A recombinant polypeptide from velvet antler of Cervus nippon Temminck exhibits similar immunomodulatory effects as its natural counterpart.

CONTEXT: Velvet antler (VA) is recognized as one of the most important Chinese traditional medical herbs. To date, the immunoactivity of the single component of VA is rarely studied though its compound extracts have been well analyzed. OBJECTIVE: The current study was designed to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of a recombinant polypeptide (rVAP32) based on the VA of the sika deer by comparison with its natural counterpart (nVAP32). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Splenocytes proliferation and NK-cell cytotoxicity assay was evaluated by the WST-8 colorimetric method. CD4+/CD8+ cell subpopulations regulation was screened by the flowcytometry method and the Th1 or Th2-related cytokine production was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: In vitro tests showed that both rVAP32 and nVAP32 could significantly stimulate splenocytes proliferation and enhance the NK-cell cytotoxicity and CD4+/CD8+ cell subpopulations when compared with the irrelevant peptide and blank control groups. Also, they demonstrated a significant capacity in up- and down-regulating the expression of Th1- and Th2-related cytokines, respectively. There is no statistically significant difference found between the rVAP32 tested group and nVAP32 control group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results obtained herein indicate that rVAP32 has the similar immunomodulatory effects on the immune system of mice as its counterpart nVAP32 in vitro. The further test in vivo is qualified and rVAP32 is promised for developing a new biopharmaceutical product as a substitute for nVAP32.

Retinol, vitamins A, C, and E and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis and meta-regression.

OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively summarize the associations between retinol, vitamins A, C, and E and breast cancer, and quantitatively estimate their dose-response relationships. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases (from January 1982 to 15 March 2011) and the references of the relevant articles in English with sufficient information to estimate relative risk or odds ratio and the 95% confidence intervals, and comparable categories of vitamins. Two reviewers independently extracted data using a standardized form, with any discrepancy adjudicated by the third reviewer. RESULTS: Overall, 51 studies met the inclusion criteria. Comparing the highest with the lowest intake, total vitamin A intake reduced the breast cancer risk by 17% (pooled OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.78-0.88). Further subgroup analysis based on study design did not change the significant reduction. Although the dietary vitamin A, dietary vitamin E, and total vitamin E intake all reduced breast cancer risk significantly when data from all studies were pooled, the results became nonsignificant when data from cohort studies were pooled. The significant association between total retinol intake and breast cancer in all studies became nonsignificant in case-control studies but remain significant in cohort studies. No significant dose-response relationship was observed in the higher intake of these vitamins with reduced breast cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that both the total intake of vitamin A and retinol could reduce breast cancer risk. However, associations between other vitamins and breast cancer seem to be limited.

Design and evaluation of a recombinant multi-epitope-based ELISA for the serological surveillance of HEV infection in northern China.

In this study, seven recombinant epitope peptides from within the ORF2 protein of the local genotype 4 swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) DQ strain were designed and analyzed. Then, a new multi-epitope-based ELISA was established. In comparison with a commercial kit, this test exhibited good specificity and sensitivity for anti-HEV genotype 4. Subsequently, this test was applied for analyzing serum samples from either swine herds or human populations in northern China. The overall seroprevalence rate of anti-HEV IgG reached up to 40.4% for swine and 8.1% for humans. A statistical difference was observed for humans in rural and urban areas, with a higher prevalence for people living in rural than urban areas. Moreover, sequencing confirmed that all RNA-positive samples belonged to genotype 4.

Subcellular Cd distribution and its correlation with antioxidant enzymatic activities in wheat (Triticum aestivum) roots.

The subcellular partitioning of Cd in wheat root was obtained by differential centrifugation of root homogenates to quantify the amounts of Cd associated with five operationally defined subcellular fractions, namely Cd-rich granule (MRG), cellular debris, organelles, heat-denatured protein (HDP), and heat-stable protein (HSP). Their correlations were investigated with the changes in antioxidant enzymatic activities under Cd stress (0.01-9.68 µM) for 72 h. The results showed that the relative Cd distribution in detoxified fractions (MRG+HSP) was decreased with increasing [Cd], but in metal-sensitive fractions (HDP+organelles) was increased. Consequently, the content of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) was decreased. Additionally, an increase of the total antioxidant capacity (A-TOC) and a slight decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA) were also observed. Interestingly, the relative root elongation (RRL) and CAT were significantly correlated with the Cd-sensitive fractions. These results suggest that the Cd toxicity to wheat roots strongly depends on the subcellular Cd distribution.

Chemical composition, in vitro antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Elsholtzia densa Benth.

Elsholtzia densa Benth. is a traditional aromatic herb used in the pharmaceutical and flavouring industries. To analyse and compare the chemical composition, the oils and nonvolatile compounds in E. densa and Mosla chinensis Maxim. were extracted via hydrodistillation, solvent extraction or ultrasound-assisted extraction. Seventy-three volatile compounds in the volatile oil (0.35 ± 0.06%) obtained by E. densa via hydrodistillation were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer and compared based on different parameters. Also, the antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects of the five sub-fractions of the methanolic extract were studied and the ethyl acetate sub-fraction (EC50 = 7.9 µg/mL) and petroleum ether sub-fraction (EC50 = 0.0955 mg/mL) showed the strongest activity, respectively. This study has provided a scientific basis for scientific collection, effective development, use of E. densa Benth., and suggested that it can be used as a potential source of antioxidants in food and a potential candidate for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Multi-scale RANSAC algorithm for needle localization in 3D ultrasound guided puncture surgery.

Correct localization of the needle is of vital importance to guarantee successful puncture. The complexity of real US data increases the difficulties. A multi-scale random sample consensus (MS-RANSAC) algorithm is proposed in this paper to locate the needle in complicated 3D US data. The algorithm uses the radius difference between needle and other tubular human tissues to extract the correct needle location. The performance of classic RANSAC and MS-RANSAC are compared using three different datasets. Results show that MS-RANSAC can locate needle correctly in complicated condition where classic RANSAC cannot. A parallel framework of the algorithm is designed and implemented using CUDA, making it usable in real time and online.

Relationship between the polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor-α-308 G>A and susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are common health problems worldwide. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a type of cytokine that induces inflammation and inhibits tumorigenesis. Several studies have assessed the relationship between the polymorphism of TNF-α-308 G>A and the susceptibility to IBD and CRC; however, the results have been controversial. In addition, the hypothesis whether the increased risk of CRC in IBD patients could be partly ascribed to the polymorphism of TNF-α-308 G>A was unclear. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to confirm these associations. Pooled odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated on the basis of data from 14, 18, and 7 studies from a total of 27 studies for the associations between the polymorphism of TNF-α-308 G>A and ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease (CD) and CRC. In Europeans, the AA genotype increased the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC) (OR, 2.041; 95% CI, 1.261-3.301) and CD (OR, 1.730; 95% CI, 1.168-2.564) significantly, without obvious heterogeneity and publication bias. Meanwhile, the GA genotype increased the risk of UC in Asians (OR, 2.360; 95% CI, 1.269-4.390) significantly. However, no significant association was observed for CRC in any ethnic population. The results of this meta-analysis suggested that the polymorphism of TNF-α-308 G>A participates in modifying the susceptibility to UC and CD in Europeans and Asians. The increased risk of CRC in IBD patients should be clarified as the combined effects of polymorphisms in TNF-α and other cytokines, and the interaction with environmental factors, in future studies.