Publications by authors named "Jun-dong Zhu"

The health impact of dietary fat is a significant nutritional concern. However, the effects of high-fat diet on immune system particularly the liver regional immune function remains still unclear. Liver ILC1 has been recently identified as playing crucial roles in anti-viral defense, liver regeneration, and protection against acute liver injury.

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To enhance the stability and light resistance of the yellow compounds in citrus pomace, our study successfully isolated and purified five compounds using ultrasonic-assisted extraction and column chromatography. The identified compounds include methyl linoleate, (2-ethyl)hexyl phthalate, 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoylglycerol, 6,6-ditetradecyl-6,7-dihydroxazepin-2(3H)-one, and n-octadeca-17-enoic acid. The monomers extracted from fresh pomace, compounds 1 and 2, exhibit structural similarities to flavonoids and carotenoids.

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Aim: To evaluate whether the level of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) in aqueous humor can predict the prognosis of trabeculectomy in patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG).

Methods: This case-control study involved 26 patients with PACG who experienced a failed trabeculectomy (case group) and 78 age- and sex-matched patients with PACG who underwent successful trabeculectomy (control group). Aqueous humor was collected at the time of trabeculectomy and tested for TSP-1 and TGF-β2 levels with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.

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Background: The combined effect of a low-carbohydrate, high-protein (LCHP) diet and omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation on patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not known.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an LCHP diet combined with ω-3 (LCHP+ω-3) on glycemic control in patients with T2D.

Design: In this randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled trial, 122 newly diagnosed participants with T2D were randomly assigned to receive a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet with low ω-3 PUFAs [control (CON)], an LCHP, ω-3, or LCHP+ω-3 diet for 12 wk.

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Scope: In recent decades, the association among diet, gut microbiota, and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been established. Gut microbiota and associated metabolites, such as bile acids and butyrate, are now known to play a key role in CRC development. The aim of this study is to identify that the progression to CRC is influenced by cholic acid, sodium butyrate, a high-fat diet, or different dose of dihydromyricetin (DMY) interacted with gut microbiota.

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Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of capsaicin intervention on the serum lipid profile in adults with low HDL-C. In a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial, 42 eligible subjects were randomly assigned to the capsaicin ( = 21, 4 mg of capsaicin daily) or to the control group ( = 21, 0.

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Unlabelled: The gut microbiota is found to be strongly associated with atherosclerosis (AS). Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural phytoalexin with anti-AS effects; however, its mechanisms of action remain unclear. Therefore, we sought to determine whether the anti-AS effects of RSV were related to changes in the gut microbiota.

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Scope: Resveratrol (RSV), a natural polyphenol, has been reported to attenuate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, its underlying mechanism is unclear. Autophagy was recently identified as a critical protective mechanism during NAFLD development. Therefore, we investigated the role of autophagy in the beneficial effects of RSV on hepatic steatosis.

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Background & Aims: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may increase the future health risks of women and their offspring. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of capsaicin supplementation on blood glucose, lipid metabolism and pregnancy outcomes in women with GDM.

Methods: Forty-four pregnant women with GDM at 22-33 gestational weeks were randomly assigned to the capsaicin group (5 mg/d of capsaicin) or to the placebo group (0 mg/d of capsaicin) for 4 weeks in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

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Our previous study has shown that ampelopsin (AMP), a flavonol mainly found in Ampelopsis grossedentata, could induce cell death in human breast cancer cells via reactive oxygen species generation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway. Here, we examined whether autophagy is activated in AMP-treated breast cancer cells and, if so, sought to find the exact role and underlying molecular profile of autophagy in AMP-induced cell death. Our results showed that AMP treatment activated autophagy in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells, as evidenced by the accumulation of autophagosomes, an increase of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta-2 (LC3B-II) and the conversion of LC3B-I to LC3B-II, the degradation of the selective autophagic target p62/SQSTM1, and the formation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-LC3 puncta.

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It has been previously demonstrated that genistein exhibits anticancer activity against breast cancer. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the anticancer effect of genistein, in particular the epigenetic basis, remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether genistein could modulate the DNA methylation status and expression of cancer-related genes in breast cancer cells.

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Daidzein (one of the major isoflavones) can be metabolized to equol in certain individuals. The effects of isoflavones alone and equol status on lipid profiles are still controversial. To evaluate the 6-mo effects of daidzein on cardiovascular risk factors in hypercholesterolemic individuals and the interactions of these effects with equol status and estrogen receptor (ESR) genotypes, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial consisting of 210 hypercholesterolemic adults (40-65 y old).

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Inflammation participates centrally in all stages of atherosclerosis (AS), which begins with inflammatory changes in the endothelium, characterized by expression of the adhesion molecules. Resveratrol (RSV) is a naturally occurring phytoalexin that can attenuate endothelial inflammation; however, the exact mechanisms have not been thoroughly elucidated. Autophagy refers to the normal process of cell degradation of proteins and organelles, and is protective against certain inflammatory injuries.

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Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol that exerts potent effects to suppress atherosclerosis. However, its low concentration in plasma has placed this role in doubt. Thus, resveratrol effects might be dependent on its transport into vascular endothelium, a question not previously addressed in spite of its obvious and fundamental importance.

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Delphinidin-3-glucoside (Dp) is a member of a family of bioactive compounds known as anthocyanins that occur naturally in pigmented plants and are known to ameliorate oxidative stress. Previous studies have showed that Dp decreased oxidative stress in vascular endothelial cells, however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In the present study, we showed that pretreatment with Dp significantly suppressed oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

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Background: The results of studies investigating the effect of green tea on glucose control and insulin sensitivity in humans are inconsistent.

Objective: We aimed to quantitatively evaluate the effect of green tea on glucose control and insulin sensitivity.

Design: We performed a strategic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (updated to January 2013) for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of green tea and green tea extract on glucose control and insulin sensitivity.

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Background: Hypercholesterolaemia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Isoflavones may be effective in improving hypercholesterolaemia.

Objectives: To assess the effects of isoflavones for hypercholesterolaemia.

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Epidemiologic studies that examine whether isoflavone consumption protects against breast cancer have yielded inconsistent results. The controversy focuses on the effects of the menopausal status and exposure dose of isoflavone. We aim to conduct a meta-analysis on the association between isoflavone intake and breast cancer risk by comprehensively assessing isoflavone exposure in the targeted populations.

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Increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) is crucial for vascular endothelial dysfunction, a key step in the initiating of atherosclerosis (AS). The antioxidant activity of flavonoids has been suggested to contribute to AS prevention. However, The association of the structure characteristics to antioxidant capacities in relation to the inhibitory effects on endothelial dysfunction has not been well established.

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Vascular endothelial dysfunction induced by oxidative stress has been demonstrated to be the initiation step of atherosclerosis (AS), and flavonoids may play an important role in AS prevention and therapy. Twenty-three flavonoids categorized into flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, and flavanones, all with 4-oxo-pyronenucleus, were examined for what structural characteristics are required for the inhibitory effects on endothelial dysfunction induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL). Human vascular endothelial cells EA.

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Monocyte adhesion to the vascular endothelium and their subsequent trans-endothelial migration are pivotal early events in atherogenesis. In this study, the effect of delphinidin, belonging to the group of anthocyanin, on adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells induced by ox-LDL was investigated. The results showed that the pre-treatment with delphinidin (50, 100, or 200 μM) dose-dependently decreased the ox-LDL-induced up-regulation of the expression of ICAM-1 and P-selectin, and the enhanced adhesion and transmigration of monocytes.

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Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and pharmaceutical agents have therapeutic and preventive effects in breast cancer. The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu is one of the most important oncogenes in human breast cancer. Prepubertal exposure to endogenous estradiol and a phytoestrogen, genistein (Gen), has been shown to reduce future breast cancer risk.

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In this study, the effects of dietary fatty acids on the fatty acid compositions and lipid metabolic-related genes expression in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis were evaluated. The 50-day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were intervened by different dietary fats (15% wt/wt), including saturated fatty acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), n-3 PUFA, 1:1 n-6/n-3, 5:1 n-6/n-3, 10:1 n-6/n-3, and 1:2:1 S/M/P (1:1 n-6/n-3), alone or in combination with MNU. There was no mammary tumor occurrence in the control and MNU-treated n-3 PUFA groups after 18 wk.

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