Safety evaluation and maximum use level for transient ingestion in humans of allitol.

Allitol is a hexitol produced by reducing the rare sugar D-allulose with a metal catalyst under hydrogen gas. To confirm the safe level of allitol, we conducted a series of safety assessments. From the results of Ames mutagenicity assay using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1537, Escherichia coli strain WP2uvrA, and an in vitro chromosomal aberration test on cultured Chinese hamster cells, allitol did not show any significant genotoxic effect. No significant effects on general condition, urinalysis, hematology, physiology, histopathology, or at necropsy were observed at a dose of 1500 mg/kg body weight of allitol in the acute and 90-day subchronic oral-toxicity assessments for rats. A further study performed on healthy adult humans showed that the acute use level of allitol for diarrhea was 0.2 g/kg body weight for both men and women. The results of current safety assessment studies suggest that allitol is safe for human consumption.

Adhesion of hollow calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite microspheres onto titanium.

Microcapsules containing active drugs, e.g. an antimicrobial agent, with a hydroxyapatite (HAp) shell are expected to prevent infection and to improve osseointegration simultaneously when used as implant materials. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of etching with hydrofluoric acid (HF) to change the surface morphology of titanium in cases of adhesion of calcium-deficient HAp microspheres onto titanium. The microspheres were mixed with Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) to prepare slurry; the slurry was then put between two titanium disks that had been etched and kept soaking in HBSS for seven days at 310 K. The coverage and the degree of adherence of the microsphere were evaluated using electron probe microanalysis. The etching at an HF concentration of 0.10 mol/L caused the greatest adhesion. Changing the temperature between 303 and 323 K showed a tendency for the degree of adherence to increase.

Protein adsorption characteristics of nanoparticle-assembled hollow microspheres of hydroxyapatite and their composites with PLLA microporous membranes.

Nanoparticle-assembled hydroxyapatite (HA) hollow microspheres have a high surface area and are convenient to handle, owing to their characteristic structure. In this study we characterized the protein adsorption of HA hollow microspheres prepared from CaCl2 and K2HPO4 by a water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsion method assisted by two surfactants: Span 80 and Tween 20. The HA hollow microspheres adsorbed bovine serum albumin, bovine γ-globulin, equine skeletal muscle myoglobin, and chicken egg white lysozyme in 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) in a Langmuir-type adsorption and desorbed the proteins in 800 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). The maximum adsorbed amounts of the HA hollow microspheres were 7.5-9.0 times higher than those of the microrods with a similar size range. The composite membranes of the HA microspheres and the poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) microporous membranes exhibited a high adsorption capacity for γ-globulin.

Effects of far infrared radiation by isotropic high-density carbon on the human oral mucosa.

OBJECTIVES: Wound healing of the oral mucosal epithelium through the application of far infrared radiation emitted by isotropic high-density carbon was investigated in order to clarify the preventive and therapeutic effects of isotropic high-density carbon on oral mucosal injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A carbon massager with an isotropic high-density carbon tip was used. Far infrared radiation was applied to the human buccal mucosal squamous cell carcinoma cell line, HO-1-N-1 using a carbon massager, and cell growth factors and heat shock protein levels were measured using real-time RT-PCR and ELISA. Far infrared radiation was applied to oral mucosal injury in SD rats over time using the carbon massager, and its effects were examined by HE staining and immunostaining. The immunostaining positive rate was measured and analyzed using image analysis software. RESULTS: Far infrared radiation induced stronger mRNA expression and higher HSP27 and HSP70 protein levels on real-time RT-PCR and ELISA than in the control group. The far infrared radiation of oral mucosal injury in rats induced strong positive reactions, and positive rates for Ki67, HSP27, and HSP70 were higher than those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of oral mucosal injury with far infrared radiation emitted by isotropic high-density carbon appears to have promoted heat shock protein production and induced regenerative reactions more strongly than in the control group.

Synthesis and structure analysis of novel disaccharides containing D-psicose produced by endo-1,4-beta-D-xylanase from Aspergillus sojae.

Xylosylpsicoses (XPs) were synthesized by transglycosylation (TG) with arabinoxylan (AX) and D-psicose (D-psi) using endo-1,4-beta-D-xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) from Aspergillus sojae. The structures of XPs were analyzed by HPLC to determine sugar composition and molecular mass, by methylation analysis using GC-MS to determine linkage, and by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectrometries to obtain the anomeric configuration of glycosidic linkage. By chemical analysis, it was found that the structures of XPs are Xylp beta1-4Psip, Xylp beta1-5Psip, Xylp beta1-1Psif and Xylp beta1-6Psif.

[Clinical evaluation of continuous isoproterenol inhalation in adult patients with severe acute asthma].

The clinical efficacy and safety of continuous inhalation therapy using l-isoproterenol in adult acute severe asthma were retrospectively evaluated. Fifty adult patients (34 men and 16 women, mean age 47.5) with severe acute asthma, which was not improved by conventional therapy including intermittent inhalation of salbutamol, intravenous aminophylline, and corticosteroid, were given continuous l-isoproterenol inhalation treatment. Both the lowered PaO2/FiO2 and the elevated PaCO2 improved significantly within 4 hours later. Forty-seven patients (94.0%) showed clinical improvement whereas two (4.0%) did not respond and received mechanical ventilation. No obvious side effects were noted in 49 patients (98.0%), while an 81-year-old man showed an elevation of blood pressure, which recovered promptly after discontinuation of the treatment. Based on these observations, we conclude that continuous inhalation therapy using l-isoproterenol is a safe and possibly useful option in the treatment of severe adult acute asthma, especially in patients who do not respond to conventional therapy.

Identification and typing of miso and soy sauce fermentation yeasts, Candida etchellsii and C. versatilis, based on sequence analyses of the D1D2 domain of the 26S ribosomal RNA gene, and the region of internal transcribed spacer 1, 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene and internal transcribed spacer 2.

We analyzed sequences of the D1D2 domain of the 26S ribosomal RNA gene (26S rDNA sequence), and the region of internal transcribed spacer 1, 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS sequence) of the miso and soy sauce fermentation yeasts, Candida etchellsii and Candida versatilis, in order to evaluate the usefulness of this sequence analysis for identification and typing of these two species. In the 26S rDNA sequence method, the numbers of base substitutions among C. etchellsii strains were up to 2 in 482 bp (99.6% similarity), and they were divided into three types (types A, B, and C). Those of C. versatilis strains were also up to 2 in 521 bp (99.6% similarity) and they were divided into three types (types 1, 2, and 3). In the ITS sequence method, those of C. etchellsii strains were zero in 433 bp (type a, 100% similarity). Those of C. versatilis were 5 in 409 bp (98.8% similarity), divided into 4 types (types I, II, III and IV). It was found that molecular methods based on the sequences of the 26S rDNA D1D2 domain and the ITS region were rapid and precise compared with the physiological method for the identification and typing of these two species.