Quality of life in young patients with acute type a aortic dissection in China: comparison with Marfan syndrome and non-Marfan syndrome.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of Chinese studies evaluating the quality of life (QoL) in young acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) patients with Marfan syndrome. METHODS: Young adult AAAD patients (younger than 45 years old) underwent surgical treatment at our institution from January 2017 to December 2020 were consecutive enrolled. The hospital survivors completed 1 year of follow up. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of Marfan syndrome (MFS). A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) with a caliper 0.2 was conducted to balance potential bias in baseline. The follow-up data were analyzed primarily for change in quality of life and anxiety status. RESULTS: After PSM, 32 comparable pairs were matched. The baseline data were comparable and postoperative complications were similar between groups. In terms of SF-36 scale, the role physical, bodily pain, role emotional and mental health subscales were no significantly improved in MFS patients over time. At 1 year after discharged, the subscale of mental health and bodily pain were significantly lower in the MFS group than in the non-MFS group. In terms of HADS assessments, the level of anxiety in MFS patients was significantly higher than in non-MFS patients at 1 year after discharged. CONCLUSIONS: The QoL in young AAAD patients with MFS is lower than those without MFS after surgery. This may be associated with the uncontrollable persistent chronic pain and the uncertainty and concerns for the disease's progression.

[Preparation and effectiveness evaluation of placebo of Jiawei Ermiao Granules].

This study explored the preparation process of the placebo of Jiawei Ermiao Granules and evaluated the placebo effect, aiming to provide qualified placebo samples for clinical trials of Jiawei Ermiao Granules and a reference for the preparation and quality evaluation of placebos of traditional Chinese medicine granules. On the basis of the comprehensive analysis results of Jiawei Ermiao Granules, the orthogonal experiment was conducted to optimize the flavoring agents and colorants. After manual evaluation, the placebo formula was determined as dextrin 10 g, Codonopsis Radix extract 5.0 g, bitter melon extract 1.6 g, Mume Fructus extract 0.3 g, stevioside 0.1 g, sucrose octaacetate 0.004 g, indigo 0.004 g, lemon yellow 0.003 1 g, sunset yellow 0.001 8 g, bitter tea powder 0.001 8 g, caramel 0.001 3 g. Pilot trials were conducted on the placebo formula. The simulation effect of placebo was evaluated independently and comparatively, and the objectively evaluated by electronic nose and electronic tongue. The results showed that the independent manual evaluation of the placebo formula had higher error rate, and the placebo and Jiawei Ermiao Granules showed the similarity of 99.61% in the comparative manual evaluation. The smell similarity between the placebo and Jiawei Ermiao Granules was 99.19%, and the electronic tongue test showed little difference in the taste. In conclusion, the placebo prepared in this study shows a high similarity to Jiawei Ermiao Granules, which is not easy to break the blindness when being applied to clinical trials. This study provides a reference for the preparation and quality evaluation and promotes the large-scale production of placebos of traditional Chinese medicine granules, playing a role in improving the persuasiveness and acceptance of the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines.

Influence of room temperature on magnesium isotope measurements by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: We observed that the accuracy and precision of magnesium (Mg) isotope analyses could be affected if the room temperature oscillated during measurements. To achieve high-quality Mg isotopic data, it is critical to evaluate how the unstable room temperature affects Mg isotope measurements by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). METHODS: We measured the Mg isotopes for the reference material DSM-3 using MC-ICP-MS under oscillating room temperatures in spring. For a comparison, we also measured the Mg isotopes under stable room temperatures, which were achieved by the installation of an improved temperature control system in the laboratory. RESULTS: The δ26 Mg values measured under oscillating room temperatures have a larger deviation (δ26 Mg from -0.09 to 0.08‰, with average δ26 Mg = 0.00 ± 0.08‰) than those measured under a stable room temperature (δ26 Mg from -0.03 to 0.03‰, with average δ26 Mg = 0.00 ± 0.02‰) using the same MC-ICP-MS system. CONCLUSIONS: The room temperature variation can influence the stability of MC-ICP-MS. Therefore, it is critical to keep the room temperature stable to acquire high-precision and accurate isotopic data when using MC-ICP-MS, especially when using the sample-standard bracketing (SSB) correction method.

The association between polymorphisms of genes related to inflammation and recurrent pregnancy loss.

AIM: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) occurs in 1-2% of pregnant women and about 50% of RPL cases are unexplained. Previous studies have shown that genetic variation in immune response genes can contribute to the risk in pregnancy maintenance during pregnancy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between RPL and genes those have previously been associated with an inflammatory process on 107 RPL cases and 187 healthy controls. METHODS: In this work, the single-nucleotide polymorphisms was examined by utilizing the direct sequencing and the Sequenom MassARRAY system. RESULTS: The FAU rs769440 G allele had higher frequencies in patients with RPL (p = .019). No association was observed between other polymorphisms and RPL. CONCLUSION: The results showed an association between FAU rs769440 polymorphism and RPL in Chinese Han population.

Surgical management of the aortic root in acute type A aortic dissection: A comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the early- and mid-term outcomes of aortic root repair and replacement, and to provide evidence to improve root management in acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). METHODS: This study enrolled 455 patients who underwent AAAD root repair (n = 307) or replacement (n = 148) between January 2016 and December 2017. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method was used to control for treatment selection bias. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, mid-term survival, and proximal aortic reintervention. RESULTS: The success rate of root repair was 99.7%. The in-hospital mortality in the conservative root repair (CRR) and aggressive root replacement (ARR) were 8.1% and 10.8%. The median follow-up time was 67.76 months (IQR, 67-72 months). After adjusting for baseline factors, there was no significant differences in mid-term survival (p = .750) or the proximal aortic reintervention rate (p = .550) between the two groups. According to Cox analysis, age, hypertension, severe aortic regurgitation, CPB time, and concomitant CABG were all factors associated with mid-term mortality. Regarding reintervention, multivariate analysis identified renal insufficiency, bicuspid aortic valve, root diameter ≥ 45 mm, and severe aortic regurgitation as risk factors, while CRR did not increase the risk of reintervention. The subgroup analysis revealed heterogeneity in the effects of surgical treatment across diverse populations based on a variety of risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with AAAD, both CRR and ARR are appropriate operations with promising early and mid-term outcomes. The effects of treatment show heterogeneity across diverse populations based on various risk factors.

Mid-term outcomes of total neointima implantation in surgical repair of acute type A aortic dissection.

Total neointima implantation (patch neointima technique + triple-branched stent graft placement) has been performed in proximal aortic repair for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) for more than 10 years at a center. However, there is no report on the mid-term outcomes with a control group of the surgical procedure. Consequently, the authors aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this technique in this study. Patients who underwent the total neointima implantation were classified as Group A, and those who underwent the conventional aortic root reconstruction with the "sandwich" technique and the total aortic arch replacement were classified as Group B. Furthermore, the authors described the preoperative characteristics, operative data, and patient outcomes. Group A patients experienced a shorter surgery duration, lower volumes of perioperative bleeding, and fewer red blood cell transfusions. The incidence of neurological complications was significantly reduced in Group A. All patients maintained a normal range of proximal aortic sizes after surgery. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant differences between the patients in the two groups regarding cumulative mortality and the incidence of moderate-to-severe aortic insufficiency. In well-selected patients, total neointima implantation is an alternative procedure for the surgical repair of ATAAD.

Clinical predictive value of the age, creatinine, and ejection fraction score in patients in acute type A aortic dissection after total arch replacement.

The age, creatinine, and ejection fraction (ACEF) score has been accepted as a predictor of poor outcome in elective operations. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of ACEF score in acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) patients after total arch replacement. A total of 227 AAAD patients from July 2021 and June 2022 were enrolled and divided into Tertiles 1 (ACEF ≤ 0.73), Tertiles 2 (0.73 < ACEF ≤ 0.95), and Tertiles 3 (ACEF > 0.95). Using inverse probability processing weighting (IPTW) to balance the baseline characteristics and compare the outcomes. Cox logistic regression was used to further evaluate the survival prediction ability of ACEF score. The in-hospital mortality was 9.8%. After IPTW, in the baseline characteristics reached an equilibrium, a higher ACEF score before operation still associated with higher in-hospital mortality. After 1 year follow-up, 184 patients (90.6%) survival. Multivariable analysis revealed that ACEF score (adjusted hazard ratio 1.68; 95% confidence interval 1.34-4.91; p = 0.036) and binary ACEF score (adjusted HR 2.26; 95% CI 1.82-6.20; p < 0.001) was independently associated with 1-year survival. In addition, net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated differentiation improvement (IDI) verified that the ACEF score and binary ACEF score is an accurate predictive tool in clinical settings. In conclusions, ACEF score could be considered as a useful tool to risk stratification in patients with AAAD before operation in daily clinical work.

A nomogram-based model to predict postoperative transient neurological dysfunctions in patients receiving acute type A aortic dissection surgery.

The purposes of this study were to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting postoperative transient neurological dysfunctions (TND) in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) who underwent modified triple-branched stent graft implantation. This retrospective study developed a nomogram-based model in a consecutive cohort of 146 patients. Patient characteristics, preoperative clinical indices, and operative data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariable analyses were applied to identify the most useful predictive variables for constructing the nomogram. Discrimination and the calibration of the model was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test and the decision curve analysis (DCA). At the same time, to identify and compare long-term cumulative survival rate, Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted. The incidence rate of postoperative TND observed in our cohort were 40.9%. Supra-aortic dissection with or without thrombosis, creatinine >115 µmol and albumin <39.7 g/L, selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) time >7 min and total operation time >303 min, were confirmed as independent predictors that enhanced the likelihood of TND. Internal validation showed good discrimination of the model with under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.818 and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, p > .05). DCA revealed that the nomogram was clinically useful. In the long-term survival there was no significant difference between patients with or without TND history. The results showed the predict model based on readily available predictors has sufficient validity to identify TND risk in this population, that maybe useful for clinical decision-making.

A chronic oral toxicity study of marine collagen peptides preparation from chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) skin using Sprague-Dawley rat.

Due to the increased consumption of marine collagen peptides preparation (MCP) as ingredients in functional foods and pharmaceuticals, it was necessary to carry out safety requirements in the form of an oral chronic toxicity assessment. In order to define the oral chronic toxicity of MCP, a 24-month feeding study of MCP was carried out. Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats at the age of four-week of both sexes were treated with MCP at the diet concentrations of 0%, 2.25%, 4.5%, 9% and 18% (wt/wt). The actual food intake and bodyweight of the individual animals were recorded periodically until sacrifice. Blood and urine samples were collected for serum chemistry evaluations and urinalysis. Throughout the experimental period, there was no toxicologically significant difference between the vehicle and MCP-treated animals with respect to the survival rate, body weight, food consumption, urinalysis, clinical biochemistry parameter and relative organ weight in either sex. Moreover, incidences of non-neoplastic lesions in MCP-treated groups did not significantly increase compared with the control group. Under the present experimental conditions, no higher risk of chronic toxic effects was observed in MCP-treated rats at the diet concentrations of 2.25%, 4.5%, 9% and 18% (wt/wt) than in the rats fed with basal rodent diet.

Astragalus polysaccharide improves palmitate-induced insulin resistance by inhibiting PTP1B and NF-κB in C2C12 myotubes.

We investigated the effects of Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) on palmitate-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes. Palmitate-reduced glucose uptake was restored by APS. APS prevented palmitate-induced C2C12 myotubes from impaired insulin signaling by inhibiting Ser307 phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and increasing Ser473 phosphorylation of Akt. Moreover, the increases in protein-tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B) protein level and NF-κB activation associated with palmitate treatment were also prevented by APS. However the treatment with APS didn't change AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in palmitate-induced myotubes. The results of the present study suggest that Astragalus polysaccharide inhibits palmitate-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 myotubes by inhibiting expression of PTP1B and regulating NF-κB but not AMPK pathway.

NRS2002 assesses nutritional status of leukemia patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss whether nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS2002) is appropriate for nutritional risk screening for leukemia patients before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and whether there are risk differences in other conditions, such as age, gender and matching degree; to find the methods and indicators of nutritional risk screening for these patients before and after HSCT, in order to give timely intervention to guarantee the successful completion of the entire transplantation process. METHODS: Nutritional risk of 99 leukemia patients was screened with NRS2002 before and after HSCT. The (χ) (2) test was applied to compare the risk differences between groups such as age, gender and matching degree, while the differences of other enumeration data, such as recent (1-3 months) weight loss, reduced food intake within one week and BMI, were compared by continuity correction. RESULTS: Of the 99 leukemia patients, 22 cases (22.2%) had nutritional risk before HSCT, while all patients had nutritional risk after HSCT; there is no significant difference in nutritional risk between male and female, and patients of less than 30 years old, not-full matched, recent (1-3 months) weight loss, reduced food intake within a week or BMI <18.5 were more likely to have nutritional risk; and 77 cases (77.8%) had weight loss, among which 49 patients (63.6%) had more than 5% weight loss within one month. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that leukemia patients should receive the nutritional risk screening conventionally before and after HSCT, and NRS2002 was only appropriate for nutritional risk screening before HSCT. More attention should be paid to the patients less than 30 years old or not-full matched. Weight change was one of the important nutritional indicators for patients after HSCT.

The FSHR G-29A variant is not associated with the ovarian response to exogenous FSH stimulation.

A common genetic variant in the follicle stimulating hormone receptor gene (FSHR) 5'-untranslated region has been previously reported to influence FSHR gene expression. However, studies on the ovarian response to exogenous gonadotropin stimulation are limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of variants at positions -29 of the FSHR gene with the ovarian response to exogenous FSH stimulation in Chinese women. The genotypes of the FSHR gene were assayed using the Sequenom MassARRAY system. Total RNA and protein was extracted from granulosa cells, and FSHR expression at the mRNA and protein levels was assessed using quantitative PCR and western blotting. Our data revealed that there was no association between the FSHR genotype at the -29 position and the outcome of controlled ovarian stimulation. The expression of FSHR, at both the mRNA and protein levels, was similar amongst the different FSHR genotypes assessed, but was significantly reduced in the low responders. These results indicate that the variants caused by mutations at position -29 are not associated with ovarian response, and the low ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation may be caused by decreased FSHR expression.

Sequence variants in FSHR and CYP19A1 genes and the ovarian response to controlled ovarian stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether sequence variants within the FSHR and CYP19A1 genes are related to the ovarian response to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS). DESIGN: Genetic association study using both single-gene and combined analyses of women with sequence variants undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment. SETTING: Academic research institute hospital. PATIENT(S): Seven hundred and five women undergoing ovarian stimulation with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). INTERVENTION(S): Peripheral blood extraction, DNA purification, and FSHR c.919G>A (rs6165, p.Thr307Ala) and CYP19A1 c.*19C>T (rs10046) sequence variants analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Single-gene statistical analysis and combined statistical analysis with the SPSS17.0 software; FSHR c.919G>A and CYP19A1 c.*19C>T sequence variant genotypes and clinical parameters related to the COS response as oocyte retrieval and hormone levels, doses of exogenous FSH. RESULT(S): Women with genotype Ala/Ala at FSHR position 307 had higher basal levels of FSH and were more likely to have a low ovarian response compared with other genotypes. Women with genotype TT at CYP19A1 yielded fewer oocytes after ovarian stimulation. The combined analysis of these two sequence variants revealed that these two single-nucleotide variants have a synergistic effect in conferring the risk of a low ovarian response. CONCLUSION(S): Our results support an association of sequence variants in the genes that participate in estrogen synthesis, notably the FSHR and CYP19A1 genes, with the outcome of COS.

[Marine collagen peptide slow down the progression of chronic renal function impairment induced by adenine in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of marine collagen peptide on adenine-induced chronic renal function impairment in rats. METHODS: Adenine suspension (100 mg/kg ) was given to Sprague-Dawley rats to made the model of renal function impairment. Marine collagen peptide 1.125 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) and 2.25 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) were administered intragastricly in two intervention groups. In addition, adenine suspension (100 mg/kg ) was given. Experiment was kept 12 weeks. Time-dependent levels of serum creatinine (Cr), urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine clearance rate were monitored. Kidney ultramicrostructure was checked through transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: In model group, level of serum Cr, BUN and Ccr of 5, 8, 12th week respectively were: (182.2 +/- 119.52, 308.17 +/- 88.37, 347.57 +/- 68.24; 29.20 +/- 16.48, 63.03 +/- 18.68, 95.53 +/- 24.88; 0.53 +/- 0.23, 0.17 +/- 0.13, 0.14 +/- 0.08). Serum Cr, BUN levels in marine collagen peptide 2.25 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) treated rats were lower and Ccr was higher significantly than that of model group. Level of serum Cr, BUN and Ccr of 5, 8, 12th week in marine collagen peptide treatment group respectively were: (105.60 +/- 11.84, 175.40 +/- 73.93, 240.14 +/- 71.53; 23.62 +/- 3.89, 41.90 +/- 23.78, 72.93 +/- 26.12; 0.99 +/- 0.35, 0.45 +/- 0.28, 0.26 +/- 0.06). Besides, kidney ultramicrostructure damage was ameliorated. Favorable effect of marine collagen peptide 1.125 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) was also observed on renal function impairment, but the difference compared to model group was not significant. CONCLUSION: Marine collagen peptide at a dose of 2.25 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) might slow down the progression of chronic renal function impairment induced by adenine in rats.

[The study on the immunomodulating effect of marine protein peptides in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of marine protein peptide (MPP) on immunomodulating in mice and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Female ICR mice (6-8 weeks old) were administered the MPP for 4 weeks with the dose of 0.22 g/kgBW, 0.45 g/kgBW and 1.35 g/kgBW. Spleen and thymus were weighted and cell-mediated immune functions, humoral immune functions, phagocytic functions of mononuclear phagocyte, NK cell activity assays, the T cell subpopulation of the spleen tissue by the flow cytometer and the concentrations of cytokines in serum by cytometric bead array were examined. RESULTS: The capacity of lymphocyte proliferation induced by Con A (0.33 +/- 0.21), DTH response (0.36 +/- 0.11) mm in MPP 0.22 g/kgBW group were significantly increased in comparison with these values in control group (0.15 +/- 0.10) and (0.21 +/- 0.10)mm, respectively, P < 0.05. IgM-PFC number of MPP 0.22 g/kgBW group (1.64 +/- 0.06), 0.45 g/kgBW group (1.59 +/- 0.05) and 1.35 g/kgBW group (1.56 +/- 0.10) were higher than those in control group (1.38 +/- 0.10), P < 0.01; and the level of serum HC50 of MPP 0.22 g/kgBW group (141.00 +/- 23.00) and 0.45 g/kgBW group (130.40 +/- 33.20) were greater than the control (100.30 +/- 19.40) , P < 0.01. The activity of NK cells in MPP 0.22 g/kgBW group (1.672 +/- 0.142) was significantly elevated in comparison with this value in control group (1.392 +/- 0.182), P < 0.05. The percentage of CD4 T helper (Th) cell in spleen of MPP 0.22 g/kgBW group (32.84 +/- 3.776)% and 0.45 g/kgBW group (32.42 +/- 3.507) % was higher than those in control group (25.06 +/- 0.354) %, P < 0.05. The concentrations of IL-2 in serum of MPP 0.22 g/kgBW group 181.06 pg/ml, 0.45 g/kgBW group 94.84 pg/ml and 1.35 g/kgBW group 102.61 pg/ml were higher than those in control group 0.50 pg/ml, P < 0.05; and the level of IL-5 of MPP 0.22 g/kgBW group (38.31) pg/ml was greater than the control 0.50 pg/ml, P < 0.05. Nevertheless, no obvious effects on weight increasing, the ratio of immune organ and body weight and phagocytosis capacity were observed in our study. CONCLUSION: MPP could improve the immune functions in mice, and might be by the mechanism of enhancing the function of Th cells stimulating the secretion of Th1 and Th2 type cell cytokines.

[The lipid-lowering and antioxidative effects of marine collagen peptides].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative molecular mass of marine collagen peptides (MCPs) and investigate the effects of MCPs on serum lipids, anti-oxidative enzymes and malondialdehyde (MDA) in hyperlipidemic rats. METHODS: Sephadex G-25, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) methods were used to determine the relative molecular mass of MCPs. Then 50 healthy male SD rats were divided into 5 groups, which were normal control (NC) group, hyperlipidemic model control (HC) group and 1.0, 3.0, 9.0 g/kgbw MCPs groups, MCPs were orally administered by gavage to rats in MCPs group for 45 consecutive days (2 ml/100 kgbw per day), and the control rats were given vehicle only, all animals (except NC rats) were fed with a high fat diet composed of 79% basic diet, 10% lard, 10% yolk powder and 1% cholesterol. The levels of serum lipids, the content of MDA and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in serum were measured. RESULTS: The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC) in 1.0, 3.0, 9.0 g/kgbw MCPs groups were 1.89 +/- 0.29, 2.07 +/- 0.39 and 1.99 +/- 0.29 mmol/L respectively, each of which was significantly lower than that in HC group (3.37 +/- 0.24 mmol/L); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in 1.0, 3.0, 9.0 g/kgbw MCPs groups were 0.83 +/- 0.16, 1.01 +/- 0.35 and 0.91 +/- 0.26 mmol/L respectively, each of which was significantly lower than that in HC group(2.20 +/- 0.34 mmol/L); triglyceride (TG) levels in 3.0 and 9.0 g/kgbw MCPs groups (0.90 +/- 0.15 and 0.86 +/- 0.12 mmol/L) were reduced significantly compared with that in HC group (1.18 +/- 0.18 mmol/L); MDA level in 9.0 g/kgbw MCPs group was 7.1 +/- 4.1 nmol/ml, which was significantly lower than that in HC group ( 15.9 +/- 9.9 nmol/ml); and atherogenic index (AI) in hyperlipidemic rats fed with 1.0, 3.0, 9.0 g/kgbw MCPs were 1.14 +/- 0.22, 1.16 +/- 0.27 and 0.99 +/- 0.31 respectively, each of which was significantly lower than that in HC group (2.27 +/- 0.55). The activities of SOD in 1.0, 3.0, 9.0 g/kgbw MCPs groups (218.6 +/- 33.2, 242.7 +/- 21.4 and 242.1 +/- 44.8 U/ml) were obviously increased compared with that in HC group (119.7 +/- 47.8 U/ml), and anti-atherogenic index (AAI) were also increased significantly (0.47 +/- 0.04, 0.47 +/- 0.06, 0.51 +/- 0.09 vs 0.31 +/- 0.05). CONCLUSION: MCPs should have antioxidative and lipid-lowering effects, and might play a preventive role in hyperlipidemia and atherogenesis.

[Effects of marine collagen peptide on delaying the skin aging].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of marine collagen peptides (MCPs) on the skin of aged mice induced by D-galactose. METHODS: Subchronic toxicity study was conducted while D-galactose induced subacute aging model was established. D-galactose dose of 0.125 g/kg body weight was intraperitoneally injected daily for 90 days. Marine collagen peptide 0.225, 0.450, 1.350 g/kg body weight were administered by oral gavage. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in blood serum were measured, along with cutaneous histopathology examination. RESULTS: Epidermal thickness was significantly higher in MCPs treated group. Number and activity of fibroblast in MCPs treated dermis was increased prominently. The activity of SOD in 0.225, 0.450, 1.350 g/kgbw MCPs treated groups were 455.52 +/- 11.39, 460.15 +/- 18.09, 468.59 +/- 27.25 U/ml respectively, each of which was significantly higher than that in model control group; the activity of serum CAT in 0.225, 1.350 g/kgbw MCPs treated groups (21.33 +/- 4.82, 21.69 +/- 1.68 U/ml) were obviously increased compared with that in model control group (17.14 +/- 2.81 U/ml); MDA level in 0.450, 1.350 g/kgbw MCPs treated groups were 5.67 +/- 0.93, 5.76 +/- 1.02 nmol/ml respectively, each of which was significantly lower than that in model control group (7.63 +/- 1.37 nmol/ml). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that MCPs might play a protective role on skin aging by improving the activity of antioxidant.

Ginseng oligopeptides protect against irradiation-induced immune dysfunction and intestinal injury.

Intestinal injury and immune dysfunction are commonly encountered after irradiation therapy. While the curative abilities of ginseng root have been reported in prior studies, there is little known regarding its role in immunoregulation of intestinal repairability in cancer patients treated with irradiation. Our current study aims to closely examine the protective effects of ginseng-derived small molecule oligopeptides (Panax ginseng C. A. Mey.) (GOP) against irradiation-induced immune dysfunction and subsequent intestinal injury, using in vitro and in vivo models. Expectedly, irradiation treatment resulted in increased intestinal permeability along with mucosal injury in both Caco-2 cells and mice, probably due to disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier, leading to high plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels. However, when the cells were treated with GOP, this led to diminished concentration of plasma LPS and cytokines (IL-1 and TNF-α), suggesting its dampening effect on inflammatory and oxidative stress, and potential role in restoring normal baseline intestinal permeability. Moreover, the Caco-2 cells treated with GOP showed high trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and low FITC-dextran paracellular permeability when compared to the control group. This could be explained by the higher levels of tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and Occludin) expression along with reduced expression of the apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Caspase-3) noticed in the GOP-treated cells, highlighting its role in preserving intestinal permeability, through prevention of their degradation while maintaining normal levels of expression. Further confirmatory in vivo data showed that GOP-treated mice exhibited high concentrations of lymphocytes (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+) in the intestine, to rescue the irradiation-induced damage and restore baseline intestinal integrity. Therefore, we propose that GOP can be used as an adjuvant therapy to attenuate irradiation-induced immune dysfunction and intestinal injury in cancer patients.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) oligopeptides regulate innate and adaptive immune responses in mice via increased macrophage phagocytosis capacity, NK cell activity and Th cells secretion.

Traditionally used as a restorative medicine, ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) has been the most widely used and acclaimed herb in Chinese communities for thousands of years. To investigate the immune-modulating activity of ginseng oligopeptides (GOP), 420 healthy female BALB/c mice were intragastrically administered distilled water (control), whey protein (0.15 g per kg body weight (BW)), and GOP 0.0375, 0.075, 0.15, 0.3 and 0.6 g per kg BW for 30 days. Blood samples from mice were collected from the ophthalmic venous plexus and then sacrificed by cervical dislocation. Seven assays were conducted to determine the immunomodulatory effects of GOP on innate and adaptive immune responses, followed by flow cytometry to investigate spleen T lymphocyte sub-populations, multiplex sandwich immunoassays to investigate serum cytokine and immunoglobulin levels, and ELISA to investigate intestinally secreted immunoglobulin to study the mechanism of GOP affecting the immune system. Our results showed that GOP was able to enhance innate and adaptive immune responses in mice by improving cell-mediated and humoral immunity, macrophage phagocytosis capacity and NK cell activity. Notably, the use of GOP revealed a better immune-modulating activity compared to whey protein. We conclude that the immune-modulating activity might be due to the increased macrophage phagocytosis capacity and NK cell activity, and the enhancement of T and Th cells, as well as IL-2, IL-6 and IL-12 secretion and IgA, IgG1 and IgG2b production. These results indicate that GOP could be considered a good candidate that may improve immune functions if used as a dietary supplement, with a dosage that ranges from 0.3 to 0.6 g per kg BW.

Suppression of TNF-α and free radicals reduces systematic inflammatory and metabolic disorders: Radioprotective effects of ginseng oligopeptides on intestinal barrier function and antioxidant defense.

Irradiation therapy is markedly associated with intestinal injure and oxidant stress. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mey.) oligopeptides (GOP) on irradiation-induced intestinal injury and antioxidant defense in mice. BALB/c mice (8 weeks old) were randomly divided into six groups: vehicle control, irradiation control (IR), IR+whey protein [0.30 g/kg body weight (BW)], IR+GOP 0.15 g/kg BW, IR+GOP 0.30 g/kg BW and IR+GOP 0.60 g/kg BW. Postirradiation 30-day survival trial, white blood cells count and bone marrow hematopoietic system damage were performed to identify the injury degree induced by irradiation. Then, histopathology analysis was observed and intestinal permeability in vivo was quantified with fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine antioxidant ability, plasma inflammatory cytokines, diamine oxidase (DAO) and endotoxin (LPS) levels. The immunohistochemistry assay was used to analyze the expression levels of tight junction proteins. We found that GOP-treated mice exhibited lower concentrations of plasma LPS and DAO and decreased instructors of inflammatory and oxidative stress which were linked to the lower intestinal permeability and higher tight junction proteins expression. The blockage of GOP was linked with the reduction of TNF-α and free radicals. The 15-day pretreatment of GOP could exhibit radioprotective effects, and another 15-day posttreatment benefited the quick repair of irradiation-induced injury. We confirm that GOP would exhibit effective therapeutic value on attenuating irradiation-induced hematopoietic, gastrointestinal and oxidative injury in cancer patients.