Self-Assembly of Macrocyclic Boronic Esters Bearing Tellurophene Moieties and Their Guest-Responsive Phosphorescence.

Guest-controlled diastereoselective self-assembly of a diboryltellurophene and a chiral tetrol bearing an indacene backbone was achieved to give either hetero- or homochiral macrocyclic boronic esters, selectively. The heterochiral isomer (hetero-[2+2]Te ) exhibited a higher inclusion ability for electron-deficient aromatic guests, leading to effective quenching of phosphorescence from the diboryltellurophene moieties. The reported macrocycles collectively represent a promising arene sensing approach based on phosphorescence.

Association of serum carotenoid levels with N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide: a cross-sectional study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Several epidemiologic studies have reported an inverse association between serum levels of carotenoids and cardiovascular disease risk. However, no studies have reported an association between serum carotenoids and N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the general population. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether serum carotenoids were associated with serum NT-proBNP in 1056 Japanese subjects (390 men, 666 women) who attended a health examination. Serum levels of carotenoids were separately determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Serum NT-proBNP level was measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. RESULTS: Serum NT-proBNP was elevated (≥55 pg/ml) in 31.8% of men and 48.2% of women. Multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for confounding factors showed a significant association between the highest quartile of serum α-carotene and elevated NT-proBNP in men (odds ratio [OR] = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.19-0.82, P for trend = 0.005) and women (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.39-0.99, P for trend = 0.047). In women, moreover, elevated serum NT-proBNP was significantly associated with serum canthaxanthin (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.36-0.90 for highest quartile, P for trend = 0.026) and ß-cryptoxanthin (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32-0.85 for highest quartile, P for trend = 0.026), after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of serum carotenoids were associated with lower risk of elevated serum NT-proBNP levels after adjusting for possible confounders, which suggests that a diet rich in carotenoids could help prevent cardiac overload in the Japanese population.

Association of abdominal obesity with decreased serum levels of carotenoids in a healthy Japanese population.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Few epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between abdominal adiposity and serum levels of carotenoids. This study investigated the relationship between total and abdominal obesity and serum levels of carotenoids. METHODS: Study population consisted of healthy Japanese males (n=192) and females (n=398) who attended a health examination screening (age: 49-86 years). Serum carotenoids were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to provide the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of obesity indices for low levels of serum carotenoids. RESULTS: In females, High waist circumference was associated with low levels of serum canthaxanthin (OR=2.00, 95% CI=1.26-3.19) and beta-carotene (BC) (OR=2.01, 95% CI=1.23-3.28). High waist hip ratio was also associated with low levels of serum alpha- carotene and BC (OR=2.44, 95% CI=1.49-4.03, and OR =1.97, 95% CI=1.20-3.28, respectively). Similar results were obtained when body mass index was added to confounding factors. In males, however, there were no significant associations between obesity indices and serum levels of carotenoids. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that abdominal fat accumulation is associated with oxidative stress as determined by low levels of serum carotenoids in females. In males, further study excluding the effect of strong confounding factors, including smoking, is needed.

Cancer mortality and serum levels of carotenoids, retinol, and tocopherol: a population-based follow-up study of inhabitants of a rural area of Japan.

A total of 3,182 subjects (1,239 males and 1,943 females) aged from 39y to 79y, were recruited from the inhabitants of a rural area in Japan who participated in health check-up programs from 1988 to 1995. During the 10.5 year follow-up, 287 deaths (175 males and 112 females) from all causes, 134 (81 males and 53 females) from cancer of all sites, 31 from lung cancer, 21 from colorectal cancer, 20 from stomach cancer, and 62 from other cancers, were identified among the cohort subjects. Fasting serum samples were taken at the time of the health check-ups, and serum levels of carotenoids, retinol and tocopherols were separately determined by HPLC. Statistical analyses were performed using Cox's proportional hazard model after adjusting for sex, age, and other confounding factors. High serum levels of alpha- and beta- carotenes and lycopene were found to marginally significantly or significantly reduce the risk for mortality rates of cancer of all sites and of colorectal cancers. High serum levels of beta-cryptoxanthin also showed an inversely relation with the risk of mortality from lung and stomach cancers, but this was not statistically significant. High intake of green-yellow vegetables contributing to serum levels of alpha- and beta- carotenes, as well as lycopene, may reduce the risk of cancer mortality, especially from colorectal cancer, in rural Japanese.

Relationship between obesity and serum markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in Japanese.

The present study was conducted to assess the relationship between obesity and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), carotenoids, oxidized LDL (oxLDL), oxidized LDL antibodies (oLAB), and leptin in Japanese residents. The subjects were 158 males and 158 females aged 40-79 years, and living in Hokkaido, Japan, who attended a health examination screening. Serum levels of CRP, oxLDL, oLAB, and leptin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and serum carotenoid levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as body weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared and obesity was defined as BMI of 25 or more (kg/m2). Serum levels of CRP and leptin were significantly higher in the obese group than in their non-obese counterparts in both genders. Serum levels of beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin were lower in the obese individuals, especially in females. While values for oxLDL and oLAB did not significantly vary. BMI was positively correlated with log-transformed serum levels of CRP and leptin in both genders (males: r=0.231, p<0.05; females: r=0.305, p<0.001). In females, moreover, BMI was negatively correlated with log-transformed serum levels of beta-carotene, zeaxanthin/lutein, and beta-cryptoxanthin (r=-0.244, p<0.01; r=-0.200, p<0.05; r=-0.207, p<0.01, respectively). Significantly higher odds ratios (ORs) for high serum levels of CRP (males: OR=2.12; females: OR=3.96) and leptin (males: OR=3.83; females: OR=9.07) were observed in obese versus non-obese men and women, after adjusting for various confounding factors. Significantly lower adjusted odds ratios for high serum levels of alpha- and beta-carotenes (males: OR=0.23, 0.33; females: OR=0.35, 0.39, respectively) were also observed in the obese as compared to the non-obese group. In conclusion, obesity is highly associated with states of oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation in Japanese residents, suggesting that these latter might play an important role in the association between a high BMI and certain cancers as well as coronary heart disease (CHD).

[The changes over time in areas of abnormal choroidal staining in central serous chorioretinopathy].

PURPOSE: We discuss the permeability of the choroid in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: Forty-eight eyes of 48 patients with active CSC and their fellow eyes were studied with indocyanine green angiography (IA). Abnormal choroidal stainings in the late phase were fed in to a computer and hyperfluorescent areas were summated. The hyperfluorescent area at the initial examination was compared with that at the second examination. The values obtained were compared with the clinical characteristics shown by ophthalmoscopic, fluorescein angiographic (FA), and IA findings. RESULTS: The abnormal choroidal staining during IA was observed in 90% of the affected eyes and 67% of the fellow eyes. The average abnormal staining area was larger in the affected eyes than in the fellow eyes and decreased over time in both affected and fellow eyes, but the decrease rate of the abnormal staining was higher in the affected eyes. In FA abnormal staining areas of the smokestack type were significantly smaller than those of the round-diffusion type. The range of abnormal choroidal staining was significantly smaller in the affected eyes treated with laser photocoagulation than in the eyes not treated without laser coagulation. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the range of abnormal choroidal staining is consistent with changes of activity in the course of CSC, that the malfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium and choroidal hyperpermeability mutually influence CSC and that the disappearance of serous detachment in the clinical course plays an important role in the improvement of choroidal permeability and the retinal pigment epithelium function.

Association of serum carotenoids with high molecular weight adiponectin and inflammation markers among Japanese subjects.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that serum concentrations of carotenoids and adiponectin are inversely associated with the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, no studies have investigated the association between serum concentrations of adiponectin and carotenoids in the general population. METHODS: We investigated cross-sectionally whether serum carotenoids are associated with serum high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin and some inflammatory markers in 437 Japanese subjects (116 men and 321 women) who attended a health examination. RESULTS: In multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for confounding factors, serum beta-carotene concentrations were significantly associated with serum HMW adiponectin concentrations in both sexes (standardized beta coefficient=0.197, p=0.036 for men; standardized beta coefficient=0.146, p=0.012 for women). Serum alpha-carotene and beta-carotene concentrations were significantly associated with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in men. In women, there were significant negative associations between serum carotenoids concentrations and serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations. Additional adjustment for serum concentrations of IL-6 or CRP did not significantly affect the association between carotenoids and HMW adiponectin in non-smoking men as well as in women. CONCLUSION: Serum beta-carotene concentrations were positively associated with serum HMW adiponectin concentrations even after adjustment for possible confounding factors including inflammatory markers.

Relationship between serum carotenoids and hyperglycemia: a population-based cross-sectional study.

The present study investigated the relationship between hyperglycemia and both serum carotenoids and intake of vegetables and fruits. Subjects with a history of diabetes mellitus (DM group, n = 133) or with hyperglycemia diagnosed using a 5.6% cutoff value for hemoglobin A1c (High HbA1c group, n = 151) were recruited from among inhabitants of a rural area in Hokkaido, Japan. Intake frequencies of vegetables and fruits were assessed using a questionnaire administered by public health nurses. Serum levels of carotenoids and retinol were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. The relationships between high HbA1c or DM and both serum carotenoids and intake frequencies of vegetables and fruits were analyzed using logistic regression modeling for a case-control study; each case (High HbA1c or DM) was matched to two controls (healthy subjects without any history of disease) matched for sex and age (within 3 years). The odds ratio (OR) for high HbA1c was 0.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.85) on high intake frequency of carrot and pumpkin and the OR for DM was 1.21 (95% Cl: 0.79-1.84). No significant relationships were observed between high HbA1c and intake frequencies of other vegetables and fruits. The ORs on high serum levels of alpha- and beta-carotenes, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin and lutein were 0.38 (0.22-0.65), 0.35 (0.21-0.59), 0.57 (0.35-0.93), 0.35 (0.20-0.59), and 0.88 (0.54-1.46) for high HbA1c, respectively. In conclusion, intake of vegetables and fruits rich in carotenoids might be a protective factor against hyperglycemia.

The relationship between smoking habits and serum levels of 8-OHdG, oxidized LDL antibodies, Mn-SOD and carotenoids in rural Japanese residents.

This study investigated the relationship between smoking habits and serum levels of 8-OHdG, oxidized LDL antibodies (oLAB), Mn-SOD, and carotenoids. Subjects were 79 males (mean age +/- standard deviation; 62.1 +/- 10.0 years) and 79 females (60.3 +/- 10.3 y) who attended a health examination screening in the town of Hokkaido, Japan. Serum 8-OHdG, Mn-SOD, and oLAB levels were measured by ELISA and serum carotenoids levels were measured by HPLC. Smoking habits were assessed by public health nurses using a questionnaire. Serum 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in males than in females. On the other hand, serum levels of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin and lutein were significantly lower in males than in females. Serum beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin and lutein were significantly lower in males who were current smokers, compared to non-smokers. Serum 8-OHdG levels were also significantly higher in current smokers. Furthermore, in males, serum oLAB and beta-carotene levels were significantly and negatively correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Serum Mn-SOD levels were unrelated to smoking habits in males. In conclusion, this preliminary study suggests that cigarette smoking increases serum 8-OHdG levels and reduces serum levels of oLAB and carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin and lutein in healthy male subjects. Serum levels of 8-OHdG, oLAB, and carotenoids may be useful biomarkers of oxidative conditions affected by smoking.