Dietary supplementation with glutamate precursor α-ketoglutarate attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury in young pigs.

There is growing interest in glutamate as a functional amino acid in nutrition and health. This study was conducted to determine whether glutamate precursor α-ketoglutarate (AKG) could alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in young pigs. Twenty-four piglets were randomly assigned to the control, LPS, or LPS + AKG group.

The Nutraceutical Bioavailability Classification Scheme: Classifying Nutraceuticals According to Factors Limiting their Oral Bioavailability.

The oral bioavailability of a health-promoting dietary component (nutraceutical) may be limited by various physicochemical and physiological phenomena: liberation from food matrices, solubility in gastrointestinal fluids, interaction with gastrointestinal components, chemical degradation or metabolism, and epithelium cell permeability. Nutraceutical bioavailability can therefore be improved by designing food matrices that control their bioaccessibility (B*), absorption (A*), and transformation (T*) within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). This article reviews the major factors influencing the gastrointestinal fate of nutraceuticals, and then uses this information to develop a new scheme to classify the major factors limiting nutraceutical bioavailability: the nutraceutical bioavailability classification scheme (NuBACS).

Involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κB signaling pathways in perfluorooctane sulfonic acid-induced inflammatory reaction in BV2 microglial cells.

Microglial activation is closely related to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases by producing proinflammatory cytokines. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), known as an emerging persistent organic pollutant, is reported to disturb human immune homeostasis; however, whether it affects cytokine production or the immune response in the central nervous system remains unclear. The present study was aimed to explore whether PFOS contributed to inflammatory action and to investigate the corresponding mechanisms in BV2 microglia.

Utilizing food matrix effects to enhance nutraceutical bioavailability: increase of curcumin bioaccessibility using excipient emulsions.

Excipient foods have compositions and structures specifically designed to improve the bioaccessibility of bioactive agents present in other foods coingested with them. In this study, an excipient emulsion was shown to improve the solubility and bioaccessibility of curcumin from powdered rhizome turmeric (Curcuma longa). Corn oil-in-water emulsions were mixed with curcumin powder, and the resulting mixtures were incubated at either 30 °C (to simulate a salad dressing) or 100 °C (to simulate a cooking sauce).

Effects of Bisphenol A on glucose homeostasis and brain insulin signaling pathways in male mice.

The potential effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on peripheral insulin resistance have recently gained more attention, however, its functions on brain insulin resistance are still unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of BPA on insulin signaling and glucose transport in mouse brain. The male mice were administrated of 100 μg/kg/day BPA or vehicle for 15 days then challenged with glucose and insulin tolerance tests.

Influence of physical state of β-carotene (crystallized versus solubilized) on bioaccessibility.

β-Carotene has potentially beneficial biological effects. However, its use is currently limited because of its low water-solubility, high melting point, and low oral bioavailability. This study investigated the influence of physical state (crystalline versus solubilized) on the bioaccessibility of β-carotene using a simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) model.

Analysis of 10 metabolites of polymethoxyflavones with high sensitivity by electrochemical detection in high-performance liquid chromatography.

Polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) have been known as a type of bioactive flavones that possess various beneficial biological functions. Accumulating evidence demonstrated that the metabolites of PMFs, that is, hydroxyl PMFs (OH-PMFs), had more potent beneficial biological effects than their corresponding parent PMFs. To facilitate the further identification and quantification of OH-PMFs in biological samples, the aim of this study was to develop a methodology for the simultaneous determination of 10 OH-PMFs using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrochemistry detection.

Distribution and uptake pathways of organochlorine pesticides in greenhouse and conventional vegetables.

The application of greenhouse vegetable cultivation has dramatically expanded worldwide during the last several decades. However, little information is available on the distribution and uptake of pesticides in greenhouse vegetables. To bridge this knowledge gap, the present study was initiated to investigate the distribution and uptake of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in vegetables from plastic greenhouse and conventional cultivation methods.

Aerobic granules cultivated and operated in continuous-flow bioreactor under particle-size selective pressure.

A novel method based on the selective pressure of particle size (particle-size cultivation method, PSCM) was developed for the cultivation and operation of aerobic granular sludge in a continuous-flow reactor, and compared with the conventional method based on the selective pressure of settling velocity (settling-velocity cultivation method, SVCM). Results indicated that aerobic granules could be cultivated in continuous operation mode by this developed method within 14days. Although in the granulation process, under particle-size selective pressure, mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) in the reactor fluctuated greatly and filamentous bacteria dominated the sludge system during the initial operation days, no obvious difference in profile was found between the aerobic granules cultivated by PSCM and SVCM.

Enhancing vitamin E bioaccessibility: factors impacting solubilization and hydrolysis of α-tocopherol acetate encapsulated in emulsion-based delivery systems.

Oil-soluble vitamins are often encapsulated within emulsion-based delivery systems to facilitate their incorporation into aqueous-based products. We have examined the influence of carrier oil type and simulated small intestinal fluid (SSIF) composition on the bioaccessibility of emulsified vitamin E using a gastrointestinal model. Oil-in-water emulsions containing vitamin E acetate were prepared using bile salts as emulsifier, and either long chain triacylglycerols (glyceryl trioleate, LCT) or medium chain triacylglycerols (glyceryl trioctanoate, MCT) as carrier oils.

α-ENaC, a therapeutic target of dexamethasone on hydrogen sulfide induced acute pulmonary edema.

Acute pulmonary edema (APE) is one of the fatal outcomes after exposure to high levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), available evidence suggest that dexamethasone (DXM), a potent anti-inflammatory agent, has been widely used or proposed as a therapeutic approach for H2S-induced APE in clinical practice, however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Ample evidence suggest that epithelial Na(+) channel, especially for the subunit α-epithelial Na(+) channel (α-ENaC) plays a critical role in alveolar fluid clearance. Therefore, the present study is undertaken to investigate the effects of DXM on α-ENaC following H2S exposure.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 protects against high glucose induced cellular damage and dysfunction of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase in endothelial cells.

Aims: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a powerful endocrine hormone modulating glucose and lipid metabolism and represents a promising drug for type 2 diabetes. The present study was to determine the effect of FGF21 on high glucose-induced damage and dysfunction in endothelial cells.

Methods: The protein expression of β-klotho was examined in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVECs) using immunofluorescence and Western blotting.

Chemical and cellular antioxidative properties of threadfin bream (Nemipterus spp.) surimi byproduct hydrolysates fractionated by ultrafiltration.

Protein hydrolysate from frame, bone and skin (FBSH) of threadfin bream was prepared using Virgibacillus sp. SK33 proteinase and fractionated using sequential ultrafiltration membranes with molecular weight cut-offs (MWCO) of 30, 5 and 1 kDa, respectively. Four fractions, namely FBSH-I (>30 kDa), FBSH-II (5-30 kDa), FBSH-III (1-5 kDa), and FBSH-IV (<1 kDa), were obtained.

Dexmedetomidine inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated microglia by suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase.

Objective: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been implicated in modulating the inflammatory response in central nervous system (CNS). However, the mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study, we evaluate the effects of DEX on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglia activation and elucidate its possible signaling pathway involved in its anti-inflammatory effects.

MAPK and NF-κB pathways are involved in bisphenol A-induced TNF-α and IL-6 production in BV2 microglial cells.

Microglial activation has been reported to play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Bisphenol A (BPA, 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane), known as a ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemical, is reported to perform both mimic- and anti-estrogen properties; however, whether it affects cytokine production or immune response in central nervous system remains unclear. The present study was aimed to explore whether BPA was involved in inflammatory action and to investigate the potential mechanisms in microglial cells.

Virtual finger boosts three-dimensional imaging and microsurgery as well as terabyte volume image visualization and analysis.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioimaging, visualization and data analysis are in strong need of powerful 3D exploration techniques. We develop virtual finger (VF) to generate 3D curves, points and regions-of-interest in the 3D space of a volumetric image with a single finger operation, such as a computer mouse stroke, or click or zoom from the 2D-projection plane of an image as visualized with a computer. VF provides efficient methods for acquisition, visualization and analysis of 3D images for roundworm, fruitfly, dragonfly, mouse, rat and human.

Duret hemorrhage after lumbar drainage.

Lumbar drainage (LD) is considered as a simple and effective procedure for the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage with ventricular involvement. However, cerebrospinal fluid overdrainage and hypovolemia due to LD could induce severe fatal complications, which include transtentorial herniation and infratentorial hemorrhage. Here, we describe a 63-year-old man with transtentorial herniations and Duret hemorrhage attributable to LD after the operation of thalamic hematoma removal.

Involvement of CaM-CaMKII-ERK in bisphenol A-induced Sertoli cell apoptosis.

Bisphenol A (BPA), one of the most prevalent chemicals for daily use, has been reported as a xenoestrogen to induce reproductive toxicity, but its mechanism is poorly understood. In the present study, we aimed to explore whether CaM-CaMKII-ERK1/2 signaling pathway was involved in BPA-induced Sertoli cells injury via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. TM4 cells were cultured with 0, 0.

Effects of estradiol on voltage-gated potassium channels in mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons.

Voltage-gated potassium channels are regulators of membrane potentials, action potential shape, firing adaptation, and neuronal excitability in excitable tissues including in the primary sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglion (DRG). In this study, using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, the effect of estradiol (E2) on voltage-gated total outward potassium currents, the component currents transient "A-type" current (I A) currents, and "delayed rectifier type" (I KDR) currents in isolated mouse DRG neurons was examined. We found that the extracellularly applied 17β-E2 inhibited voltage-gated total outward potassium currents; the effects were rapid, reversible, and concentration-dependent.

Excipient foods: designing food matrices that improve the oral bioavailability of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.

The oral bioavailability of many lipophilic bioactive agents (pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals) is limited due to various physicochemical and physiological processes: poor release from food or drug matrices; low solubility in gastrointestinal fluids; metabolism or chemical transformation within the gastrointestinal tract; low epithelium cell permeability. The bioavailability of these agents can be improved by specifically designing food matrices that control their release, solubilization, transport, metabolism, and absorption within the gastrointestinal tract. This article discusses the impact of food composition and structure on oral bioavailability, and how this knowledge can be used to design excipient foods for improving the oral bioavailability of lipophilic bioactives.

Tangeretin-loaded protein nanoparticles fabricated from zein/β-lactoglobulin: preparation, characterization, and functional performance.

The aim of this study was to design a colloidal delivery system to encapsulate poor water-soluble bioactive flavonoid tangeretin so that it could be utilized in various food products as functional ingredient. Tangeretin-loaded protein nanoparticles were produced by mixing an organic phase containing zein and tangeretin with an aqueous phase containing β-lactoglobulin and then converted into powder by freeze-drying. This powder formed a colloidal suspension when dispersed in water that is relatively stable to particle aggregation and sedimentation.

Dexamethasone ameliorates H₂S-induced acute lung injury by alleviating matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 expression.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is one of the fatal outcomes after exposure to high levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) especially MMP-2 and MMP-9 are believed to be involved in the development of ALI by degrading the extracellular matrix (ECM) of blood-air barrier. However, the roles of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in H2S-induced ALI and the mechanisms of dexamethasone (DXM) in treating ALI in clinical practice are still largely unknown. The present work was aimed to investigate the roles of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in H2S-induced ALI and the protective effects of DXM.

Bone metabolism status and associated risk factors in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The prevalence of osteoporosis in older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is higher than in the age-matched elderly patients, but the exact cause in relation to COPD is not clear. We hypothesized that the underlying causes for this difference are related to bone metabolism with the possible risk factors that include the duration of COPD, GOLD grade, cor pulmonale, the frequencies of acute exacerbations within the past year, smoking and inhaled corticosteroid therapy. We conducted a matched-pair study of 100 patients aged older than 65 years at the Southwest Hospital from May to November 2012.

Apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells induced by S-alkenylmercaptocysteine (CySSR) species derived from Allium tissues in combination with sodium selenite.

S-Allylmercaptocysteine (CySSA) from garlic is known to exhibit anti-cancer effects. Apoptosis induction by CySSA was contrasted with S-1-propenylmercaptocysteine (CySSPe) (the major onion analog) in the presence of Na2SeO3 (Se) in breast cancer cells MCF-7. The dose of CySSA or CySSPe alone required to reduce viable cells by 50% was >400μM, and this was reduced to 62μM and 91μM for CySSA+Se and CySSPe+Se, respectively, at molar ratios of 39:1.