Lindera obtusiloba Blume Alleviates Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Promoted by Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major issue because it is closely associated with metabolic diseases. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are implicated as risk factors for steatosis during NAFLD progression. AGEs influence NAFLD progression through a receptor-independent pathway involving AGE cross-link formation and a receptor-dependent pathway that binds to receptors like receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). The objectives of this study are to examine the effect of Lindera obtusiloba Blume (LO) on NAFLD promoted by Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), one of the most common dietary AGEs. The anti-glycation effects of LO were evaluated by inhibiting the AGEs formation and AGEs-collagen cross-links breaking. The efficacy of LO against NAFLD promoted by CML was assessed using both in vitro and in vivo models. NAFLD was induced in mice by feeding a high-fat diet and orally administering CML over a period of 12 weeks, and the effects of LO on lipid metabolism and its regulatory mechanisms were investigated. LO showed the effect of inhibited AGEs formation and breakage, and collagen cross-linking. Fed a high-fat diet with administered CML by gavage, LO administration resulted in a reduction in body weight, fat mass, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. LO reduced hepatic CML accumulation and RAGE expression in mice fed a high-fat diet and orally administered CML. LO alleviated hepatic steatosis accompanied by lipid accumulation and histological damage by suppressing the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, carbohydrate response element binding protein, fatty acid synthase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase1, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1ß. LO alleviated the MAPK/NF-κB expression by attenuating CML and RAGE expression. Taken together, our results demonstrate that LO alleviates the progression of NAFLD by lowering the levels of AGEs by downregulating CML/RAGE expression.

Discovery of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, a novel olfactory receptor 2AT4 agonist that regulates proliferation and apoptosis in leukemia cells.

Olfactory receptors (ORs), the largest family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are ectopically expressed in cancer cells and are involved in cellular physiological processes, but their function as anticancer targets is still potential. OR2AT4 is expressed in leukemia cells, influencing the proliferation and apoptosis, yet the limited number of known OR2AT4 agonists makes it challenging to fully generalize the receptor's function. In this study, we aimed to identify new ligands for OR2AT4 and to investigate their functions and mechanisms in K562 leukemia cells. After producing the recombinant OR2AT4 protein, immobilizing it on a surface plasmon resonance chip, and conducting screening to confirm binding activity using 258 chemicals, five novel OR2AT4 ligands were discovered. As a result of examining changes in intracellular calcium by five ligands in OR2AT4-expressing cells and K562 cells, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was identified as an OR2AT4 agonist in both cells. EGCG reduced the viability of K562 cells and induced apoptosis in K562 cells. EGCG increased the expression of cleaved caspase 3/8 and had no effect on the expression of Bax and Bcl-2, indicating that it induced apoptosis through the extrinsic pathway. Additionally, the initiation of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway in EGCG-induced K562 cells was due to the activation of OR2AT4, using an OR2AT4 antagonist. This study highlights the potential of EGCG as an anti-cancer agent against leukemia and OR2AT4 as a target, making it a new anti-cancer drug.

Radical gastrectomy is safe for treatment of gastric cancer patients on immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplantation.

Background: De novo malignancies are major causes of death after organ transplantation because the recipients subsequently receive immunosuppressant drugs. When gastric cancer develops, the clinical course of the tumor may be particularly aggressive. However, there are few reliable studies of gastric cancer treatment after organ transplantation. This study examined the clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer patients after organ transplantation and evaluated treatment outcomes after gastrectomy. Methods: Clinical data were collected from 54 patients who were diagnosed with gastric cancer after organ transplantation. Of these, 30 who underwent surgery for gastric cancer while on immunosuppressant medications were compared with a control group of 625 gastric cancer patients. To compensate for clinical differences between the two groups, 1:1 propensity-score matching was performed. Results: Among the 30 gastric cancer patients on immunosuppressants, kidney transplantation was the most common procedure (19/30, 63.3%) followed by bone marrow (6) and liver transplantation (4); among all 54 patients, 45 were on one or two immunosuppressants. Up-migration to an advanced pathological stage was more frequent in the transplant group. In multivariate analysis, transplantation was a significant risk factor for up-migration from the T, M, and final stages after surgery. When the 30 patients on immunosuppressants who underwent gastric cancer surgery were compared with the matched controls, the total incidence (30.0 vs 40.0%, P = 0.417) and the number of severe postoperative complications (16.7 vs 13.4%, P = 0.417) did not differ significantly between groups after propensity score matching. In terms of overall survival, the transplant group showed significantly worse prognosis in stages I, II, and IV (P < 0.001, P = 0.039 and 0.007, respectively). Conclusion: Radical gastrectomy can be a safe oncological procedure for gastric cancer patients on immunosuppressants after transplantation. Considering their immunosuppressed condition and the possibility of underestimation of the stage of gastric cancer, early detection with endoscopic screening is needed to allow curative treatment.

Astigmatic correction of simultaneous femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) with intrastromal arcuate keratotomy (ISAK) versus Toric intraocular Lens Impantation with conventional phacoemulsification.

BACKGROUND: To compare the efficacies in astigmatic correction of simultaneous femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) with intrastromal arcuate keratotomy (ISAK) versus toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with conventional phacoemulsification in moderate astigmatism. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients who had undergone cataract surgery by one surgeon. We identified patients with preoperative corneal astigmatism from + 0.75 to + 2.00 diopters (D) who had undergone astigmatic correction with FLACS with ISAK or toric IOL implantation with conventional phacoemulsification. We measured the visual acuity, intraocular pressure, automated keratometer, manifest refraction, and topography preoperatively and 1-day, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month postoperatively. The vector analysis of refractive astigmatism was performed. RESULTS: Of a total of 48 eyes of 48 patients, 27 eyes of 27 patients had FLACS with ISAK (AK group), and 21 eyes of 21 patients had conventional cataract surgery with toric IOL implantation (toric IOL group). Refractive astigmatism was significantly decreased in both groups. The mean preoperative and 6-month postoperative refractive astigmatism were 1.85 ± 1.07 and 0.99 ± 0.51 D, respectively, in the AK group (P = 0.028), and 1.84 ± 0.81 and 0.68 ± 0.21 D, respectively, in the toric IOL group (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in refractive astigmatism between the two groups at 6-month postoperatively (0.99 ± 0.51 vs 0.68 ± 0.21 D, P = 0.057). At 6-month postoperatively, parameters for vector analysis of refractive astigmatism showed no statistical difference between the two groups. Corneal astigmatism was significantly decreased in the AK group. Corneal astigmatism from topography and the automated keratometer were significantly lower in the AK group 6-month postoperatively compared to toric IOL group (0.94 ± 0.40 vs. 1.53 ± 0.46 D, P = 0.018 for topography; and 0.98 ± 0.69 vs. 1.37 ± 0.41 D, P = 0.032 for the automated keratometer). CONCLUSIONS: FLACS with ISAK could be an effective procedure for reducing astigmatism as well as toric IOL implantation in cataract surgery.

The influence of the number of holes in the open wedge high tibial osteotomy on knee biomechanics using finite element analysis.

BACKGROUND: The most significant differences of high tibial osteotomy (HTO) were found in terms of plate length, and this was related to number of holes distal region of the plate below wedge. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the biomechanical effects of three different designs medial opening wedge plates. HYPOTHESIS: The design of the HTO plate influenced the outcome of the biomechanics. METHODS: The HTO model was simulated using finite element (FE) model. This FE investigation included three types of loading conditions corresponding to the loads used in the experimental study for model validation and model predictions for clinically relevant loading scenarios. The average stress and contact stress were evaluated. RESULTS: The highest average stress was observed in the TomoFix. Conversely, the stress on the bone declined in the order of Puddu, Maxi and TomoFix plates. The micromotion in the wedge displayed a similar trend to the stress on bone. The highest and lowest contact stresses on the medial meniscus were observed in the Puddu and TomoFix plate, respectively. However, an opposite trend was observed in the lateral meniscus. The contact stress on medial and lateral menisci decreased and increased, respectively, in all three different plates when compared to those in the intact model. DISCUSSION: The TomoFix plate exhibited the highest stability relative to the micromotions of the wedge. However, in terms of the stress on the bone and plates, a stress-shielding effect could exist in the TomoFix plate. Additionally, the contact stress on the articular surface suggested that a complicated relationship could exist with respect to the plate design. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Effects of contact stress on patellarfemoral joint and quadriceps force in fixed and mobile-bearing medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an effective treatment for end-stage, symptomatic unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee joint. However, patellofemoral joint degeneration is a contraindication to medial UKA. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effect of medial UKA using fixed-bearing (FB) and mobile-bearing (MB) design prostheses on the patellofemoral joint. METHODS: A three-dimensional finite-element model of a normal knee joint was developed using medical image data. We performed statistical analysis for each model. The differences in contact stress on the patellofemoral joint and the quadriceps force between the FB and MB designs were evaluated under a deep-knee-bend condition. RESULTS: At an early flexion angle, the results of contact stress showed no significant difference between the FB and MB medial UKA models compared with the intact model. However, at high flexion angles, we observed a significant increase in contact stress with the FB models compared with the intact model. On the contrary, in the case of the MB models, we found no statistically significant increment compared with the intact model. A larger quadriceps force was needed to produce an identical flexion angle for both the FB and MB UKA designs than for the intact model. At high flexion angles, a significant increase quadriceps force whit the FB model compared with the intact model. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that with medial UKA, the contact stress increased and greater quadriceps force was applied to the patellofemoral joint. However, performing UKA on a patellofemoral joint with osteoarthritis should not be difficult, unless anterior knee pain is present, because the increase in contact stress is negligible.

Biomechanical effect of a lateral hinge fracture for a medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy: finite element study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical effect on the Takeuchi classification of lateral hinge fracture (LHF) after an opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO). METHODS: We performed an FE simulation for type I, type II, and type III in accordance with the Takeuchi classification. The stresses on the bone and plate, wedge micromotion, and forces on ligaments were evaluated to investigate stress-shielding effect, plate stability, and biomechanical change, respectively, in three different types of LHF HTO and with the HTO without LHF model (non-LHF) models. RESULTS: The greatest stress-shielding effect and wedge micromotion were observed in type II LHF (distal portion fracture). The type II and type III (lateral plateau fracture) models exhibited a reduction in ACL force and an increase in PCL force compared with the HTO without LHF model. However, the type I (osteotomy line fracture) and HTO without LHF models did not exhibit a significant biomechanical effect. This study demonstrates that Takeuchi type II and type III LHF models provide unstable structures compared with the type I and HTO without LHF models. CONCLUSIONS: HTO should be performed while considering a medial opening wedge HTO to avoid a type II and type III LHF as a potential complication.

Anatomy-mimetic design preserves natural kinematics of knee joint in patient-specific mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate whether different tibial-femoral conformities for patient-specific mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKAs) preserve natural knee kinematics, using computational simulations. METHODS: Different designs for patient-specific mobile-bearing UKAs were evaluated using finite element analysis. Three designs for the identical femoral component were considered: flat (non-conforming design), anatomy-mimetic, and conforming for the tibial insert. RESULTS: The conforming design for the patient-specific mobile-bearing UKAs exhibited a 1.2 mm and 0.7° decrease in the translation and rotation, respectively, in the swing phase compared with those of the natural knee. In addition, the femoral rollback and internal rotation were 2.6 mm and 1.2° lower, respectively, than those of the natural knee, for the conforming design under the deep-knee-bend condition. The flat design for the patient-specific mobile-bearing UKAs exhibited a 2.2 mm and 1.4° increase in the femoral rollback and rotation compared with the natural knee under the deep-knee-bend condition. The anatomy-mimetic patient-specific mobile-bearing UKAs best preserved the natural knee kinematics under the gait and deep-knee-bend loading conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The kinematics of the loading conditions in patient-specific mobile-bearing UKAs was determined to closely resemble those of a native knee. In additional, by replacing the anatomy-mimetic design with a mobile-bearing, natural knee kinematics during gait and deep-knee-bend motions is preserved. These results confirm the importance of tibiofemoral conformity in preserving native knee kinematics in patient-specific mobile-bearing UKA.

Effect of insert material on forces on quadriceps, collateral ligament, and patellar tendon after rotating platform mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: There is a gradual increase in the number of patients for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and TKA demonstrates reliable clinical outcomes. The orthopaedic biomaterials community continuously attempted over the past decades to improve the longevity of UHMWPE in TKA by using various improved technologies. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and carbon fiber reinforced-PEEK(CFR-PEEK) are suggested as potential tibial insert materials to replace UHMWPE in some applications. The aim of this study involves evaluating the biomechanical effects of UHMWPE and CFR-PEEK tibial materials on mobile-bearing TKA. METHODS: The finite element (FE) model was obtained by conducting computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The FE investigation included three types of loading conditions corresponding to the loads used in the experiments for FE model validation and model predictions under deep-knee bend loading conditions. We investigated forces on quadriceps, collateral ligament and patellar tendon with UHMWPE and CCFR-PEEK tibial insert materials under the deep-knee-bend condition. RESULTS: Quadriceps force decreased with flexion for CFR-PEEK when compared to that for UHMWPE. A similar trend was observed in terms of the patellar tendon force. An opposite trend was observed in the collateral ligament. Medial collateral ligament force in the CFR-PEEK exceeded that in the UHMWPE, and lateral collateral ligament force in the UHMWPE exceeded that in the CFR-PEEK. CONCLUSION: The CFR-PEEK represents an alternative insert material given its superior biomechanical effect after mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty. However, a balance between the medial and lateral ligaments is considered as an important factor in the CFR-PEEK tibial insert due to its opposite biomechanical effect.

Effect of sagittal femoral component alignment on biomechanics after mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Recently, there has been increasing interest in mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, changes in biomechanics with respect to femoral component alignment in mobile-bearing TKA have not been explored in depth. This study aims to evaluate the biomechanical effect of sagittal alignment of the femoral component in mobile-bearing TKA. METHODS: We developed femoral sagittal alignment models with - 3°, 0°, 3°, 5°, and 7°. We also examined the kinematics of the tibiofemoral (TF) joint, contact point on the TF joint, contact stress on the patellofemoral (PF) joint, collateral ligament force, and quadriceps force using a validated computational model under a deep-knee-bend condition. RESULTS: Posterior kinematics of the TF joint increased as the femoral component flexed. In addition, contact stress on the PF joint, collateral ligament force, and quadriceps force decreased as the femoral component flexed. The results of this study can assist surgeons in assessing risk factors associated with femoral component sagittal alignment for mobile-bearing TKA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that slight flexion implantation may be an effective alternative technique because of its advantageous biomechanical effect. However, excessive flexion should be avoided because of potential loosening of the TF joint.

Biomechanical influence of lateral meniscal allograft transplantation on knee joint mechanics during the gait cycle.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the influence of meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) on knee joint mechanics during normal walking using finite element (FE) analysis and biomechanical data. METHODS: The study included 20 patients in a transpatellar group and 25 patients in a parapatellar group. Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation after lateral MAT as a baseline input for three-dimensional (3D) and FE analyses. Three different models were compared for lateral MAT: intact, transpatellar approach, and parapatellar approach. Analysis was performed using high kinematic displacement and rotation inputs based on the kinematics of natural knees. ISO standards were used for axial load and flexion. Maximum contact stress on the grafted menisci and maximum shear stress on the articular surface of the knee joint were evaluated with FE analysis. RESULTS: Relatively high maximum contact stresses and maximum shear stresses were predicted in the medial meniscus and cartilage of the knee joint during the loading response for all three knee joint models. Maximum contact stress and maximum shear stress in the meniscus and cartilage increased on the lateral side after lateral MAT, especially during the first 20% of the stance phase of the gait cycle. The transpatellar approach was most similar to the intact knee model in terms of contact stresses of the lateral grafted and medial meniscus, as well as maximum shear stresses during the gait cycle. In addition, the transpatellar model had lower maximum contact stress on the menisci than did the parapatellar model, and it also had lower maximum shear stress on the tibial cartilage. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the transpatellar approach may reduce the overall risk of degenerative osteoarthritis (OA) after lateral MAT.

Design optimization of high tibial osteotomy plates using finite element analysis for improved biomechanical effect.

BACKGROUND: High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a common treatment for moderate osteoarthritis of the medial compartment in the knee joint by the translation of the force center toward the lateral compartment. However, the stability of a short plate such as Puddu used in this procedure was not as effective as other long plates such as Tomofix. No previous studies have used a rigorous and systematic design optimization method to determine the optimal shape of short HTO plate. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the improved biomechanical stability of a short HTO plate by using design optimization and finite element (FE) analysis. METHODS: A FE model of HTO was subjected to physiological and surgical loads in the tibia. Taguchi-style L27 orthogonal arrays were used to identify the most significant factors for optimizing the design parameters. The optimal design variables were calculated using the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II. Plate and bone stresses and wedge micromotions in the initial and optimized designs were chosen as the comparison indices. RESULTS: Optimal designed HTO plate showed the decreased micromotions over the initial HTO plate with enhanced plate stability. In addition, increased bone stress and decreased plate stress supported the positive effect on stress shielding compared to initial HTO plate design. The results yielded a new short HTO design while demonstrating the feasibility of design optimization and potential improvements to biomechanical stability in HTO design. The newly developed short HTO plate throughout the optimization and computational simulation showed the improved biomechanical effect as good as the golden standard, TomoFix, does. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that plate design has a strong influence on the stability after HTO. This study demonstrated that the optimized short plates had low stress shielding effect and less micromotion because of its improvement in biomechanical performances. Our result showed that design optimization is an effective tool for HTO plate design. This information can aid future developments in HTO plate design and can be expanded to other implant designs.

Peanut shell extract inhibits the development of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) induce inflammation in the colon and small intestine. IBD include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, with such common symptoms as severe diarrhea, fever, and blood in the stool. In the current study, we explored the ability of peanut shell extract (PSE) to alleviate IBD in an experimental colonic inflammation model. Colitis was induced by orally administered dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in mice. Peanut shell extract was prepared using a method of aqueous ethanol. DSS treatment reduced the colon length and mouse body weight, and aggravated disease condition compared with untreated control mice. Oral administration of 400 mg/kg PSE alleviated colon shortening, body weight loss, DAI, and colon injury score in DSS-induced colitis. These physiological improvements were validated by reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines and infiltrating macrophage accumulation in the inflamed colon in the PSE administered group. These observations suggest that PSE may be developed as an alternative natural extract for the prevention or treatment of IBD.

Analysis of Positional Relationships of Various Centers in Cataract Surgery.

PURPOSE: To analyze the positional relationships of various centers in patients undergoing femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS). METHODS: The locations of the pupil center (PC), limbal center (LC) and lens center were analyzed in each patient using optical coherence tomography during FLACS in 35 eyes of 35 patients. Using the preoperative corneal aberrometry device, angle kappa and the location of the visual axis (VA) were calculated. After acquiring the relative horizontal and vertical coordinates of each center, the distance and location among each center were compared. The relative location and distance of each center were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: The distance from the PC to the lens center was 0.147 ± 0.103 mm, that from the LC to the lens center was 0.205 ± 0.104 mm, and that from the VA to the lens center was 0.296 ± 0.198 mm. The distance from the PC to the VA was 0.283 ± 0.161 mm, that from the LC to the VA was 0.362 ± 0.153 mm, and that from the lens center to the VA was 0.296 ± 0.198 mm. Among the various centers, the PC was the closest to the lens center, whereas the LC and VA were the farthest. Based on the location of the lens center, the PC, LC, and VA exhibited differences in the X and Y coordinate positions (vertical p = 0.004, horizontal p < 0.001). Among them, the LC was significantly inferior and temporal compared to the PC (vertical p = 0.026, horizontal p = 0.023). Based on the location of the VA, the respective locations of the PC, LC and lens center in two dimensions did not significantly differ (vertical p = 0.310, horizontal p = 0.926). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the positional and locational relationships between the centers regarding FLACS. The locations of the PC, LC, and VA were different from the lens center with the PC being the closest. Surgeons should be aware of these positional relationships, especially in FLACS.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery versus conventional phacoemulsification: Refractive and aberrometric outcomes with a diffractive multifocal intraocular lens.

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of conventional phacoemulsification and femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery followed by multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. SETTING: Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Depending on their preference, patients had femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery or conventional phacoemulsification. Patients in the femtosecond group with corneal astigmatism greater than 0.75 diopter also had arcuate keratotomy. All eyes had multifocal IOL implantation. One month after treatment, the uncorrected distance and near visual acuities, spherical equivalent, corneal and refractive astigmatism, aberrometry results, and questionnaire results were compared between groups. Correlations between target-induced astigmatism (TIA) and surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) were also compared between the groups. RESULTS: The femtosecond group comprised 17 patients (23 eyes), with arcuate keratotomy performed in 14 eyes. The conventional phacoemulsification group comprised 22 patients (26 eyes). In the femtosecond group, the difference in corneal astigmatism between preoperatively and postoperatively was statistically significant. The correlation between TIA and SIA was greater in the femtosecond group. Corneal root-mean-square higher-order aberrations (RMS HOAs) (P < .01) and total trefoil (P = .043) were significantly higher in the femtosecond laser group. However, internal total RMS (P = .05), tilt (P = .041), and RMS HOAs (P = .047) were significantly lower in the femtosecond group. Satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the femtosecond group. CONCLUSIONS: Astigmatic change was more predictable in the femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery group. Internal aberrations, including total RMS, tilt, and RMS HOAs, were lower in the femtosecond group, and patients in that group were more satisfied.

Effects of Catechol O-Methyl Transferase Inhibition on Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Luteolin Metabolites.

Although luteolin is known to have potent anti-inflammatory activities, much less information has been provided on such activities of its hepatic metabolites. Luteolin was subjected to hepatic metabolism in HepG2 cells either without or with catechol O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitor. To identify hepatic metabolites of luteolin without (luteolin metabolites, LMs) or with COMT inhibitor (LMs+CI), metabolites were treated by ß-glucuronidase and sulfatase, and found that they were composed of glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of diosmetin in LMs or these conjugates of luteolin in LMs+CI. LMs and LMs+CI were examined for their anti-inflammatory activities on LPS stimulated Raw 264.7 cells. Expression of iNOS and production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 were suppressed more effectively by the treatment with LMs+CI than LMs. Our data provide a new insight on possible improvement in functional properties of luteolin on target cells by modifying their metabolic pathway in hepatocytes.

Associations of sleep duration with open angle glaucoma in the Korea national health and nutrition examination survey.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and glaucoma, stratified by obesity status.This study was conducted using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V 2010 to 2012. Open-angle glaucoma was diagnosed according to the International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria. Subjects were divided into subgroups based on those who were overweight (body mass index ≥25 kg/m or <25 kg/m) or with abdominal obesity (based on waist circumference). Multiple logistic regression analysis was done to estimate the magnitude of the association between sleep duration (<7 h, 7-<9, or ≥9 hours) and prevalence of glaucoma in the total population and in the subgroups.Individuals who slept <5 hours per night had the highest prevalence of glaucoma (5.55 ±â€Š1.09%), followed by those who slept ≥9 hours per night (4.56 ±â€Š0.10%), and then by those who slept 5 to <6 hours per night (4.15 ±â€Š0.68%), which revealed a U-shaped pattern (P for trend = 0.072). Among overweight individuals, subjects who slept <7 hours and those who slept ≥9 hours were significantly more likely to have glaucoma compared with subjects who slept 7 to <9 hours after adjusting for survey year, age, sex, smoking, drinking, exercise, education level, household income, hypertension, intraocular pressure, stress, and depression (odds ratio, 2.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-5.03). Unlike for overweight individuals, sleep duration in nonoverweight individuals was not statistically significantly associated with glaucoma.Our results reveal a U-shaped association between sleep duration and the prevalence of glaucoma. An effect of sleep duration on glaucoma was present in the subgroup of overweight patients.

Resveratrol as a Bioenhancer to Improve Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Apigenin.

The aim of this study was to improve the anti-inflammatory activities of apigenin through co-treatment with resveratrol as a bioenhancer of apigenin. RAW 264.7 cells pretreated with hepatic metabolites formed by the co-metabolism of apigenin and resveratrol (ARMs) in HepG2 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). ARMs prominently inhibited (p < 0.05) the production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α. Otherwise no such activity was observed by hepatic metabolites of apigenin alone (AMs). ARMs also effectively suppressed protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Co-administration of apigenin (50 mg/kg) and resveratrol (25 mg/kg) also showed a significant reduction of carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice (61.20% to 23.81%). Co-administration of apigenin and resveratrol led to a 2.39 fold increase in plasma apigenin levels compared to administration of apigenin alone, suggesting that co-administration of resveratrol could increase bioavailability of apigenin. When the action of resveratrol on the main apigenin metabolizing enzymes, UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), was investigated, resveratrol mainly inhibited the formation of apigenin glucuronides by UGT1A9 in a non-competitive manner with a Ki value of 7.782 µM. These results suggested that resveratrol helps apigenin to bypass hepatic metabolism and maintain apigenin's anti-inflammatory activities in the body.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Amomum compactum on RAW 264.7 cells via induction of heme oxygenase-1.

Amomum compactum is commonly used in Korean traditional medicine. In this study, we demonstrate that A. compactum ethanolic extract (ACEE) has anti-inflammatory effects in a lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cell model of inflammation. In this system, ACEE prominently inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and inhibited the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Furthermore, ACEE treatment inhibited the translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and the degradation of inhibitory factor-kappaB alpha, but enhanced the expression of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2 (Nrf2). Treatment with tin protoporphyrin IX dichloride (SnPP), a selective HO-1 inhibitor, reversed the ACEE-induced suppression of NO production, suggesting that the induction of HO-1 is involved in the suppression of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 production by ACEE. Taken together, these results suggest that ACEE have anti-inflammatory effects occurring through HO-1 induction, which leads to suppression of the blocking NF-κB.