Chemical characterization and wound healing property of a β-D-glucan from edible mushroom Piptoporus betulinus.

A water-soluble β-D-glucan was obtained from fruiting bodies of Piptoporus betulinus, by hot aqueous extraction followed by freeze-thawing procedure and dialysis. Its molar mass distribution and conformational behavior in solution was assessed by size-exclusion chromatography coupled with multiangle laser light scattering, showing a polysaccharide with an average molecular weight of 2.5 × 10 Da with a random coil conformation for molecular weights below 1 × 10 Da.

N-acetylcysteine as a potential strategy to attenuate the oxidative stress induced by uremic serum in the vascular system.

Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression is accompanied by systemic oxidative stress, which contributes to an increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is among the most studied antioxidants, but its therapeutic benefits in CKD-associated CVDs remain controversial. Here, we investigated whether NAC could inhibit the oxidative stress induced by uremia in vitro and in vivo.