Pomegranate seed oil in women with menopausal symptoms: a prospective randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of pomegranate seed oil (PGS) on menopausal symptoms.

Methods: The prospective randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial was completed by 81 postmenopausal women, who received two daily doses of either 30 mg PGS containing 127 μg of steroidal phytoestrogens per dose or a placebo for 12 weeks. The participants reported their number of hot flashes and completed the Menopause Rating Scale II at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 24.

Proteomics reveals acute pro-inflammatory and protective responses in rat Kupffer cells and hepatocytes after chemical initiation of liver cancer and after LPS and IL-6.

Inflammation is a key event in the development of liver cancer. We studied early inflammatory responses of Kupffer cells (KCs) and hepatocyte (HC) after cancer initiation. The chemical carcinogen N-nitrosomorpholine (NNM) was used in a rat model.

Introducing the CPL/MUW proteome database: interpretation of human liver and liver cancer proteome profiles by referring to isolated primary cells.

Interpretation of proteome data with a focus on biomarker discovery largely relies on comparative proteome analyses. Here, we introduce a database-assisted interpretation strategy based on proteome profiles of primary cells. Both 2-D-PAGE and shotgun proteomics are applied.

Proteome maps of the main human peripheral blood constituents.

Clinical proteome analysis will almost inevitably be confronted with blood constituents. Purified plasma, serum, cell or tissue samples may easily be contaminated with some other constituents, affecting the final proteome analysis result. To recognize proteins which are potentially indicative for the presence of major blood constituents, we purified T cells, monocytes, neutrophils, erythrocytes, platelets and plasma and performed comparative proteome profiling employing 2D-PAGE in addition to shotgun proteomics.

Introducing a new parameter for quality control of proteome profiles: consideration of commonly expressed proteins.

Interpretation of proteome profiling experiments largely relies on comparative analyses. False-positive identifications may cause fatal misinterpretation of data. On the other hand, proteome analysis may also suffer from false negatives, when proteins that are actually present are not detected.

Consequences of acute and chronic oxidative stress upon the expression pattern of proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Oxidative stress accompanies various diseases associated with chronic inflammation, including cancer. We exposed human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to hydrogen peroxide in autologous plasma imitating in vivo conditions. Proteome alterations of metabolically labeled cells were recorded by means of 2D gel electrophoresis in addition to shotgun analysis.

Cytoplasmic proteome and secretome profiles of differently stimulated human dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent and specialized antigen-presenting cells, play a key role in the regulation of the adaptive immunity. Immature DCs were generated by in vitro culturing of peripheral blood monocytes and functionally activated with the classical pathogen-associated molecular pattern lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Alternative activation resulting in Th-2 polarization was induced with lipid oxidation products derived from 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphorylcholin (OxPAPC).