Application Effect of Multi-Dimension Nursing Combined with GRACE Scoring System in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation after Green Precision Catheter Radiofrequency Ablation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application effect of multi-dimensional nursing combined with the Global Registry of Acute Events (GRACE) scoring system in the nursing of patients with atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency ablation with green precision catheter radiofrequency ablation. METHODS: A total of 274 patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation undergoing green precision catheter radiofrequency ablation were collected from the Department of Cardiology at our hospital in a retrospective study. After the inclusion, exclusion, diagnostic criteria and physical examination, all the subjects underwent green precision catheter radiofrequency ablation. According to various nursing methods that were adopted, they were divided into two groups with 7-14 days of nursing intervention by digital randomization: the study group (multi-dimensional nursing combined with GRACE scoring system evaluation, n = 136 cases) and the control group (postoperative routine nursing, n = 138 cases). The MOS item short from health survey (SF-36) score, Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) score, Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) score, complication rates and the nursing quality of the two groups were observed. RESULTS: After multi-dimensional nursing combined with the GRACE in-hospital scoring system for stratified nursing in the study group, SF-36 scores in both groups increased after conventional nursing in the control group, but there was a statistical difference between the study group and the control group (p < 0.05). HAMA score and HAMD score decreased, and there were statistical differences between the study group and the control group (p < 0.05). The comparison between the study group and the control group showed that "Cardiac tamponade", "Atrioventricular block", "Peripheral vascular injury" and the total incidence of complications were statistically different (p < 0.05). The basic satisfaction, number of satisfaction and total satisfaction rate of the study group were higher than those of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Multi-dimensional nursing combined with the GRACE scoring system in the nursing care of patients with atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency ablation with the green precision catheter, improves the quality of life, alleviates negative emotions, reduces the incidence of complications, and results in better quality of nursing care.

Application Effects of NNN-link Care Model in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a NNN-linked care model applied in elderly patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS: A total of 120 elderly patients with coronary heart disease admitted to the hospital from January, 2023 to May, 2023 were randomly divided into two groups of 60 cases respectively. The control group received routine intervention, and the observation group received the NNN-linked care model. Changes in cardiac function, the ability for self-care, and quality of life were recorded between the groups before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Indices of cardiac function in the observation group were higher than those of the control group after 3 weeks (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the total score for the ability for self-care and the scores of each dimension of the observation group were higher after 3 weeks of intervention (p < 0.05). The scores of quality of life of the observation group were higher in comparison with the control group after 3 weeks of intervention (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of the NNN-linked care model to elderly patients with coronary heart disease can improve the ability for self-care, increase cardiac function and improve the quality of life.

Combined integrin αvß3 and lactoferrin receptor targeted docetaxel liposomes enhance the brain targeting effect and anti-glioma effect.

The integrin αvß3 receptor and Lactoferrin receptor (LfR) are over-expressed in both cerebral microvascular endothelial cells and glioma cells. RGD tripeptide and Lf can specifically bind with integrin αvß3 receptor and LfR, respectively. In our study, RGD and Lf dual-modified liposomes loaded with docetaxel (DTX) were designed to enhance the brain targeting effect and treatment of glioma. Our in vitro studies have shown that RGD-Lf-LP can significantly enhance the cellular uptake of U87 MG cells and human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) when compared to RGD modified liposomes (RGD-LP) and Lf modified liposomes (Lf-LP). Free RGD and Lf competitively reduced the cellular uptake of RGD-Lf-LP, in particular, free RGD played a main inhibitory effect on cellular uptake of RGD-Lf-LP in U87 MG cells, yet free Lf played a main inhibitory effect on cellular uptake of RGD-Lf-LP in hCMEC/D3 cells. RGD-Lf-LP can also significantly increase penetration of U87 MG tumor spheroids, and RGD modification plays a dominating role on promoting the penetration of U87 MG tumor spheroids. The results of in vitro BBB model were shown that RGD-Lf-LP-C6 obviously increased the transport of hCMEC/D3 cell monolayers, and Lf modification plays a dominating role on increasing the transport of hCMEC/D3 cell monolayers. In vivo imaging proved that RGD-Lf-LP shows stronger targeting effects for brain orthotopic gliomas than that of RGD-LP and Lf-LP. The result of tissue distribution confirmed that RGD-LF-LP-DTX could significantly increase brain targeting after intravenous injection. Furthermore, RGD-LF-LP-DTX (a dose of 5 mg kg-1 DTX) could significantly prolong the survival time of orthotopic glioma-bearing mice. In summary, RGD and LF dual modification are good combination for brain targeting delivery, RGD-Lf-LP-DTX could enhance brain targeting effects, and is thus a promising chemotherapeutic drug delivery system for treatment of glioma.

Purification of hypocrellins from Shiraia bambusicola by coordinated high-speed countercurrent chromatography using cupric chloride as a complexing agent.

Hypocrellins are anthraquinone that can act as excellent photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy. In the present work, we found that high-speed countercurrent chromatography using cupric chloride as a complexing agent effectively separated hypocrellins from Shiraia bambusicola extract. The optimal two-phase solvent system consisted of petroleum ether/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (7:3:5.5:4.5, v/v/v/v), with 0.01 mol/L cupric chloride in the lower phase at pH of 2.45. This lower phase served as the mobile phase, whereas the upper phase acted as the stationary phase. Employing a continuous separation mode, three continuous injections were found to allow the purification of 1.2 g of crude extract in approximately 12 h. Hypocrellin B (10.8 mg), hypocrellin A (16.2 mg), and hypocrellin C (15.6 mg) were obtained from this process. Simulation of complexation of hypocrellin A with divalent copper ion by computational chemistry calculations indicated that three pairs of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in hypocrellin A had similar binding energies, and demonstrated that hypocrellin A and B owned different metal-to-ligand ratios as compared to hypocrellin C. These factors could modify the partitioning of these compounds in two-phase solvent system, and resulting in a suitable separation factor. This method would also be used to purify other anthraquinones from natural products.

Combined Ultrahigh Pressure Extraction and High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography for Separation and Purification of Three Glycoside Compounds from Dendrobium officinale Protocorm.

As an alternative to Dendrobium candidum, protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Dendrobium candidum are of great value due to their high yield and low cost. In this work, three glycoside compounds, ß-D-glucopyranose 1-[(E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoat] (I), ß-D-glucopyranose 1-[(E)-3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoat] (II), and 1-O-sinapoyl glucopyranoside (III), were extracted and isolated by ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE) coupled with high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) from PLBs of D. officinale. First, the target compounds were optimized and prepared with 50% ethanol solution at a 1:30 (g/mL) solid/liquid ratio in 2 min under 300 MPa by UPE. Then, the crude extract was chromatographed with a silica gel column, and primary separation products were obtained. In addition, the products (150 mg) were separated by HSCCC under the solvent system of MTBE-n-butyl alcohol-acetonitrile-water (5:1:2:6, v/v/v/v), yielding 31.43 mg of compound I, 10.21 mg of compound II, and 24.75 mg of compound III. Their structures were further identified by ESI-MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The antioxidant results showed that the three compounds expressed moderate effects on the DPPH· scavenging effect. Compound II had the best antioxidant capacity and its IC50 value was 0.0497 mg/mL.

Separation and Purification of Fructo-Oligosaccharide by High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography Coupled with Precolumn Derivatization.

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) coupled with precolumn derivatization was developed for isolating and purifying fructo-oligosaccharides (FOSs). Firstly, the total FOSs were precolumn derivatized and then separated by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) with two-phase solvent system petroleum ether-n-butanol-methanol-water (3:2:1:4, v/v). Secondly, the obtained compounds were deacetylated and the fructo-oligosaccharides (FOSs) with high purity were obtained. Their structures were identified by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This research successfully established a novel strategy for separation and purification of FOS. There is no doubt that the application of the research will be beneficial for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of products containing FOSs.

How great is the medical burden of disease on the aged? Research based on "System of Health Account 2011".

BACKGROUND: The aging of population and the burden of disease among the aged have become one of the hot topics in the international health, and also brought tremendous pressure in the development of health service. METHODS: A total of 1,377,681 patients aged 65 years and over were collected with multistage stratified cluster random sampling in 252 medical institutions in Liaoning China, and "System of Health Account 2011" was conducted to analyze the expenditure of disease for the elderly. Influencing factors were performed using multiple stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS: The curative care expenditure for the aged was 233.18 billion RMB. Most of the expenditure for the old people was in hospital. Moreover, by the disease, the highest expenditure was incurred by non-communicable diseases. The financing scheme of the aged was concentrated on social health insurance and family health expenditure. Hospitalization expenditure was significantly associated with length of stay, operation, etc. CONCLUSIONS: This study intends to capture large data from various medical institutions with a new accounting system. The finding illustrates that the burden of old people is still heavy.

[Analyze moisture transformation and transport rules during processing of Paeoniae Radix Alba by using low-field NMR].

Moisture status and content during the processing of Paeoniae Radix Alba were studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the changes of transverse relaxation time (T 2) and MRI images during boiling and drying processes of Paeoniae Radix Alba. The results showed that water in Paeoniae Radix Alba fresh products was major of free water, and in the boiling process, the content of free water increased whereas the content of bound water declined. At the end of boiling, content of free water reached over 90%. During the drying process, T 2 moved to the left, and moisture mobility was reduced. The MRI image directly showed that moisture transfer was outside-in process for both increase and decrease. At the end of drying, remaining moisture was mainly present in inner layer of Paeoniae Radix Alba. Quality and appearance were affected by the change of moisture during processing process of medicinal herbs. NMR and MRI could provide direct reference evidence for its moisture changes, and the results of this study could provide direct references and technical support for optimization of processing process of root medicinal materials and evaluation of Chinese herbal pieces.

Opposing roles for Smad2 and Smad3 in peritoneal fibrosis in vivo and in vitro.

Peritoneal fibrosis is a major cause of ultrafiltration failure in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 is an important mediator in this process; however, its signaling mechanisms had not been explored. Thus, we examined TGF-ß1/Smad signaling in human peritoneal biopsy specimens associated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. We found that TGF-ß/Smad2/3 signaling was highly activated in patients with increased collagen deposition and thickening of the peritoneal membrane who were receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Long-term exposure of wild-type mice to 4.25% peritoneal dialysis solution for 30 days induced significant peritoneal fibrosis with impaired peritoneal equilibrium, which was prevented in Smad3 knockout mice. In contrast, conditional Smad2 gene deletion in the peritoneum exacerbated peritoneal fibrosis and dysfunction. The contrasting roles of Smad2 and Smad3 in peritoneal fibrosis were also examined in vitro. Cultured mesothelial cells from Smad3 knockout mice were resistant to TGF-ß1-induced collagen I production and the transition toward a myofibroblast phenotype as seen in wild-type cells, whereas Smad2 deficiency in mesothelial cells failed to modulate the profibrotic response to TGF-ß1. In conclusion, this study found activation of TGF-ß/Smad signaling in peritoneal fibrosis in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and identifies opposing roles for Smad2 and Smad3 in peritoneal dialysis-associated peritoneal fibrosis. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for future therapies targeting TGF-ß/Smad signaling in peritoneal fibrosis.

MicroRNA-29b inhibits peritoneal fibrosis in a mouse model of peritoneal dialysis.

TGF-ß/Smad3 signaling plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of peritoneal fibrosis associated with peritoneal dialysis (PD). MicroRNA-29 (miR-29) is known as a potent downstream inhibitor of TGF-ß/Smad3 in renal fibrosis. In this study, we examined the therapeutic potential for miR-29b on PD-related peritoneal fibrosis in a mouse model of PD induced by daily infusion of 4.25% dextrose-containing PD fluid (PDF). MiR-29b-expressing plasmid was delivered into the peritoneum via an ultrasound-microbubble-mediated system before and at day 14 after PDF. We found that mice on PD developed peritoneal fibrosis with impaired peritoneal function, which was associated with a loss of miR-29b. In contrast, overexpression of miR-29b before the PDF infusion showed a protective effect on peritoneal fibrosis including EMT and prevented peritoneal dysfunction. Moreover, delayed miR-29b treatment until peritoneal fibrosis was established at day 14 also halted the progression of peritoneal fibrosis at day 28. Further studies identified that blockade of the Sp1-TGF-ß/Smad3 pathway may be a mechanism by which miR-29b inhibited peritoneal fibrosis. In conclusion, treatment with miR-29b may represent a novel and effective therapy for PD-associated peritoneal fibrosis.

Expression of the novel all-trans retinoic acid-related resistance gene HA117 in pediatric solid tumors.

This study aimed to detect the protein expression of HA117 in pediatric solid tumors. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of HA117 and P-gp in pediatric solid tumors. In Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), nephroblastoma (WT), and neuroblastoma (NB), the positive expression rate of HA117 was 65.4%, 58.3%, 81.3%, and 74.1%, and that of P-gp was 57.7%, 70.8%, 65.6%, and 66.7%, respectively. HA117 expression was closely related to the clinical stage of HL (P=0.004) and to the International Prognostic Index score, mediastinal lesions, and clinical stages of NHL (P=0.01, 0.03, and 0.01). The expression of HA117 in WT was higher than in adjacent normal tissues, but there was no statistical significance (P=0.21). The positive expression of HA117 in NB was markedly higher than that in normal tissues (P=0.002), which closely associated with histologic type and lymph node metastasis (P=0.03 and 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that HA117 expression was not correlated with P-gp in these 4 tumors. This suggests that HA117 might be an important resistance gene in pediatric solid tumors. The mechanism underlying the resistance to all-trans retinoic acid conferred by HA117 is different from that of P-gp.

[Chemical constituents from flowers of Paeonia lactiflora].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Paeonia lactiflora flowers. METHODS: [corrected] The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various chromatography methods,and the structures were identified by physicochemical and modem spectroscopic. RESULTS: 11 compounds were identified as gallic acid(1),methyl gallate(2),ethyl gallate(3),1,2,3,6-tetragalloyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside(4), 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside(5), quercetin-3-O-glucoside-6"-gallate(6), kaempferol-3-O-glucoside-6"-gallate(7), 1-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (8), kaempferol-3, 7-di-O-beta-D-glucoside(9), paeoniflorin(10) and albiflorin(11). CONCLUSIONS: Compounds 1-8, 10 and 11 are obtained from the flowers of Paeonia lactiflora for the first time,compounds 6 and 7 are obtained from Paeonia genus for the first time.

Nogo-B Promotes Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Autophagy in Endothelial Cells of Diabetic Nephropathy.

Aims: Endothelial cells are the critical targets of injury in diabetic nephropathy (DN), and endothelial cell lesions contribute to the disease progression. Neurite outgrowth inhibitor B (Nogo-B), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident protein, plays a pivotal role in vascular remodeling after injury, and maintains the structure and function of the ER. Yet, the role of Nogo-B in the regulation of ER stress and endothelial cell injury remains largely unknown. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that Nogo-B activates ER stress-mediated autophagy and protects endothelial cells in DN. Results: The level of Nogo-B was decreased in glomerular endothelial cells in biopsy specimens from DN patients. In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that silencing Nogo-B activated ER stress signaling, and affected the expression of autophagy-related marker early growth response 1 and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) in endothelial cells in hyperglycemic condition. Conclusion and Innovation: These results denote that Nogo-B contributes to ER stress-mediated autophagy and protects endothelial cells in DN, providing new evidence for understanding the role of ER stress-mediated autophagy in endothelial cells of DN.

Expression patterns of CXCR4 in different colon tissue segments of patients with Hirschsprung's disease.

C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) plays a crucial role in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes, including the migration of stem cells, such as neural crest-derived cells. Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), a developmental disorder characterized by the absence of ganglion cells, is regarded as the consequence of the premature arrest of the craniocaudal migration of neural crest-derived cells (NCDCs) in the gastrointestinal tract during the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS). In this study, colon tissue samples from 61 HSCR patients were surgically collected and divided into aganglionic, oligoganglionic and normal ganglionic segments. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions (PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining were performed to analyze the expression levels and patterns of CXCR4 in different colon tissue segments. The expression levels of CXCR4 mRNA and protein in the aganglionic segments were decreased compared to the normal ganglionic and oligoganglionic colon segments (p<0.01). Immunohistochemical staining showed that intensive CXCR4 staining was detected in the ganglion cells and the supporting glial cells in the ganglion in control colon specimens and normal ganglionic and oligoganglionic colon segments from the HSCR patients; however, CXCR4 staining was significantly decreased in the aganglionic colon segments. Immunofluorescence staining showed that CXCR4 staining was mainly detected in the ganglia where RET-positive ganglion cells were observed. Elucidating CXCR4 expression patterns in colon segments could be the basis for further investigations of the potential role of CXCR4 in ENS development.

Preparative separation of six rhynchophylla alkaloids from Uncaria macrophylla wall by pH-zone refining counter-current chromatography.

pH-Zone refining counter-current chromatography was successfully applied to the preparative isolation and purification of six alkaloids from the ethanol extracts of Uncaria macrophylla Wall. Because of the low content of alkaloids (about 0.2%, w/w) in U. macrophylla Wall, the target compounds were enriched by pH-zone refining counter-current chromatography using a two-phase solvent system composed of petroleum ether-ethyl acetate-isopropanol-water (2:6:3:9, v/v), adding 10 mM triethylamine in organic stationary phase and 5 mM hydrochloric acid in aqueous mobile phase. Then pH-zone refining counter-current chromatography using the other two-phase solvent system was used for final purification. Six target compounds were finally isolated and purified by following two-phase solvent system composed of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-acetonitrile-water (4:0.5:5, v/v), adding triethylamine (TEA) (10 mM) to the organic phase and HCl (5 mM) to aqueous mobile phase. The separation of 2.8 g enriched total alkaloids yielded 36 mg hirsutine, 48 mg hirsuteine, 82 mg uncarine C, 73 mg uncarine E, 163 mg rhynchophylline, and 149 mg corynoxeine, all with purities above 96% as verified by HPLC Their structures were identified by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and 1H-NMR spectroscopy.

Association of Dietary Niacin Intake with Diabetes in Adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown inconsistent associations between niacin supplementation and diabetes, and little is known about the relationship between dietary niacin intake and the risk of diabetes in the general population. Our study aimed to explore the association between dietary niacin intake and the risk of diabetes in the adult population in the United States. METHODS: Data from the 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed. Diabetes was diagnosed according to the American Diabetes Association criteria. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between dietary niacin intake and diabetes. Covariates included age, sex, race, family income, educational level, drinking status, smoking status, marital status, and physical activity. RESULTS: This study included 24494 participants, of which 13.63% had diabetes. In the fully adjusted model, a high niacin intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of diabetes in a dose-dependent manner. When extreme quintiles of niacin intake were compared, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio was 0.66 (95% confidence interval: 0.49, 0.88) for diabetes, and per ten-unit increment in dietary niacin intake was associated with a 14% lower risk of diabetes. When niacin intake was less than 15.01 mg/d, a ten-unit increment in niacin intake was associated with a 24% higher risk of diabetes. However, the effect was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the consumption of adequate amounts of niacin can reduce the risk of diabetes. Furthermore, this protective effect disappeared when the niacin intake was insufficient (less than 15.01 mg/d).

"Guide" of muscone modification enhanced brain-targeting efficacy and anti-glioma effect of lactoferrin modified DTX liposomes.

Glioma is one of the most aggressive malignant diseases for human health. It is difficult to resect completely due to their invasiveness. The targeted delivery, as a noninvasive approach, is a major strategy for the development of treatments for brain tumors. Lactoferrin (Lf) receptors are over-expressed in both brain endothelial cells and glioma cells. Macromolecular Lf modified nanoparticles have been shown to enhance the brain targeting. Muscone is a "guide" drug that have been demonstrated to promote liposomes into the brain by modification. To further enhance the brain-targeting efficacy of Lf modified carriers, we designed that Lf and muscone dual-modified liposomes cross blood-brain barrier (BBB) and target to brain for enhanced docetaxel (DTX) brain delivery. The results showed that we successfully prepared Lf and muscone dual-modified liposomes (Lf-LP-Mu-DTX), the number of Lf molecules connected to the surface of per liposome was 28. Lf-LP-Mu-DTX increased uptake in both U87-MG cells and hCMEC/D3 cells, enhanced penetration of U87-MG tumor spheroid and in vitro BBB model, had better in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects. In conclusion, "guide" of muscone modification enhanced brain-targeting efficacy of Lf modified liposomes, Lf and muscone dual-modified docetaxel loaded liposomes present a potential brain-targeting drug delivery system for use in the future treatment of gliomas.

ESeroS-GS modulates lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage activation by impairing the assembly of TLR-4 complexes in lipid rafts.

The binding of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to macrophages results in inflammatory responses. In extreme cases it can lead to endotoxic shock, often resulting in death. A broad range of antioxidants, including tocopherols, can reduce LPS activity in vitro and in vivo. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of their action, we investigated the effect of the sodium salt of γ-L-glutamyl-S-[2-[[[3,4-dihydro-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2-(4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-6-yl]oxy]carbonyl]-3-[[2-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]amino]-3-oxopropyl]-L-cysteinylglycine (ESeroS-GS), a novel α-tocopherol derivative, on LPS-induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo. ESeroS-GS reduced the transcription of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and iNOS genes in a dose-dependent manner in RAW264.7 macrophages, and inhibited the release of these inflammatory factors. In addition, ESeroS-GS inhibited LPS-induced mortality in a mouse sepsis model. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and reporter gene assays revealed that ESeroS-GS down-regulated the transcriptional activity of NF-κB. By analyzing the partitioning of CD14 and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) in cell membrane microdomains, we found that ESeroS-GS attenuates the binding of LPS to RAW264.7 cells via interfering with the relocation of CD14 and TLR-4 to lipid rafts, blocking the activation of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK-1), and inhibiting the consequent phosphorylation of TAK1 and IKKα/ß, which together account for the suppression of NF-κB activation. Taken together, our data suggest that ESeroS-GS can modulate LPS signaling in macrophages by impairing TLR-4 complex assembly via a lipid raft dependent mechanism. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 11th European Symposium on Calcium.

Cigarette Smoking Increases the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Cigarette smoke and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the impact of smoking on diabetes risk among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease remains unclear. METHODS: This study included 15,464 Japanese individuals. We defined non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on abdominal ultrasound findings where excess alcohol intake and other liver diseases were excluded. We used Cox proportional regression analysis to identify risk factors for type 2 diabetes onset. RESULTS: During 16,446 person-years of follow-up, 223 of 2,714 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients developed type 2 diabetes; the cumulative incidence rate of type 2 diabetes was 13.6 per 1,000 person-years. The proportions of never, former, and current smokers (self-report) were 35.3%, 31.1%, and 33.6%, and 88.5%, 5.1%, and 6.4% in men and women, respectively. In a Cox regression model adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, waist circumference, alcohol intake, exercise, and alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, lipid profiles, and blood pressure values, relative to never smokers, current smokers with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease had an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio=2.05; 95% confidence interval: 1.43-2.94). In addition, former smoking affected the risk of type 2 diabetes; however, this effect was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal study showed that current smoking may act as a "second hit" and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Comparison of Physicochemical and Bioactive Properties of Polysaccharides from Massa Medicata Fermentata and Its Processed Products.

Two polysaccharides were separately extracted and purified from different types of medicinal slices of Massa Medicata Fermentata (Sheng Massa Medicata Fermentata and Chao Massa Medicata Fermentata). The physicochemical properties of these polysaccharides were studied, including the molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, and glycosidic linkage. Moreover, inhibition of trypsin, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase by the polysaccharides and their antioxidant activity were investigated. Compared with polysaccharides from Sheng Massa Medicata Fermentata, polysaccharides from Chao Massa Medicata Fermentata had a lower molecular weight, higher uronic acid content, and a lower proportion of side chains. Polysaccharides from Sheng Massa Medicata Fermentata displayed stronger trypsin, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibition activity, whereas the antioxidant activity of the polysaccharides from Chao Massa Medicata Fermentata was higher. These results indicated that stir-frying changes the physicochemical properties of the polysaccharides significantly, leading to reduced enzyme inhibition activity and an increase in antioxidant activity. This research provides a guide for the selective application of Massa Medicata Fermentata.