Spinning gold: Unraveling the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Pitanga's carotenoid microfibers.

The design and development of nanoparticle- and microparticle-based delivery systems incorporating carotenoids into carrier materials offers multiple advantages, including enhancing the bio-efficacy of these compounds due to improving their bioaccessibility and bioavailability. This study introduced pitanga saponified carotenoid extract (PSCE) and pitanga non-saponified carotenoid extract (PSCE) in a 12 % zein/1 %PEO solution and electrospun for fiber production. Then, the fibers were characterized, and their bioaccessibility and bioavailability were also evaluated.

Changing Despicable Me: Potential replacement of azo dye yellow tartrazine for pequi carotenoids employing ionic liquids as high-performance extractors.

Color is a crucial sensory attribute that guides consumer expectations. A high-performance pequi carotenoid extraction process was developed using ionic liquid-based ethanolic solutions and a factorial design strategy to search for a potential substitute for the artificial azo dye yellow tartrazine. All-trans-antheraxanthin was identified with HPLC-PAD-MSn for the first time in pequi samples.

Guidance for formulating ingredients/products from Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis considering carotenoid and chlorophyll bioaccessibility and cellular uptake.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of different microalgal matrices on the bioaccessibility and uptake by Caco-2 cells of carotenoids and chlorophylls. In this way, the microalgal ingredients/products (whole dry biomass [WDB], whole ultrasonicated paste [WUP], and liposoluble pigment emulsion [LPE]) obtained from Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis were submitted to in vitro simulated digestion. Apical uptake of pigments in micelles generated during the simulated digestion by Caco-2 human intestinal cells was determined.

Exploratory data of the microalgae compounds for food purposes.

This brief data article refers to the previous exploration of and biomass about the possibility of using these microalgae species as an unconventional functional food. Data on chemical composition, fatty acids, volatile compounds, and carotenoid profiles were determined. In parallel, are provided the antioxidant capacity (reducing capacity - RC and reactive oxygen species deactivation - ORAC) of aqueous, lipophilic, and carotenoid extracts isolated from microalgae biomass.

There Is Still Room for Improvement: Presentation of a Neutral Borosilicate Glass with Improved Chemical Stability for Parenteral Packaging.

Unlabelled: For pharmaceutical parenteral packaging the glass compositions have always been either Type I borosilicate or Type III soda-lime glass. As both the compositions and certain chemical and physical properties are mandated by international standards, there has not been room for any changes. However, by applying only minor adjustments, a borosilicate glass was developed that showed improved chemical stability.

In Situ Localization of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus-PAV 17-kDa Protein and Nucleic Acids in Oats.

ABSTRACT Barley yellow dwarf virus strain PAV (BYDV-PAV) RNA and the 17-kDa protein were localized in BYDV-PAV-infected oat cells using in situ hybridization and in situ immunolocalization assays, respectively. The in situ hybridization assay showed labeling of filamentous material in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and virus-induced vesicles with both sense and antisense nucleic acid probes, suggesting that the filamentous material found in BYDV-PAV-infected cells contains viral RNA. BYDV-PAV negative-strand RNA was detected before virus particles were observed, which indicates that RNA replication is initiated before synthesis of viral coat protein in the cytoplasm.

Retroperitoneal haemorrhage caused by a renal angiomyolipoma.

Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is a benign renal tumour and is nowadays considered a relatively common lesion. When an AML increases in size or becomes symptomatic, embolisation via the renal artery should then be considered, because rupture is an important complication and interventional therapies are required to stop bleeding. We present a 21 year old woman who was seen at the emergency department following a low velocity trauma.

Electroporation enhances transfection efficiency in murine cutaneous wounds.

Transfection of wounds with DNA-encoding growth factors has the potential to improve healing, but current means of nonviral gene delivery are inefficient. Repeated high doses of DNA, necessary to achieve reliable gene expression, are detrimental to healing. We assessed the ability of in vivo electroporation to enhance gene expression.

Duodenal reflux produces hyperproliferative epithelial esophagitis--a possible precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma in the rat.

Esophageal reflux of duodenal contents converts a rat nitrosamine esophageal cancer model from squamous cell carcinoma to adenocarcinoma. Further, there was a tendency for male rats to have a higher incidence of cancer than female rats. However, chemical castration with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog leuprolide did not protect male or female animals from developing cancer.

A nuclear targeting peptide, M9, improves transfection efficiency in fibroblasts.

Background: Nonviral transfection of eukaryotic cells remains inefficient. Liposomes can transport DNA plasmid into the cytoplasm, but the nuclear membrane remains a barrier to efficient plasmid DNA transfection. But normal cells have mechanisms to transport nucleic acids across the nuclear membrane.

Novel nuclear shuttle peptide to increase transfection efficiency in esophageal mucosal cells.

The major barrier to successful transfection appears to be passage of the DNA plasmid from the cytoplasm into the cell nucleus. The M9 nuclear localization peptide, a fragment of the naturally occurring heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1, which serves to shuttle messenger RNA across the nuclear membrane, has been proposed as a tool for enhancing transfection efficiency. We tested three different reporter plasmids to assess the ability of M9 to improve transfection efficiency in esophageal mucosal cells.

Success and limitations of a naked plasmid transfection protocol for keratinocyte growth factor-1 to enhance cutaneous wound healing.

Our group and others have previously reported enhancement of cutaneous wound healing following the transfection of tissue with plasmid vectors expressing the DNA for growth factors. In these experiments, growth factor treated animals were usually compared to animals treated with control plasmid vector. To achieve consistent transfection, high DNA plasmid load and repeated penetrations of the wound by needle or gene gun were required.

Synthetic retinoid CD437 induces apoptosis of esophageal squamous HET-1A cells through the caspase-3-dependent pathway.

6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-2-naphthalene carboxylic acid (AHPN/CD437) is a novel retinoid that has shown to be a potent inducer of apoptosis in cancer cells. We investigated the apoptosis-inducing activity of CD437 and its mechanism of action in the human esophageal squamous epithelial cell line (HET-1A). CD437 decreased HET-1A cell viability in a time and dose dependent manner.

Evidence of androgen receptor expression in squamous and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

Androgen receptors (AR) are known to stimulate cellular proliferation in certain tumors. We have assessed the androgen receptor status of esophageal carcinoma in surgically resected specimens as well as in established human esophageal carcinoma cells lines. In these initial studies we sought to characterize the frequency of expression of androgen receptors in squamous versus adenocarcinoma and in male versus female patients, and to assess the possible influence of AR expression on survivaL We analyzed androgen receptor expression utilizing immunohistochemistry in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus in surgical specimens from 25 patients treated at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Acidic fibroblast growth factor overexpression partially protects 3T3 fibroblasts from apoptosis induced by synthetic retinoid CD437.

Retinoids are proapoptotic compounds with therapeutic potential for treating cancer. We evaluated the apoptotic effect of the novel retinoid CD437, and particularly its relationship to Akt and acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF). We hypothesized that the novel synthetic retinoid CD437 would exert its apoptotic effect by reducing the activity of Akt.

Protective immunity against herpes simplex virus generated by DNA vaccination compared to natural infection.

To evaluate the utility of plasmid DNA vaccination against disease caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), we compared the strength of protection against lethal challenge following natural virus infection with that following vaccination with a plasmid encoding HSV glycoprotein gD (gD-DNA). We further determined the cellular basis of each type of protection using lymphocyte deficient knockout mice. Establishment of immunity to HSV using live virus immunization required CD8+ T cells and B cells, but not CD4+ or gamma/delta+ T cells, and was related to specific antibody levels; surprisingly, CD4 knockout mice had large quantities of IgG anti-HSV serum antibodies.

Characterization of an aFGF gene expression vector with therapeutic potential.

Background: Topical application of growth factors to wounds has proven to be suboptimal in achieving epithelial growth and accelerating healing. We propose transfection of fibroblasts with a gene for acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) which will allow continuous, local delivery of the growth factor to wounds, ulcerative lesions, or healing tissues.

Methods: We utilized a pMEXneo vector containing the human aFGF gene with a secretory signal sequence from the hst/KS3 gene to obtain continuous secretion of therapeutic doses of aFGF.

Antibody response and protective capacity of plasmid vaccines expressing three different herpes simplex virus glycoproteins.

Plasmid expression vectors were constructed that contained the genes encoding herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) glycoproteins C (gC), D (gD), and E (gE). Mice receiving two intramuscular injections of expression plasmid (50 microg) produced a specific HSV-1 antibody response. Mice receiving the gD plasmid were protected against a lethal intraperitoneal challenge of HSV-1 (5 x 10(4) pfu) but not against more demanding challenge doses.

Evaluation of femoropopliteal arteries with duplex ultrasound after angioplasty. Can we predict results at one year?

Objectives: To determine if Duplex ultrasound (DUS) 1 day after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is prognostic for haemodynamic and clinical results at 1 year.

Design: Prospective study.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-four femoropopliteal artery segments were treated with PTA.

Iliac artery stenoses after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty: follow-up with duplex ultrasonography.

Purpose: To assess iliac artery stenosis before and up to 1 year after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with duplex ultrasound (DUS) to determine the incidence of residual and recurrent stenoses and correlate these findings to clinical outcome.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-one patients with 70 iliac artery segments treated with PTA were examined. The peak systolic velocity (PSV) ratio (PSV ratio = PSV in stenosis divided by PSV proximal or distal to stenosis) was determined by DUS before PTA and 1 day, 3 months and 1 year after PTA.