A functional chicken-liver hydrolysate-based supplement ameliorates alcohol liver disease via regulation of antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and antiapoptosis

Tons of broiler livers are produced yearly in Taiwan but always considered waste. Our team has successfully patented and characterized a chicken-liver hydrolysate (CLH) with several biofunctions. Chronic alcohol consumption causes hepatosteatosis or even hepatitis, cirrhosis, and cancers. This study was to investigate the hepatoprotection of CLH-based supplement (GBHP01™) against chronic alcohol consumption. Results showed that GBHP01™ could reduce (p < .05) enlarged liver size, lipid accumulation/steatosis scores, and higher serum AST, ALT, γ-GT, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels induced by an alcoholic liquid diet. GBHP01™ reduced liver inflammation and apoptosis in alcoholic liquid-diet-fed mice via decreasing TBARS, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels, increasing reduced GSH/TEAC levels and activities of SOD, CAT and GPx, as well as downregulating CYP2E1, BAX/BCL2, Cleaved CASPASE-9/Total CASPASE-9 and Active CASPASE-3/Pro-CASPASE-3 (p < .05). Furthermore, GBHP01™ elevated hepatic alcohol metabolism (ADH and ALDH activities) (p < .05). In conclusion, this study prove the hepatoprotection of GBHP01™ against alcohol consumption.

Copper(I)-Catalyzed Nitrile-Addition/N-Arylation Ring-Closure Cascade: Synthesis of 5,11-Dihydro-6H-indolo[3,2-c]quinolin-6-ones as Potent Topoisomerase-I Inhibitors

In this paper, we present a copper(I)-catalyzed nitrile-addition/N-arylation ring-closure cascade for the synthesis of 5,11-dihydro-6H-indolo[3,2-c]quinolin-6-ones from 2-(2-bromophenyl)-N-(2-cyanophenyl)acetamides. Using CuBr and t-BuONa in dimethylformamide (DMF) as the optimal reaction conditions, the cascade reaction gave the target products, in high yields, with a good substrate scope. Application of the cascade reaction was demonstrated on the concise total syntheses of alkaloid isocryptolepine. Further optimization of the products from the cascade reaction led to 3-chloro-5,12-bis[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-5,12-dihydro-6H-[1,3]dioxolo[4',5':5,6]indolo[3,2-c]quinolin-6-one (2k), which exhibited the characteristic DNA topoisomerase-I inhibitory mechanism of action with potent in vitro anticancer activity. Compound 2k actively inhibited ARC-111- and SN-38-resistant HCT-116 cells and showed in vivo activity in mice bearing human HCT-116 and SJCRH30 xenografts. The interaction of 2k with the Top-DNA cleavable complex was revealed by docking simulations to guide the future optimization of 5,11-dihydro-6H-indolo[3,2-c]quinolin-6-ones as topoisomerase-I inhibitors.

Suppressive effects of an apoptotic mimicry prepared from jumbo-flying squid-skin phospholipids on the osteoclastogenesis in receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand/macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced RAW 264.7 cells

BACKGROUND

Liposomes containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and phosphatidylserine were claimed to inhibit osteoclast formation and bone resorption in the inflammatory status. Herein, we proposed that an apoptotic mimicry (SQ liposome) prepared from squid-skin phospholipids can explore the suppressive osteoclastogenesis.

METHODS

The intermolecular fatty-acid composition in the phospholipid of squid-skin extract was analyzed by GC-FID. The SQ liposome structure was characterized by size distribution and zeta potential (ζ). RAW 264.7 cell is used to study the effect of SQ liposomes on osteoclast differentiation. Secretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) from RAW 264.7 cells were assayed. Antiosteoclastogenesis effects were performed via the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cell (MNC) counting, bone resorption pit assay, and TRAP activity analysis. The specific gene expressions related to antiosteoclastogenesis were also detected.

RESULTS

An apoptotic mimicry through the use of a single-layer liposome (SQ liposome) with phosphatidylserine exposure contains DHA (28.7%) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 11.8%). Co-treatment with receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL)/macrophage colony-stimulating factor induced RAW 264.7-cell differentiation into mature osteoclasts, thus enhancing PGE2 and TGF-β secretion. However, cotreatment with 1 mg/mL of SQ liposome restored (p < 0.05) the cell viabilities under the RANKL stress. Increased PGE2 levels was downregulated (p < 0.05) in cotreatments with 0.11 and 0.33 mg/mL of SQ liposome, but on the TGF-β levels were not (p > 0.05) influenced in SQ liposome cotreatments. Cotreatments with 0.33-1 mg/mL of SQ liposome suppressed (p < 0.05) the osteoclast maturation (such as decreased MNCs and bone pit formation), inhibited TRAP activities, and downregulated the osteoclastogenesis-related gene expressions.

CONCLUSION

In summary, current data support that a possible prevention of our prepared SQ liposomes which are rich in DHA and EPA on bone loss is through the suppression of osteoclastogenesis. Moreover, based on the results from this study an in vivo study warrants a further investigation.

Manufacture and characterization of anti-inflammatory liposomes from jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) skin phospholipid extraction

The anti-inflammation properties of marine phospholipids enriched with n-3 fatty acids contribute to anti-inflammatory and inflammation-resolving mediators. Functional squid-skin (SQ) liposomes were manufactured from squid-skin phospholipids, and their anti-inflammatory effects were investigated. SQ liposomes included phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and lysophosphatidylcholine (Lyso-PC), and had an approximate diameter of 100 mm. When RAW264.7 cells were treated with the SQ liposome, no (p > 0.05) cytotoxicity was observed below a concentration of 7.5 mg mL-1. An SQ-liposome pretreatment of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells showed decreased (p < 0.05) prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). The engulfment of SQ liposomes by the RAW264.7 cells resulted in lower (p < 0.05) LPS-induced intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, an SQ-liposome administration ameliorated (p < 0.05) carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice. SQ liposomes may act via apoptotic mimicry to elicit the resolution of inflammation and prevent chronic inflammation-related diseases.

Serotonin transporter gene promoter polymorphism is associated with body mass index and obesity in non-elderly stroke patients

BACKGROUND

The serotonergic system is involved in the complex behavioral and physiological process in maintaining energy balance. Genetic factors regulating serotonergic function may have links with the development of obesity.

AIM

To investigate whether the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene is associated with body mass index (BMI) and obesity in stroke patients.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The study included 376 patients (65.3+/-11.3 yr; male, 61.7%) with stroke. Associations between the 5-HTTLPR and BMI and obesity (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) were examined in all subjects. In order to test age-dependent effects of the genetic variant, the association was also examined in the non-elderly subgroup (<65 yr) and the elderly subgroup (> or =65 yr) respectively.

RESULTS

For non-elderly subjects, the SS genotype was independently associated with increased BMI level (beta=1.84, p=0.037) and obesity (odds ratio 4.17, 95% CI 1.25-14.0, p=0.021) when the LL genotype was used as the reference. The association was not found for all patients or in the elderly subgroup. The LS genotype was not different from the LL genotype in BMI level or risk of obesity, either for all subjects or with regard to the non-elderly and elderly subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

The SS genotype of 5-HTTLPR is an independent determinant of increased BMI level and obesity in non-elderly stroke patients but not in elderly patients. An age-dependent modification for the effect of the 5-HTTLPR on development of obesity is considered.

A perturbation of antithrombin-III and protein C coupling associates with an increase of anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibody in non-antiphospholipid antibody syndrome cerebral ischemia

Anti-beta -glycoprotein I antibody (abetaGPI) has been recognized in raising the risk of cerebral ischemia in patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), especially by protein C (PC) axis perturbation. Although a high potential is also seen in non-APS patients, the mechanism is substantially unknown. In the present study, we examined the effect of abetaGPI on PC and antithrombin-III (AT-III) activity in non-APS patients with non-cardiac cerebral ischemia (NCCI). A total of 111 NCCI patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. They were free of APS manifestation, and their anticardiolipin antibody and lupus anticoagulant tests were within normal range. There were 14.4% patients found to have an abnormal increase of blood abetaGPI. The PC, AT-III, albumin, aminotransferases, creatinine, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time did not differ between our patients and controls, or patients with or without increased abetaGPI. However, a marked decrease of the PC/AT-III ratio was found in patients with increased abetaGPI. The correlation between PC and AT-III activity was highly significant in patients with an increase of abetaGPI (P = 0.001), only marginal in controls (P = 0.042), and was insignificant in patients with a normal abetaGPI (P = 0.277). The abetaGPI did not correlate to PC or AT-III activity in either patients or controls. These findings suggest that high PC/AT-III coupling may relate to NCCI in non-APS patients associated with an increase of abetaGPI. This coupling effect seems not to be caused by abetaGPI directly.

Transtentorial cerebellar c-jun expression after focal cerebral cortical injury in mice

Delayed and remote effect of focal cerebral cortical lesion on cerebellum remains unclear. The c-Jun, an inducible transcription factor of cellular immediate early gene, is the predominant transcription factor and consistent marker for neurons that respond to stress or injury. We use a mouse cryogenic injury model to study the spatial and temporal changes of c-jun in the cerebellum after focal neocortical lesion. A transient and moderate expression of c-jun mRNA was found in the cerebellum with central dominance since 3 day postinjury and gradually subsided within 2 weeks. A distinct increment of c-Jun protein expression in Purkinje cells of the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres with focal connotation in the vermis was detected since 1 week postinjury. These findings suggest that the delayed and remote c-jun expression of the cerebellum, functionally connected with the cerebral cortex, indicate transneuronal gene activation.

Intracranial fatigable ptosis

Two patients sought treatment for bilateral fatigable ptosis; one patient had a hematoma, and the other patient had an intracranial metastasis. Compression of the central caudal nucleus in the dorsal midbrain is proposed as the cause of this ptosis, and an alteration of central acetylcholine neurotransmission may contribute to ocular fatigability. Because symptoms that suggest fatigable ptosis can be similar to those that suggest ocular myasthenia gravis, a careful evaluation is necessary to avoid misinterpretation.

An unusual concomitant tremor and myoclonus after a contralateral infarct at thalamus and subthalamic nucleus

A 72-year-old woman experienced a sudden onset of spontaneous tremor and myoclonus of right extremities that completely subsided 24 hours after onset. Neuroimaging study revealed an infarct at the left ventral portion of thalamus and subthalamic nucleus. Concomitant dyskinetic movement disorders after stroke are extremely rare and the mechanism is herein discussed.

The presentation of serum lipids and uric acid in cerebral ischemia

In this study, we examine the relationship between serum lipids and uric acid in nonembolic cerebral ischemia (NECI) patients. The serum level of total cholesterol (TC) and uric acid increased significantly in male, while TC and triglyceride in female patients. The increase of TC was more significance in female patients. There was no correlation between serum lipids and uric acid in NECI patients or controls, but a significant correlation between triglyceride and uric acid was present in diabetic patient. These findings suggest that lipids and uric acid are essential risk factors for cerebral ischemia in our population. Although there is no association of their metabolism, their parallellic abnormality in diabetic NECI individuals indicates that some possible factors changing in diabetics can influence the metabolic pathway of both lipid and uric acid, which may promote each other for atherogenesis in diabetics.

Prevalence of Legionella pneumophila infection in children and its role in pediatric community-acquired atypical pneumonia

The infection status of Legionella pneumophila in children and its role in pediatric community-acquired pneumonia were investigated. Because exposure to Legionella pneumophila may be highly variable and there has been no unanimously agreed-upon cut-off values in previous seroprevalence studies, 60 serum samples collected from infants aged 12 to 18 months were examined using immunofluorescence antibody test to determine the cut-off titer which represents past Legionella pneumophila infection. An IFA titer of greater than or equal to 32 was found to be suitable to represent past L. pneumophila infection. A seroepidemiological study of the prevalence of L. pneumophila in 180 children showed the prevalences in children aged 7 to 18 years to be between 28.4 and 35%. Fifty-three paired sera were tested to determine the role of Legionella pneumophila in pediatric, community-acquired, atypical pneumonia. The frequency of confirmed disease was 0% and of presumptive cases was 5.7%. Legionella pneumophila was not a common etiologic agent of pediatric pneumonia in Taiwan.

Detection and sequence analysis of a new herpesvirus-like agent in AIDS and non-AIDS Kaposi's sarcoma in Taiwan

A new herpesvirus-like DNA sequence (KSHV) has been recently identified in Kaposi's sarcoma from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and non-AIDS patients. In order to verify the role of this new viral agent in Taiwan, a series of Kaposi's sarcoma specimens obtained from AIDS and non-AIDS patients in three medical centers representing different geographic locations of Taiwan were surveyed. A total of seven specimens from AIDS patients and 22 specimens from non-AIDS patients were tested for the presence of this herpesvirus-like agent by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the published Kaposi's sarcoma 330-233 primers. The tumor DNA was also tested for cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and human herpes-virus type 6 (HHV-6). The Kaposi's sarcoma specimens from AIDS and non-AIDS patients were positive for KSHV except in one case. Only occasional specimens were positive for CMV and EBV, with a slightly higher positive rate for HHV-6 in AIDS and non-AIDS patients. Cloning and sequence analysis of the PCR products from two cases of Kaposi's sarcoma (one each for AIDS and non-AIDS) revealed only minor differences in this DNA sequence, as compared with the published data from north America. These results further support the assumption that this new KSHV is strongly associated with Kaposi's sarcoma in AIDS and non-AIDS patients in Taiwan.

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus genome in white blood cells from patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and childhood systemic lupus erythematosus

The role of infectious agents in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases has long been a matter of debate. This study investigated the possible role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases by an attempt to demonstrate the presence of the viral genome in the leukocyte of 21 juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) patients, 20 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and 20 age-matched normals, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA probes. The results showed: (1) there was no difference in serum IgG anti-EBV antibody titers among three groups; (2) the EBV PCR-positive rates for JRA and SLE patients and normal controls were 5% (1/21), 10 (2/20), and 0% (0/20), respectively; (3) the HCMV PCR-positive rates for JRA and SLE patients and normal controls were 33% (7/21), 25 (5/20), and 10% (2/20), respectively, and (4) the HCMV-positive rate was 25% for JRA patients with steroid treatment and 33% for those without steroid treatment. It is, therefore, concluded that: (1) the data do not support the participation of EBV and HCMV in the pathogenesis of childhood-onset SLE and JRA; (2) steroid therapy does not increase the frequency of HCMV infection in JRA patients, and (3) immunoincompetence might be one of the major factors contributing to increased susceptibility to HCMV infection in JRA and SLE patients.

Epstein-Barr virus harboring in the parotid gland without tumor association

The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and tumors of the major salivary gland. EBV DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in parotid secretions in 56% of patients (n = 32) regardless of the presence of tumors in the parotid gland and in tumor tissues in 19% of surgical specimens (n = 21). By Southern blot-hybridization analysis, we found type A EBV in three patients and type B EBV in one patient. In situ hybridization for EBV genome was positive in surgical specimens of salivary glands in 33% of patients (n = 21). Our results suggest that this virus may not play a role in the pathogenesis of most tumors of the major salivary gland. However, two patients with lymphoepithelial carcinoma were found to have a close relationship to EBV as shown by high titers of antibodies in the sera against EBV related antigens by standard immunofluorescent technique and by the presence of many copies of EBV genome in tumor cells using in situ hybridization.