A Flounder Fish Peptide Shows Anti-Hypertensive Effects by Suppressing the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System and Endothelin-1

BACKGROUND

Many fishes have been known for their good nutritional effects especially in the cardiovascular aspect. Some specific fish peptides have anti-hypertensive effects.

OBJECTIVE

In the present study, we hypothesized that the hexapeptide (MEVFVP) from flounder fish muscle can be a potent antihypertensive peptide, therefore, decided to perform this experiment.

METHODS

The peptide MEVFVP from flounder fish muscle (40 mg/kg) and vehicle were administered per os to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) (SHR-M and SHR-C, respectively). Additionally, plasma MEVFVP was measured serially before and after its oral administration to Sprague Dawley rats.

RESULTS

Blood pressures (BPs), especially systolic BP, in SHR rats were decreased around 3-6 hours after MEVFVP administration. Compared with SHR-C rats, endothelin-1 (ET-1) mRNA expression in multiple tissues, and plasma levels of ET-1, angiotensin II, and aldosterone were lower in SHR-M rats, whereas the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was increased in the kidney of SHR-M rats. The administered peptide was not detected in rat plasma, while ex vivo incubation of the peptide in rat plasma caused its rapid degradation within minutes.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that the MEVFVP has an antihypertensive effect by regulating renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, ET-1 and AMPK despite its limited bioavailability.

Development and Validation of an LC-MS/MS Assay to Quantitate 2',4',6'-Trihydroxyacetophenone in Rat and Dog Plasma and its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study

In the present study, a simple, rapid, and reliable bioanalytical method was developed using liquid chromatography with tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify 2',4',6'-trihydroxyacetophenone (THAP) in rat and dog plasma with 2',4',6'-trihydroxybenzaldehyde as an internal standard (IS). The LC-MS/MS instrument was operated in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode to detect THAP at m/z transition 166.89 > 82.8 and IS at 152.89 > 82.8, respectively. A simple, one-step protein precipitation (PP) method was employed with acetonitrile for sample preparation. Utilizing a Gemini C18 column, THAP and IS were separated with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of 10 mM ammonium acetate and methanol (10:90, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. Total chromatographic run time was 2.5 min per sample injection. The standard calibration curve for THAP was linear (r2 ≥ 0.9987) over the concentration range of 0.1 to 100 µg/mL with the lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 0.1 µg/mL (S/N ratio > 10). According to the regulatory guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), our newly developed biomedical analytical method was fully and adequately validated in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, linearity, intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy, recovery, matrix effect, stability, and dilution integrity. Our validated assay was successfully utilized in a nonclinical pharmacokinetic study of THAP in rats and dogs.

Differences between caregiver-perceived and dentist-assessed oral health status of patients among intellectual disabilities

OBJECTIVE

This study compared the caregiver-perceived and dentist-determined oral health status of patients with intellectual disabilities to determine factors that affect caregiver-perception of patients' oral health.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

297 patients [mean (SD) age = 51.9 (12.5) years] and 56 professional caregivers [42.1 (8.2) years] from three institutional facilities took part. Data were acquired via self-administered questionnaires by caregivers and oral examination by dentists. Oral hygiene condition, numbers of decayed and missing teeth, and periodontal disease reported by caregivers and dentists were compared using paired t-test and Pearson correlation. Demographic and dental factors of the patients and caregivers were analyzed using chi square and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

Caregivers underestimated decayed and missing teeth compared to dentists (p⟨0.05). Oral hygiene condition and periodontal disease were similarly rated by the two groups. Tooth brushing, diet type, sex, and overall oral health status of the patients were associated with caregiver perception (p⟨0.05). Career length and time since caregivers last received dental care were also related factors (p⟨0.05).

CONCLUSION

Professional caregivers of adult patients with intellectual disabilities had different perceptions of oral health status based on patient and caregiver circumstances.

Comparison of pharmacokinetic characteristics of sildenafil citrate chewable tablets and film-coated tablets in healthy male subjects

UI14SDF100CW is a chewable tablet of sildenafil citrate, which was developed to improve compliance through convenience of administration. The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of sildenafil citrate chewable tablets (UI14SDF100CW) and conventional sildenafil citrate film-coated tablets (Viagra®, Pfizer). A randomized, open-label, single dose, two-treatment, two-period, two-way crossover study was conducted in 60 healthy male volunteers. In each period, the subjects received a single oral dose of UI14SDF100CW or Viagra® (both tablets contain 140.45 mg of sildenafil citrate, which is equivalent to 100 mg of sildenafil). Serial blood samples were collected up to 24 h post-dose for PK analysis. The plasma concentration of sildenafil was determined using a validated HPLC-MS/MS assay. PK parameters of sildenafil were calculated using non-compartmental methods. The plasma concentration-time profiles of sildenafil in both formulations were similar. For UI14SDF100CW, the C_max and AUC_last of sildenafil were 1068.69 ± 458.25 (mean ± standard deviation) mg/L and 3580.59 ± 1680.29 h·mg/L, and the corresponding values for Viagra® were 1146.84 ± 501.70 mg/L and 3406.35 ± 1452.31 h·/L, respectively. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) of UI14SDF100CW to Viagra® for C_max and AUClast were 0.933 (0.853–1.021) and 1.034 (0.969–1.108), respectively, which met the bioequivalence criteria of Korean regulatory agency. In conclusion, UI14SDF100CW and Viagra® showed similar PK properties. Therefore, UI14SDF100CW can be an alternative to sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, providing better compliance.

3D reconstructions of spinal segmental arteries using CT angiography: applications in minimally invasive spinal procedures

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Injury to spinal segmental arteries may potentially occur during spinal surgery, particularly during anterior or minimally invasive approaches. Use of a noninvasive radiologic tool to evaluate these arteries before surgery may reduce this risk.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We performed spinal CT angiography and reconstructed 3D images of segmental arteries in 41 patients. We classified the pathways and locations of the segmental arteries into 4 zones (A, B, C, and D) according to pedicle and vertebral endplates. We designated segmental arteries from T8 to L1 as "high-level segmental arteries" and those from L2 to L4, as "low-level segmental arteries." We compared the distribution of segmental arteries between these 2 groups. We also investigated anatomic variations of segmental arteries and the rate of occurrence of the artery of Adamkiewicz.

RESULTS

In all patients, 3D reconstruction images from spinal CT angiography clearly showed the pathways of segmental arteries on the vertebral bodies. Most of the segmental arteries passed the middle portion of the vertebral body (zones B and C). However, 51 of 738 segmental arteries (6.9%) had uncommon pathways (zones A and D), and segmental arteries from L2 to L4 had a higher incidence of uncommon pathways than higher level vertebrae (P < .05). We also observed 2 types of segmental artery anatomic variation, agenesis and dual supply.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that spinal CT angiography can help to precisely visualize the spinal segmental arteries and surrounding bony structures and can aid clinicians in deciding on optimal approaches for spinal surgery.

Development of a Decision Support Model for Screening Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with Actigraph-based Measurements of Classroom Activity

OBJECTIVE

Questionnaire-based ADHD screening tests may not always be objective or accurate, owing to both subjectivity and prejudice. Despite attempts to develop objective measures to characterize ADHD, no widely applicable index currently exists. The principal aim of this study was to develop a decision support model for ADHD screening by monitoring children's school activities using a 3-axial actigraph.

METHODS

Actigraphs were placed on the non-dominant wrists of 153 children for 3 hours, while they were at school. Children who scored high on the questionnaires were clinically examined by child psychiatrists, who then confirmed ADHD. Mean, variance, and ratios of low-level (0.5-1.0G) and high-level (1.6-3.2G) activity were extracted as activity features from 142 children (10 ADHD, 132 non-ADHD). Two decision-tree models were constructed using the C5.0 algorithm: [A] from whole hours (class + playtime) and [B] during classes. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated. PPV, NPV, likelihood ratio, and AUC were also calculated for evaluation.

RESULTS

[Model A] One child without ADHD was misclassified, resulting in an accuracy score of 99.30%. Sensitivity and NPV were 1.0000. Specificity and PPV were 0.992 and 0.803-0.909, respectively. [Model B] Two children without ADHD were misclassified, resulting in an accuracy score of 98.59%. Specificity and PPV were scored at 0.985 and 0.671-0.832, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The selected features were consistent with the findings of previous studies. Objective screening of latent patients with ADHD can be accomplished with a simple watch-like sensor, which is worn for just a few hours while the child attends school. The model proposed herein can be applied to a great many children without heavy cost in time and manpower cost, and would generate valuable results from a public health perspective.

Toxoplasmosis: prevalence and risk factors

A total of 200 pregnant women were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women was found to be 49%, in which 39%, 4% and 6% for anti-Toxoplasma IgG, IgM and both anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. We found the differences in Toxoplasma seroprevalence rates among the races were significant: the highest rate was in the Malays (55.7%), followed by the Indian (55.3%) and the Chinese (19.4%) (P<0.05) populations. An increase in Toxoplasma seroprevalence with increasing parity was detected (P<0.05). Women with no children had a prevalence of 39.7%, while women with one or more than two children had a prevalence of 44.2% and 62.9%, respectively. In this study, there was no significant association between Toxoplasma seroprevalence and various possible risk factors in pregnant women (P>0.05). When multivariate analysis was performed, no significant association between Toxoplasma seroprevalence and history of contact with cats, consumption of undercooked meat and blood transfusion was found (P>0.05). We did not find any newly diagnosed cases of acute acquired toxoplasmosis in pregnancy during the study period.

Osteonecrosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

This study was to describe the findings of osteonecrosis in patients with SLE at MR and scintigraphic imaging. Among 415 patients with SLE, 37 patients were diagnosed to have osteonecrosis. MR images and bone scintigraphs were analyzed for sites of involvement, signal intensity, bilaterality and multiplicity. MR imaging features of osteonecrosis in patients with SLE included isointense signal intensity relative to adjacent bone marrow, hypointense rim, marginal enhancement and unusual involvement of flat bones. Bilateral and multiple involvements were common.

Toxoplasmosis in HIV/AIDS patients in Malaysia

Three hundred and one sera of HIV/AIDS patients were tested for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibody by ELISA technique. The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was 41.2% (95% CI: 35.5-46.9) in HIV/AIDS patients. The seroprevalence was significantly higher in the Malay (57.9%) than the Chinese (38.7%), followed by the Indian patients (29.6%) (p<0.05). No possible risk factor, such as contact with cats, consumption of uncooked meat, and history of blood transfusions was found to have any significant association with the presence of anti-Toxoplasma antibody in the study sample (p>0.05). Multivariate analysis was employed to find any association between Toxoplasma seroprevalence and a single subject having single or multiple risk factors. It was found that the association was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Among the HIV/AIDS study samples, 124 (41.2%) samples were found to have positive anti-Toxoplasma antibody, the association between the presence of anti-Toxoplasma antibody and CD4 cell count was determined but no statistically significant association was found (p>0.05). During the study period, only one case of active CNS toxoplasmosis was registered and the diagnostic criteria included: clinical presentations, CT scan finding, serological evidence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibody, and respose to anti-Toxoplasma therapy.

Giant dielectric permittivity observed in pb-based perovskite ferroelectrics

Giant dielectric permittivity was observed in La-modified PbTiO (3) (PLT) with A-site vacancy. The observed values of PLT with A-site vacancy are 1 order of magnitude larger than those of relaxor ferroelectrics. The giant relative dielectric permittivity, coupled with a low dielectric loss (tandelta approximately 0.03) of the PLT, potentially makes it one of the most promising materials for numerous modern technological applications.

Betulinans A and B, two benzoquinone compounds from Lenzites betulina

Two lipid peroxidation inhibitors, designated as betulinans A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the MeOH extract of Lenzites betulina. The structures of these compounds have been determined to be 2,5-diphenyl-3,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone and 2-phenyl-3-methoxy-[1H-2-benzopyran][4,3-e][p]benzoquinone, respectively, on the basis of various spectral data. Betulinans A and B inhibited lipid peroxidation with IC50 values of 0.46 and 2.88 micrograms/mL, respectively.

Characterization of carbohydrate-peptide linkage of acidic heteroglycopeptide with immuno-stimulating activity from mycelium of Phellinus linteus

The carbohydrate-peptide linkage in acidic heteroglycopeptide from Phellinus linteus was characterized. Amino acid analysis showed large amounts of serine and threonine. Beta-Elimination results in the reduction of serine and threonine and a subsequent increase in alanine after reduction. These results indicated the presence of O-type linkage in the polymer.

B-lymphocyte-stimulating polysaccharide from mushroom Phellinus linteus

Hot water extract prepared from the mycelial culture of mushroom Phellinus linteus stimulated polyclonal antibody production in an in vitro culture system. The active fraction PLP was purified from the extract ca. 1030-fold by ethanol precipitation followed by DEAE-cellulose and gel permeation chromatography. PLP contained 13.2% (w/w) peptide and 82.5% (w/w) carbohydrate. About 6.8% (w/w) of the total carbohydrate was uronic acid. The molecular weight distribution of PLP was found to be nearly homogeneous (153 kDa) in gel permeation HPLC analysis. Neutral sugar composition analysis revealed Ara (7.5%), Xyl (3.7%), Glc (21.1%), Gal (24.1%) and Man (44.2%). Uronic acid was identified as a glucuronic acid by gas chromatography. Ten amino acids were detected and Asp and Glu were the major components. In our assay system, the half-maximal concentration of PLP for B-lymphocyte stimulation was ca. 3 micrograms/ml. Partial acid hydrolysis as well as sodium periodate treatment of PLP decreased the activity significantly, suggesting that both the full molecular size and the sugar moiety were essential. However, proteinase K treatment for up to 48 h did not affect the activity.

Use of bacterially-expressed antigen for detection of antibodies to the EBV-specific deoxyribonuclease in sera from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

A cDNA clone, BG9, corresponding to the open reading frame BGLF5 of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNase was inserted into an E. coli expression vector, pET3a, to generate a recombinant plasmid, pDNase 5. High level of expression of a DNase activity was detected in the E. coli transformed with pDNase 5 following induction with IPTG. The enzyme activity was purified using DEAE-cellulose, phosphocellulose and DNA-cellulose column chromatography. The purified protein appeared to be nearly homogeneous in SDS-PAGE using Coomassie blue staining. The requirement for divalent cations and optimum pH as well as inhibitory concentrations of ionic strength and polyamines for the purified enzyme activity were determined and seemed to be very similar to those of the enzyme activity purified from an EBV producing lymphoblastoid cell line. Using the purified enzyme as an antigen and anti-IgA as the secondary antibody, 82% (64/78) and 91% (71/78) of sera from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were shown to be positive by dot immunobinding assay and ELISA, respectively. The results suggest that purified E. coli expressed EBV DNase may be useful for preparing specific test for large scale screening of patients with NPC.

Use of antigen expressed in bacteria for detection of EBV-specific thymidine kinase antibodies in sera from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Two cDNA clones covering the N- and C-terminal portions of the EBV BXLF1 open reading frame were selected from a cDNA library derived from P3HR1 cells. The two clones were ligated, the N-terminal untranslated region truncated, and the product inserted into an E. coli expression vector, pET3CP*. The fusion protein was expressed under control of the T7 phage phi 10 gene promoter and shown to possess thymidine kinase activity. The protein was then used as an antigen to detect antibody reactivities in serum samples of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and healthy blood donors. Using a 1:400 dilution of serum samples in Western blot analyses, it was possible to differentiate the reactivities of serum IgA of NPC patients and healthy donors. The prevalence of positive reactivity to EBV TK in NPC was around 84%. The test was compared to others used for early diagnosis of NPC and was able to detect some patients who were negative in those tests.

Prevalence of antibody to Epstein-Barr virus DNase in children

Antibodies to Epstein-Barr-virus-specific DNase in children under 15 years old from Taipei, Taiwan were determined by an enzyme neutralization test. Serum was taken as positive for the anti-DNase antibody when 1 ml of serum could neutralize > or = 2 units of the DNase activity. Among the 1,292 sera tested, 5.6% of the children were shown to have anti-EBV DNase antibodies, a result similar to that for adults. Maternal antibodies against the EBV DNase were found to decrease very rapidly 2 months after the child's birth, and new antibody appeared upon natural EBV infection.

Analysis of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in nude mouse-passaged nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues

DNAs extracted from two series of nude mouse-passaged nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues, NPC-295 and -306, and P3HR1 cells were digested with restriction enzyme Bam HI, then electrophoresed on agarose gel and analysed for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA fragments by Southern hybridization with 27 radioactive Bam HI DNA fragments and the Eco RI Dhet DNA fragment from cloned EBV DNA of B95-8 cell line. Constant hybridization patterns were revealed in these experiments and the results suggest a stable existence of EBV DNA including replicative form and episomal form in these tissues even after a long time of passage. Neither deletion in YH region nor in I region could be detected when using Bam HI Y, H and I as probes, suggesting the EBV in these tissues are "more complete" viruses. When Bam HI F was used as a probe, an extra Bam HI site was revealed in the analysis of the DNA from NPC-295 suggesting the polymorphism of DNA present in this region. Restriction maps of EBV DNAs in both nude mouse-passaged NPC tissues are proposed. The results suggest that nude mouse-passaged NPC tissue is a good model to study the structure of EBV DNA in tumor tissue.

Antibody to Epstein-Barr virus-specific DNase as a marker for field survey of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Taiwan

A serological survey using antibody to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific DNase activity as a marker for the identification of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been carried out on healthy subjects who visited Government Employees' Clinic Center (GECC) for routine health examination and on individuals residing in NPC high-risk areas (HRA) in Taiwan. During a 3-year prospective study, 22,596 and 9,869 sera were collected from the GECC and HRA groups, respectively. Taking neutralization of 2 or more units of EBV DNase activity as a positive response, the positivity rates in the GECC and HRA groups were 5.4% and 11.92%, respectively. Among the antibody-positive individuals, three cases of NPC were found in the GECC group (detection rate 0.63%) and 11 in the HRA group (detection rate 1.32%). A further patient at stage III of the disease was found in the first year of following up of 1,005 antibody-positive individuals. Among the 12 NPC patients in the HRA, five were newly diagnosed as having stage II (three patients) and stage III (two patients) NPC. These results support the hypothesis that antibody against EBV-specific DNase activity may be a useful marker for detection of patients with NPC, and they imply that individuals having high levels of antibody to EBV DNase activity may have an increased risk of development of NPC.

Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus-specific DNase in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and control groups

Serum samples from 154 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), 374 with other cancers, 1,000 normal controls from Government Employees' Clinic Center (GECC), and 3,642 individuals of various ethnic-dialect groups living in high-risk areas for NPC were collected and the concentration of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific DNase activity was determined. Taking a serum sample where 1 ml will neutralize two or more units of the DNase activity as positive, 2-4 units as low level, 4-6 units as medium level, and more than 6 units as a high level of antibody, 90.3% of the NPC patients contained significant amounts of antibodies to EBV-specific DNase activity and most of those had high levels of the antibody. In contrast, only 11% of sera from patients with cancers other than NPC contained antibodies to EBV-specific DNase activity, and high levels were very rare (2.1%). The difference in positive rates between these two groups is highly significant according to the chi 2 test (P less than 0.001). The positive rate of this antibody in the control group (GECC) was 5.3% with 0.0%, 0.8%, and 4.5% having high, medium, and low levels of antibodies, respectively. Again, the difference in positive rates between the GECC group and the NPC group is statistically significant (P less than 0.001). Taken separately, the positive rates of anti-EBV DNase activity in the three high-risk groups were 11.7%, 13.0%, and 13.1%. No significant difference in age distribution for the levels of this antibody was observed in the control GECC group or the three high-risk groups. However, the positive rates of the three high-risk groups are more than twice those of the GECC group (11.7% approximately 13.1% vs 5.3%). This ratio coincides with the ratio of the probability of developing NPC in high-risk groups compared to that of the GECC group (also more than two times). The significance of this coincidence is discussed.