strategies, respectively, under favorable conditions. Larval feed reduction rates ranged from 24.65 ± 03.48% to 72.78 ± 01.48% and 24.52 ± 0.27% to 72.25 ± 12.13% with continuous and batch feeding strategies, respectively, and were significantly affected by the different daily diets. On the other hand, the bioconversion rates ranged from 13.34 ± 0.26% to 50.82 ± 02.27%, and the highest values were observed with the continuous feeding diets. This study confirms the efficacy of BSF larvae to thrive in different organic substrates and shows that the continuous feeding strategy can be better and enhance a sustainable small-scale organic waste management.

Hypolipidemic and anti-atherogenic effect of aqueous extract leaves of Ficus glumosa (Moraceae) in rats

Leaves of Ficus glumosa are used in northern Cameroon and southern Chad for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, as food and as a stimulant for milk production in both women and animals. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which frequency increases with age. The first lesions appear at the young subject during adolescence. Atherosclerosis lesions appear very precociously and worsen with age. They interest the levels chronologically aortic, coronary then carotid. Age is a risk factor in that it reflects the exposure time of individual to the other risk factors. The frequency of the atherosclerosis increases with age because of the aging of the cells. This study was undertaken to evaluate the hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerotic properties of aqueous extract of the leaves of F. glumosa in rats with hypercholesterolemia (HC). 60 male rats were fed for 4 weeks with a high-cholesterol diet (1%) and 3 doses (225, 300 and 375 mg/kg) of extract of F. glumosa were used in these experiments. The experiments were conducted under the same conditions with atorvastatin (1 mg/kg), as pharmacological reference substance. The effects of F. glumosa on weight gain, water and food consumption, levels of serum lipids and lipoprotein lipid oxidation and stress markers in the blood and liver were examined. The administration of F. glumosa extract prevented significant (P<0.05) elevation in TC, LDL-c, VLDL-c, hepatic and aortic TG and TC. The atherogenic, triglyceride, and lipid peroxidation (TBARS) indexes were also decreased in the rats treated with the extract. F. glumosa favored the performance of fecal cholesterol. It also significantly inhibited the changes and the formation of aortic atherosclerotic plaques. These results revealed the hypolipidemic and antiatherosclerotic effects of F. glumosa extract and support the traditional use of the extract of this plant in the treatment of hypertension and diabetes.

Acute and sub-chronic oral toxicity assessment of the aqueous extract leaves of Ficus glumosa Del. (Moraceae) in rodents

BACKGROUND

Ficus glumosa Del (Moraceae), a plant used in traditional medicine in Cameroon, Senegal, and East Africa for the treatment of edema, hemorrhoid, cardiovascular diseases especially hypertension.

AIM

The present study evaluated the potential toxicity of the aqueous extract of the leaves of F.glumosa in acute and sub-chronic administration in rodents.

METHODS

Acute toxicity was evaluated on 3 months old mice of both sexes and weighing 20-30 g. A single dose (2-12 g/kg) of F. glumosa was administered orally to mice. Animal behavior, adverse effects, and mortality were determined for 14 days. In sub-chronic toxicity studied in both sexes of 9 weeks old rats and weighing 100-120 g at the start of the experiment, animals were treated orally with a daily dose of 300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg of the aqueous extract of the leaves of F. glumosa for 6 weeks. The body weight change, food, and water consumption, were determined throughout the experimental period, while the relative organ weights, the hematological and biochemical parameters of blood and urine, as well as the histology of tissues kidney and liver, were recorded at the end of the experiment.

RESULTS

For acute treatment, no dose used induced critical behavioral changes or death. In sub-chronic treatment, daily oral administration of F. glumosa at the dose of 300, 600, and 1200 mg/kg resulted in a significant increase in body weight relative to food and water consumption in the last week of treatment. The relative organ weights were not affected by treatment. No hematological changes were observed except the significant increase in platelets. Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, increased while the total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, conjugated bilirubin, and total bilirubin significantly decreased. Index of renal function showed a decrease of creatinine, urea, uric acid and Na(+), Cl(-) and Ca(2+), and inorganic phosphate. The histology of liver and kidney showed no significant alteration of tissue.

CONCLUSION

These observations support the traditional use of F. glumosa in the treatment of hypertension. These results have shown that F. glumosa has a safety margin for therapeutic use.

Surveillance for avian influenza and Newcastle disease in backyard poultry flocks in Côte d'Ivoire, 2007-2009

Between 2007 and 2009, active surveys were conducted on backyard poultry (chickens, guinea fowls and ducks) in four areas of Côte d'Ivoire, including two areas where avian influenza H5N1 outbreaks occurred in 2006. Each bird underwent clinical examination. In total, 5,578 sera, 4,580 tracheal swabs and 5,120 cloacal swabs were collected, plus tissues from 35 sick chickens. Using the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test, 277 and 36 serum samples were positive for H5 and H7, respectively; all were negative for H9. All samples were negative by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These results confirm the circulation of H5 and H7 influenza subtypes in backyard poultry in Côte d'Ivoire. Given that the seropositive birds were healthy, the circulating subtypes may be low pathogenicity avian influenza strains. Half (2,680) of the sera collected from chickens were tested by HI for Newcastle disease virus (NDV) antibody: 531 were positive. The seroprevalence of 19.8% confirms the endemic status of NDV, but may underestimate its true prevalence in Côte d'Ivoire.

Acute and sub-chronic oral toxicity studies of an aqueous stem bark extract of Pterocarpus soyauxii Taub (Papilionaceae) in rodents

Pterocarpus soyauxii Taub (Papilionaceae) is used in Cameroonian traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia to treat hypertension, diabetes, gastrointestinal parasitizes and cutaneous diseases.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the safety of an aqueous stem bark extract of Pterocarpus soyauxii by determining toxicity after acute and sub-chronic oral administration in male and female rodents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The acute toxicity test was conducted in mice. An aqueous extract of barks was administrated by gavage in single doses of 2.5-12.5 g/kg. General behaviour and mortality were examined for up to 7 days. The sub-chronic toxicity test was performed in rats. The plant extract was administered by daily gavage of 150-600 mg/kg for 42 days. Body weight, food and water intakes were followed weekly. Haematological, biochemical and organ parameters were determined at the end of the 42-day administration.

RESULTS

In the acute study in mice, oral administration of the aqueous extract of Pterocarpus soyauxii caused dose-dependent general behaviour adverse effects and mortality. The no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of the extract was 5.0 g/kg. The lowest-observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) was 7.5 mg/kg. Mortality increased with the dose, LD(50) was>10.75 g/kg for the mouse. In the sub-chronic study in rats, daily oral administration of the aqueous extract of Pterocarpus soyauxii did not result in death or significant changes in haematological or biochemical parameters, excepted increased hepatic catalase activity (P<0.05) at the dose of 600 mg/kg. No alteration was observed in body weight, food and water intake. Liver, kidney, lung and pancreas histopathology did not reveal morphological alteration.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that the aqueous stem bark extract of Pterocarpus soyauxii Taub had very low toxicity in oral acute high dose administration and no toxicity in oral sub-chronic low dose administration and indicate that the plant could be considered safe for oral medication.

Antifertility and fetotoxic activities of Acanthus montanus aqueous extract in Wistar rats

Acanthus montanus T. Anderson (Acanthaceae) possesses several medicinal properties; it is used in Cameroon as a folk medicine to treat pain, inflammation and threatened abortion. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of A. montanus aqueous extract on the estrous cycle pre- and postimplantation in rats and its mechanism of action. The estrous cycles of Wistar rats were monitored before, during and after oral administration of distilled water (control) or aqueous extract (62.5, 125, 250, 500, 1000 mg/kg/day). Furthermore, pregnant rats received the above doses of aqueous extract on days 1-6 (preimplantation) or 6-15 (postimplantation) of gestation and were sacrificed on day 8 or 20 of pregnancy, respectively. Moreover, aqueous extract (500 and 1000 mg/kg/day) was given to ovariectomized rats in the presence or absence of exogenously administered estrogen and/or progesterone and uterine weight and deciduoma count were evaluated. The extract, irrespective of dose, reversibly prolonged the metestrous and occasionally the diestrous stages of the estrous cycle. The extract did not alter the uterine wet weight or deciduoma count, suggesting a lack of estrogenic and progestational effects. At 1000 mg/kg/day, the extract caused appreciable preimplantation losses of 36.8 +/- 6.5% (P < 0.05), while none of the doses caused postimplantation losses. The extract also caused delayed fetal growth.

Maternal and developmental toxicity evaluation of Acanthus montanus leaves extract administered orally to Wistar pregnant rats during organogenesis

Acanthus montanus is a plant used in Cameroon to treat pains and threatened abortion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of methanol/methylene chlorides leaves extract from Acanthus montanus on Wistar pregnant rats and identify the substance(s) essential for these actions. Dams were treated orally from days 6 to 15 of the pregnancy at the dose levels of 0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/(kgday). They were sacrificed on day 20 or allowed to deliver and wean. Various parameters were assessed. The F(1) generation offsprings were allowed to give birth to F(2) generation and a number of parameters assessed. The results showed that there was no maternal or organs toxicity. Embryotoxicity was observed during organogenesis manifested by reduction in foetal body weight, crown-rump and tail lengths and reduced ossification of extremities bones. However after delivery, these signs of growth retardation were seen before day 5, and henceforth, the treated pups regained all their parameters to normality. All others parameters for F(1) and F(2) generations were insignificant. beta-Sitosterol was the major chemical component of the extract and its role on these results could not be ignored. The MeOH/CH(2)Cl(2) extract of this plant is embryotoxic peri-natally at high doses but this failed to manifest after 5 days of post-natal survival. beta-Sitosterol may be central in the observed effects of the extract. This extract can be tolerated by pregnant patients.

Analgesic and anticonvulsant effects of extracts from the leaves of Kalanchoe crenata (Andrews) Haworth (Crassulaceae)

Kalanchoe crenata Andr. (Crassulaceae) is a fleshy herbaceous plant used in the African traditional medicine as remedies against otitis, headache, inflammations, convulsions and general debility. In the present work, the analgesic effects of methylene chloride/methanol (1:1) (CH(2)Cl(2)/CH(3)OH) extract and its hexane, methylene chloride (CH(2)Cl(2)), ethyl acetate, n-butanol fractions and aqueous residue have been evaluated using acetic acid, formalin and pressure test. The anticonvulsant effects of the CH(2)Cl(2)/CH(3)OH extract were also investigated on seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ 70 mg/kg), strychnine sulphate (STN 2.5 mg/kg) and thiosemicarbazide (TSC 50 mg/kg). CH(2)Cl(2)/CH(3)OH extract and its fractions, administered orally at the doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg, exhibited protective effect of at least 30% on the pain induced by acetic acid. The CH(2)Cl(2) fraction at 300 mg/kg showed a maximal effect of 78.49%. The CH(2)Cl(2)/CH(3)OH extract and its CH(2)Cl(2) fraction at the doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg significantly reduced the first phase of pain induced by formalin while the second phase was completely inhibited. The CH(2)Cl(2) fraction produced more than 45% reduction in the sensitivity to pain induced by pressure. The CH(2)Cl(2)/CH(3)OH extract of Kalanchoe crenata significantly increased the latency period in seizures induced by PTZ and significantly reduced the duration of seizures induced by the three convulsant agents. The extract protected 20% of animals against death in seizures induced by TSC and STN. These results suggest a peripheral and central analgesic activities as well as an anticonvulsant effect of the leaves of Kalanchoe crenata.