Long-term hybrid stability and matrix metalloproteinase inhibition by fucosterol in resin-dentin bonding biomechanics.

Fucosterols have been widely studied for their antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, they have not yet been studied in the field of dentistry. This study aimed to determine whether pretreatment of dentin with fucosterol before resin restoration enhances bond stability in resin-dentin hybrid layers.

Evaluation of three real-time PCR assays for differential identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and nontuberculous mycobacteria species in liquid culture media.

We evaluated the analytical performance of M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC)/nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) PCR assays for differential identification of MTBC and NTM using culture-positive liquid media. Eighty-five type strains and 100 consecutive mycobacterial liquid media cultures (MGIT 960 system) were analyzed by a conventional PCR assay (MTB-ID(®) V3) and three real-time PCR assays (AdvanSure™ TB/NTM real-time PCR, AdvanSure; GENEDIA(®) MTB/NTM Detection Kit, Genedia; Real-Q MTB & NTM kit, Real-Q).

The Significance of Sensitive Interferon Gamma Release Assays for Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Patients Receiving Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Antagonist Therapy.

Objective: We compared two interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs), QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) and T-SPOT.TB, for diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in patients before and while receiving tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antagonist therapy. This study evaluated the significance of sensitive IGRAs for LTBI screening and monitoring.

Comparison of the AdvanSure™ real-time RT-PCR and Seeplex(®) RV12 ACE assay for the detection of respiratory viruses.

The AdvanSure™ RV real-time PCR kit (AdvanSure; LG Life Sciences, Korea) is based on multiplex real-time PCR and can simultaneously detect 14 respiratory viruses. We compared the performance of the AdvanSure assay with the Seeplex RV 12 ACE detection kit (Seeplex; Seegene, Seoul, South Korea), a multiplex end-point PCR assay. A total of 454 consecutive respiratory specimens were tested with both AdvanSure and Seeplex assays; AdvanSure detected 153 (33.

Isolation and identification of fungi from a meju contaminated with aflatoxins.

A home-made meju sample contaminated naturally with aflatoxins was used for isolation of fungal strains. Overall, 230 fungal isolates were obtained on dichloran rosebengal chloramphenicol (DRBC) and dichloran 18% glycerol (DG18) agar plates. Morphological characteristics and molecular analysis of a partial beta-tubulin gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of rDNA were used for the identification of the isolates.

Selective cholinesterase inhibitory activities of a new monoterpene diglycoside and other constituents from Nelumbo nucifera stamens.

A new beta-cyclogeraniol diglycoside (5), along with four known components, cycloartenol (1), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), vanilloloside (3), and 5'-O-methyladenosine (4), were first isolated from the n-BuOH fraction of Nelumbo nucifera stamens. The chemical structure of 5 was elucidated as 1-hydroxymethyl-2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexene 9-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (nuciferoside) on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence, including 1D, 2D NMR, and MS. The anti-Alzheimer effects of 1-5 were evaluated via the acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and beta-site amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) inhibition assays.

Inhibitory effects of Nelumbo nucifera leaves on rat lens aldose reductase, advanced glycation endproducts formation, and oxidative stress.

The preventive and therapeutic potency against oxidative stress and diabetic complications of Nelumbo nucifera were evaluated via the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and total reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays, as well as the rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR) and advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) assays. The leaf extract of N. nucifera exerted potent antioxidant effects as well as marked inhibitory effects for RLAR and AGE formation, corresponding to high values for total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC).

Cloning of miniature pig HIF-1alpha and its responses to immunosuppressive agents.

Miniature pigs are worth notice as candidate donors for xenotransplantation. However, donor organs are inevitably subjected to hypoxia, which causes vascular endothelial dysfunction. In this respect, hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha), the key factor for hypoxic adaptation, should be expressed in grafts.

Hypolipidemic effects of Sophora flavescens and its constituents in poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemic and cholesterol-fed rats.

In this study, we investigated the hypolipidemic effects of Sophora flavescens in poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemic and cholesterol-fed rats. The MeOH extract and 4 fractions of S. flavescens were administered at doses of 250 and 100 mg/kg body weight, respectively, once a day for 3 d to the poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemic rats.

Preclinical evaluation of YC-1, a HIF inhibitor, for the prevention of tumor spreading.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) is believed to promote tumor growth, and thus, is viewed as one of the most compelling cancer therapy targets. YC-1 is widely used as a potent inhibitor of HIF-1alpha both in vitro and in vivo, and is also being developed as a novel anticancer drug. However, little is known about the effects of YC-1 on tumor invasion or metastasis.

FK506: an immunosuppressive agent preserving HIF-1 activity.

During transplantation, donor organs or cells are subjected to hypoxia. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is essential for cellular adaptation to hypoxia. Immunosuppressive agents should be used for preventing graft rejection, but of these, rapamycin and cyclosporine A have been reported to inhibit HIF-1.

Rat lens aldose reductase inhibitory constituents of Nelumbo nucifera stamens.

Aldose reductase, the principal enzyme of the polyol pathway, has been shown to play an important role in the complications associated with diabetes. A methanol extract of the stamens of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. was shown to exert an inhibitory effect on rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR), and thus was fractionated using several organic solvents, including dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol.

Isorhamnetin glycosides with free radical and ONOO-scavenging activities from the stamens of Nelumbo nucifera.

In this study, we isolated two new isorhamnetin glycosides, designated as nelumboroside A (3) and nelumboroside B (4), as well as the previously-characterized isorhamnetin glucoside (1) and isorhamnetin rutinoside (2), from the n-BuOH fraction of Nelumbo nucifera stamens. The structures of the two new compounds were then determined, using chemical and spectroscopic techniques. All isolated isorhamnetin glycosides 1-4 showed marked antioxidant activities in the DPPH, and ONOO- assays.

Phenolic glycosides from the stem bark of Albizzia julibrissin.

From the stem bark of Albizzia julibrissin DURAZZ (Leguminosae), two new phenolic glycosides (albibrissinosides A and B) were isolated. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The albibrissinoside B was found to be a radical scavenger on the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical.