Coffee consumption and migraine: a population-based study.

Although coffee is one of the most consumed caffeinated beverages worldwide, the role of coffee consumption in migraine is controversial. This study examined the relationship between coffee consumption and clinical characteristics in participants with migraine compared to those with non-migraine headache. This cross-sectional study used data from a nationwide survey on headache and sleep. Coffee consumption was classified as no-to-low (< 1 cup/day), moderate (1-2 cups/day), or high (≥ 3 cups/day). Of the 3030 survey participants, 170 (5.6%) and 1,768 (58.3%) were identified as having migraine and non-migraine headache, respectively. Coffee consumption tended to increase in the order of non-headache, non-migraine headache, and migraine (linear-by-linear association, p = 0.011). Although psychiatric comorbidities (depression for migraine and anxiety for non-migraine headache) and stress significantly differed according to coffee consumption, most headache characteristics and accompanying symptoms did not differ among the three groups for participants with migraine and non-migraine headache. Response to acute headache treatment-adjusted for age, sex, depression, anxiety, stress, preventive medication use, and current smoking-was not significantly different by coffee consumption in participants with migraine and non-migraine headache. In conclusion, most headache-related characteristics and acute treatment response did not significantly differ by coffee consumption in migraine and non-migraine headache.

Investigation of the Relationship between Genetic and Breeding Characteristics of WBPH Behavior according to Resistant Materials in Rice.

Rice accounts for most of the calories consumed by the world's population. However, the whitebacked planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horvath), is an insect that can cause rice yield loss. WBPH sucks the stems of rice and negatively affects yield and grain quality. Therefore, numerous insecticides have been developed to control WBPH in rice fields. However, chemical pesticides cause serious problems such as environmental pollution and ecosystem disturbance. Here, we research the possibility of using previously reported rice extracts obtained using methanol, Chrysoeriol 7(C7) and Cochlioquinone-9 (cq-9), as potential insect repellents. WBPH was caged with C7 or cq-9 and monitored, and the WBPH behavior was recorded. The number of WBPHs approaching the periphery of the C7 and cq-9 was very low. In cages containing the C7 and cq-9, only 13 and 7 WBPHs out of 100, respectively, walked around the material. In addition, foliar spraying with C7 and cq-9 did not negatively affect the plant height. The expression level of genes related to resistance was maintained at a high level in the resistant lines when treated with WBPHs alone, but was at a similar level to those of the controls when treated with C7 or cq-9. Interfering with WBPH access did not adversely affect the plant phenotype. Recently, people's interest in the environment has increased, and the use of plant-derived materials is also increasing. There is a new trend towards using plant extracts as an environmentally friendly means of managing resistance to WBPH during the rice cultivation period, while also avoiding environmental pollution.

Lateral hypothalamic leptin receptor neurons drive hunger-gated food-seeking and consummatory behaviours in male mice.

For survival, it is crucial for eating behaviours to be sequenced through two distinct seeking and consummatory phases. Heterogeneous lateral hypothalamus (LH) neurons are known to regulate motivated behaviours, yet which subpopulation drives food seeking and consummatory behaviours have not been fully addressed. Here, in male mice, fibre photometry recordings demonstrated that LH leptin receptor (LepR) neurons are correlated explicitly in both voluntary seeking and consummatory behaviours. Further, micro-endoscope recording of the LHLepR neurons demonstrated that one subpopulation is time-locked to seeking behaviours and the other subpopulation time-locked to consummatory behaviours. Seeking or consummatory phase specific paradigm revealed that activation of LHLepR neurons promotes seeking or consummatory behaviours and inhibition of LHLepR neurons reduces consummatory behaviours. The activity of LHLepR neurons was increased via Neuropeptide Y (NPY) which acted as a tonic permissive gate signal. Our results identify neural populations that mediate seeking and consummatory behaviours and may lead to therapeutic targets for maladaptive food seeking and consummatory behaviours.

Melatonin alleviates arsenic (As) toxicity in rice plants via modulating antioxidant defense system and secondary metabolites and reducing oxidative stress.

The Arsenic (As) load on the environment has increased immensely due to large-scale industrial and agricultural uses of As in several synthetic products, such as fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Melatonin is a plant hormone that has a key role in abiotic stress inhibition, but the mechanism of resilience to As stress remains unexplored in rice plants. In this study, we determined how As affects rice plant and how melatonin facilitate As stress tolerance in rice. Here we investigated that, exogenous melatonin reduced As stress by inducing anthocyanin biosynthesis. Melatonin induced the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes such as PAL, CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, and ANS, which resulted in 1659% and 389% increases in cyanidin and delphinidin, respectively. Similarly, melatonin application significantly induced SA and ABA accumulation in response to As stress in rice plant. Application of melatonin also significantly reduced expression of PT-2 and PT-8 (transporter genes) and reduced uptake of As and its translocation to other compartments. Melatonin and As analysis revealed that melatonin application significantly reduced As contents in the melatonin-supplemented plants, suggesting that As uptake is largely dependent on either the melatonin basal level or anthocyanin in rice plants. In this study, we investigated new symptoms on leaves, which can severely damage leaves and impair photosynthesis. However, anthocyanin as a chelating agent, detoxifies As in vacuole and reduces oxidative stress induced by As.

Effects of Daehwang-Hwanglyoun-Sasim-Tang on brain injury and cognitive function in mice caused by bilateral common carotid artery stenosis.

Among geriatric diseases, cerebrovascular disease ranks fourth according to the Causes of Death Statistics in 2019, Korea, and is the most common cause of acquired disorders in adults. Daehwang-Hwanglyoun-Sasim-Tang (DHST), a herbal prescription consisting of two herbal medicines, Rhei Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. This study was conducted to confirm the anti-inflammatory mechanism of DHST treatment in ischemic brain injury and to confirm the role of DHST in cognitive function improvement. C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into four groups (sham operation, bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) control, experimental group administered 5 mL/kg DHST, experimental group administered 50 mL/kg DHST), with each group containing five mice. After 1 week, DHST was orally administered for 4 weeks, 5 days a week, and then behavioral evaluation of learning and memory was performed. In addition, morphological changes in the neurons in the CA1 region of the hippocampus were observed. Inflammation-related factors were evaluated using western blot analysis. In the 50 mL/kg DHST (H-DHST) group, the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was reduced and neuronal damage was suppressed in the hippocampal CA1 region. However, cognitive improvement was observed in the H-DHST group that was attributable to anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic pathways. In the 5 mL/kg DHST group, no significant effect was observed compared with the control group.

Machine learning predictions of chlorophyll-a in the Han river basin, Korea.

This study developed a model to predict concentrations of chlorophyll-a ([Chl-a]) as a proxy for algal population with data from multiple monitoring stations in the Han river basin, by using machine-learning predictive models, then analyzed the relationship between [Chl-a] and the input variables of the optimized model. Daily water quality and meteorological data from 2012 to 2020 were collected from the real-time water quality information system and the meteorological administration of Korea. To quantify model accuracy, the coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and mean absolute error were applied. Among random forest (RF), support vector machine, and artificial neural network, the RF with random dataset showed the highest accuracy. The RF was optimized when 78 trees were applied to the model. Input variables for the best RF model were total organic carbon (feature importance: 27%), total nitrogen (19%), pH (13%), water temperature (8%), total phosphorus (8%), electrical conductivity (7%), dissolved oxygen (6%), minimum air temperature (AT) (4%), mean AT (3%), and maximum AT (3%). The feature-importance analysis showed that total organic carbon was the most important variable to predict [Chl-a] in the Han river basin. Total nitrogen was a more important variable than total phosphorus.

First Report of Rhizopus oryzae Causing Rhizome Soft Rot of Ovate-leaf Atractylodes in South Korea.

Ovate-leaf Atractylodes (Atractylodes ovata) (OLA) is cultivated across South Korea to fulfil domestic need as a herbal medicine. In June 2021, the rhizomes with soft rot were observed in a commercial farmer field in Mungyeong, South Korea with 25% disease incidence. Initially, watery, black and soft lesion were observed on the rhizomes. Later, abundant aerial white mycelia covered the entire rhizome resulting in rot and death. Affected rhizomes were washed thoroughly using tap water, surface sterilized with 0.5% NaOCl and rinsed with sterile distilled water. Small pieces (2 to 5 mm2) of inner diseased tissues were cut, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated on at 25°C in the dark. Twelve morphologically similar pure fungal isolates were obtained by hyphal tipping twice on fresh PDA. Rhizoid, sporangiophores, sporangium, and sporangiospores were observed. Rhizoid and sporangiophores were nonseptate. Sporangia were globose while columella were globose or subglobose. Sporangiospores were numerous, varied in shape and size, subglobose, or oval, and measured 9.8 ± 1.5 (6.1 to 13.5) × 7.8 ± 1.1 (5.7 to 10.1) µm (n = 50). Morphological characteristics of the isolates were analogous to Rhizopus oryzae (Kwon et al. 2012, 2015). Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) gene were analyzed for molecular identification. The primer pairs ITS1F/ITS4 and MEF10/MEF4 were used to amplify ITS and EF-1α respectively (Abe et al. 2007) and sequenced (Macrogen, Inc., Seoul, Korea). The obtained sequences were lodged with accession numbers LC705530 to LC705537. The ITS and EF-1α sequences were ≥ 99.5 % and ≥ 98.5% homologous with Rhizopus oryzae (strain CBS 381.52), respectively. In the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on combined ITS and EF-1α sequences, the isolates formed a distinct clade with R. oryzae references isolates. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on healthy rhizomes with isolate R4. A conidial suspension (1× 106 conidia/mL) was sprayed on the surface of fifteen surface-sterilized rhizomes while fifteen rhizomes received sterile distilled water as controls. Treated rhizomes were placed in a plastic box containing wet paper tissues and incubated at 25°C in the12/12 day/light cycle. The typical rhizomes rot symptoms as seen in the field were observed on all inoculated rhizomes after 21 days of inoculation. The noninoculated rhizomes had no obvious symptoms. The causal fungus (3 isolates) was reisolated from inoculated rhizomes and identified as R. oryzae based on morphology and EF-1α sequence. This experiment was replicated twice. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of R. oryzae infection on OLA rhizomes in South Korea. Rhizopus oryzae contained a complex of heterothallic closely related species and has been reported to cause 'Rhizopus rot' on various plants including apple, banana, mulberry, sweet potato, and tomato (Gnanesh et al. 2020; Khokhar et al. 2019; Kwon et al. 2012, 2015; Wang et al. 2017). Rhizome soft rot poses significant threat to OLA cultivation, sustainable management practices need to be adapted to control rhizome soft rot of ovate-leaf atractylodes.

First report of Colletotrichum fioriniae causing anthracnose on the fruit of omija (schisandra) in South Korea.

Omija or Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis Baillon) is one of Korea's most unique fruits and have been used in herbal medicine. It is also used for making cold drinks during summer and hot tea during winter. Among the different diseases, anthracnose poses great threat for omija production as it reduces the yield and market quality of fruits. In September 2021, severe anthracnose symptoms were observed in some commercial farmer fields (36°36'14.9"N 127°59'31.3"E) in Mungyeong and disease incidence was approximately 30 to 35%. The symptoms on fruits were manifested as small sunken lesions. The presumed fungi were isolated from necrotic tissues on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and purified using the single spore isolation technique (Cai et al. 2009; Hassan et al.2019). A total of 20 morphological similar isolates were obtained from 18 sampled fruits. The cultures were incubated at 25°C in the dark for 5 to 7 days. The colonies were pink with white aerial mycelium on the upper side and pink with black zones on the reverse. All the colonies produced fusiform conidia measuring 12.7 to 17.5 × 4.7 to 7.4 µm (n=50). The appressoria were brown, globose to ellipsoid and measuring 6.3 to 12 × 5.9 to 9.7 µm (n=30). Morphological characteristics of present isolates were in concordance with that of Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato (Damm et al., 2012). For molecular identification, genomic DNA of five representative isolates was extracted for sequencing of target markers and the phylogenetic tree was constructed. For amplification and sequencing of internal transcribed spacers (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT) chitin synthase-1 (CHS-1), histone 3 (HIS3) and beta-tubulin (TUB2), the primer pairs ITS1/ITS4, GDF1/GDR1, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CHS1-79F/CHS-1-354R, CYLH3F /CYLH3R and BT2a /BT2b were used respectively (Damm et al., 2012). The resulting sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers LC680890 to LC680914 and LC687627 to LC687631. The maximum likelihood tree based on concatenated sequences of the five genes shows that present isolates were grouped in the C. fioriniae. Pathogenicity on red schisandra fruits was confirmed using the two isolates OR1 and O59. Fruit clusters (20-30 fruits/ cluster) were surface sterilized by dipping them in 1% NaOCl for 3 minutes, rinsing in sterile distilled water, and placing them in a sterile plastic box containing moist paper tissues. All the fruits in each cluster were inoculated with 10 µl of 106 conidia/ml suspensions of each isolate by following either the wounded or un- wounded method (Hassan et al.2019). Fruit clusters treated with sterile distilled water served as a control. Three fruit clusters were inoculated per isolate for each method. With the wounding method, all the inoculated fruits showed typical anthracnose symptoms after 4 days of incubation at 25 ± 1°C in the dark, while the control and un- wounded fruits remained symptomless. This test was repeated twice. The species C. fioriniae were reisolated from the infected fruit. The morphology and ITS sequences of the reisolated fungi were consistent with the original one, fulfilling Koch's postulates. The species C. fioriniae have been described as a causal agent of anthracnose of numerous hosts worldwide including South Korea (Damm et al., 2012; Hassan et al.2019; Oo et al. 2016; Lee et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. fioriniae as causal agent of omija anthracnose in South Korea. As this disease results in deterioration of fruits quality, management practices should be tailored to address C. fioriniae management. Acknowledgments This research was supported by Kyungpook National University Research Fund, 2021. References Cai, L., et al. 2009. Fungal Divers. 39:183. Damm, U., et al. 2012. Stud. Mycol. 73:37. Hassan, O., et al. 2019. Sci. Rep. 9:12089. Lee, D., et al. 2020. Mycobiology. 48: 210. Oo, M.M., et al. 2016. Mycobiology. 44: 325.

Gut Microbiota-Mediated Immunomodulatory Effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HDB1258 Cultured in the Lava Seawater in the Colitis Mouse Model.

The immunomodulatory effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HDB1258 were evaluated in mice with colitis induced by Klebsiella oxytoca (KO). L. rhamnosus HDB1258 was cultured in the lava seawater (LS) to improve its probiotic properties. It increased adhesive ability to mucin with mRNA expression levels of chaperone proteins (such as GroEL/ES, DnaKJ, and HtrA). In the in vivo experiments, administration of KO caused an inflammation on the colon with gut dysbiosis. LH group (oral gavage of HDB1258 1.0 × 109 colony forming units/day) showed that inflammatory biomarkers, including IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, and PGE2, were significantly decreased to less than half of the KO group, and Th1 cells were decreased in the spleen, but Treg cells were not affected. In contrast, the expression levels of secretory IgA and IL-10 were significantly increased, and the composition of gut microbiota in the LH group tended to recover similar to normal mice without any effect on the α-diversity. In conclusion, L. rhamnosus HDB1258 cultured in the LS could regulate competitively pathogenic bacteria in imbalanced flora with its improved mucin adhesive ability and was an effective immunomodulatory adjuvant for treating colitis by its regulatory function on intestinal inflammation.

Effects of 12 Weeks of Tai Chi Intervention in Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

CONTEXT: Tai Chi is a physical activity modality which is widely practiced over the world. The effectiveness of Tai Chi on postural control and balance has been described in older population, but until recently there are no studies that include patients with chronic ankle instability. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 12 weeks of Tai Chi intervention on dynamic balance and self-reported instability in patients with chronic ankle instability. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial was carried out. SETTING: University physical therapy facility. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-two participants were allocated to an intervention group (n = 26) based on Tai Chi training or a control group (n = 26) who received no intervention. INTERVENTION: The participants completed 12 weeks of Tai Chi intervention (1 h session/2 times per week) or no intervention in the control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included postural control and self-reported instability feeling assessed by the Star Excursion Balance Test and the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool, respectively. RESULTS: There was observed significant improvement in all Star Excursion Balance Test reach distances (anterior [F = 6.26, P < .01]; posteromedial [F = 9.58, P < .01], and posterolateral [F = 8.42, P < .01]) in the Tai Chi group with no change in the control group (P < .01). The intervention group demonstrated significant improvement on self-reported instability feeling assessed by the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool questionnaire (F = 21.36, P < .01). CONCLUSION: The obtained results suggested that 12 weeks of Tai Chi intervention have positive effects on postural control and self-reported instability feeling in patients with chronic ankle instability.

Suppressive effects of collismycin C on polyphosphate-mediated vascular inflammatory responses.

Human endothelial cells-derived polyphosphate (PolyP) is one of the pro-inflammatory mediators as suggested by the previous reports. 2,2'-bipyridine containing natural products are generally accepted to have antimicrobial, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties. This study was undertaken to investigate whether a 2,2'-bipyridine containing natural product, collismycins C, can modulate PolyP-mediated inflammatory responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in mice. After HUVECs or mice were activated with PolyP, cells or mice were post-treated with collismycins C. The anti-inflammatory activities of collismycins C were determined by measuring permeability, leukocytes adhesion and migration, and activation of pro-inflammatory proteins in PolyP-activated HUVECs and mice. In addition, the beneficial effects of collismycins C on survival rate in PolyP-injected mice. Collismycins C inhibits PolyP-mediated barrier disruption, the expressions of cell adhesion molecules, and leukocyte to HUVEC adhesion/migration. Interestingly, PolyP-induced NF-κB activation and the productions of TNF-α and IL-6 were inhibited by collismycins C in HUVECs. These anti-inflammatory functions of collismycins C were confirmed in PolyP injected mice. In conclusion, based on the anti-inflammatory effects of collismycins C in PolyP-mediated septic response, collismycins C have therapeutic potential for various systemic inflammatory diseases.

Aloin reduces inflammatory gene iNOS via inhibition activity and p-STAT-1 and NF-κB.

Aloin is the major anthraquinone glycoside obtained from the Aloe species and exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. Here, we aimed to determine the effects of aloin on heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction and on the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). To the end, aloin was tested whether aloin reduces iNOS protein expression and inflammatory markers (interleukin (IL)-1ß and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α) in LPS-treated mice lung tissue. The results indicated that aloin affected HO-1 induction and reduced LPS-activated NF-κB-luciferase activity showed to preferential inhibition of iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 that was partly related to inhibition of STAT-1 phosphorylation. In particular, aloin induced translocation of Nrf2 from cytosol into the nucleus by an increased Nrf2-ARE binding activity, and reduced IL-1ß production in LPS-activated HUVECs. The reduced expression of iNOS/NO by aloin was reversed by siHO-1RNA-transfection. In LPS-treated mice, aloin significantly reduced iNOS protein in lung tissues, and TNF-α levels in the BALF. We concluded that aloin may be beneficial for treatment of lung injury.

Fermented Castanea crenata Inner Shell Extract Increases Fat Metabolism and Decreases Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

The anti-obesity effects of fermented Castanea crenata inner shell extract (FCCE) were investigated using high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. In the FCCE intake groups, body weight gain and adipocyte area were significantly reduced, especially body weight gain in the 250 mg/kg FCCE group (G4) decreased by 37%, respectively, compared with negative control group (G2, HFD group). After oral administration of the FCCE, the increase of serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol induced by HFD was suppressed significantly, as well as the level of aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, which are markers of hepatitis induced by obesity. Serum leptin in G4 group was significantly decreased to less than that of G2 group. Also, in G4 and 500 mg/kg FCCE group (G5), enzymes-related lipogenesis, citrate synthase, and ATP citrate lyase were decreased, whereas the level of enoyl-CoA hydratase used for ß-oxidation was significantly increased in comparison with normal diet group. Furthermore, the FCCE stimulated the expression of lipolytic regulators, especially AMP-activated protein kinase. In conclusion, we suggest that the FCCE may ameliorate in diet-induced obesity by regulating lipid metabolism.

Comparison of the quality of dried persimmon (Diospyros kaki THUNB.) treated with medicinal plant extracts and food additives.

We evaluated the direct application of different extracts from plant-derived compounds at different ratios. The best effect was observed with the combination of 18.18% clove, 9.90% cinnamon, 9.09% licorice, 4.55% firmament, 4.55% grapefruit seed extract, and 54.54% apple cider vinegar. The combination of these compounds improved the moisture content of the fruit and showed antifungal, antibrowning, and antifungal/antibrowning effects as compared with the control following 6-week treatment. The treatment resulted in an increase in the overall sugar concentration of dried persimmons. Antibrowning/antifungal test showed high sugar content of 30-39 °brix. The hardness of the treatment groups was similar to that of the control and decreased by 0.5 to 0.8 after 6 weeks. The evaluation of color change revealed a decreasing tendency in the value of △E during the drying period. Thus, natural extracts effectively suppressed the quality degradation during drying of persimmon and may be used to replace sulfur fumigation.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate stimulates myogenic differentiation through TAZ activation.

Muscle loss is a typical process of aging. Green tea consumption is known to slow down the progress of aging. Their underlying mechanisms, however, remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenolic compound of green tea, on myogenic differentiation and found that EGCG significantly increases myogenic differentiation. After EGCG treatment, the expression of myogenic marker genes, such as myosin heavy chain, are increased through activation of TAZ, a transcriptional coactivator with a PDZ-binding motif. TAZ-knockdown does not stimulate EGCG-induced myogenic differentiation. EGCG facilitates the interaction between TAZ and MyoD, which stimulates MyoD-mediated gene transcription. EGCG induces nuclear localization of TAZ through the dephosphorylation of TAZ at its Ser89 residue, which relieves 14-3-3 binding in the cytosol. Interestingly, inactivation of Lats kinase is observed after EGCG treatment, which is responsible for the production of dephosphorylated TAZ. Together, these results suggest that EGCG induces myogenic differentiation through TAZ, suggesting that TAZ plays an important role in EGCG induced muscle regeneration.

Inhibitory Effect of Three Diketopiperazines from Marine-Derived Bacteria on HMGB1-Induced Septic Responses in Vitro and in Vivo.

The nucleosomal protein high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), which has recently been established as a late mediator of lethal systemic inflammation, has a relatively wide therapeutic window for pharmacological interventions. Compounds produced by marine-derived microbes have been widely investigated for their potential use as bioactive natural products. Cyclic dipeptides, which are also known as diketopiperazines, are molecules that are frequently found in marine-derived microorganisms. While their pharmacological potential has been well established, their biological activities against septic responses have not yet been reported. Here, three diketopiperazines (1-3) isolated from two strains of marine-derived bacteria were investigated for their potential activities against HMGB1-mediated septic responses. The data showed that 1-3 effectively inhibited the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of HMGB1 and suppressed the HMGB1-mediated septic responses, including hyperpermeability, leukocyte adhesion and migration, and cell adhesion molecule expression. In addition, 1-3 inhibited the HMGB1-mediated production of tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text] (TNF-[Formula: see text] and interleukin (IL)-6 and the activation of nuclear factor-[Formula: see text]B (NF-[Formula: see text]B) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and ERK2. Collectively, these results indicated that 1-3 might act as potential therapeutic agents for various severe vascular inflammatory diseases through the inhibition of the HMGB1 signaling pathway.

Antiseptic effect of vicenin-2 and scolymoside from Cyclopia subternata (honeybush) in response to HMGB1 as a late sepsis mediator in vitro and in vivo.

Cyclopia subternata is a medicinal plant commonly used in traditional medicine to relieve pain. In this study, we investigated the antiseptic effects and underlying mechanisms of vicenin-2 and scolymoside, which are 2 active compounds from C. subternata that act against high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)-mediated septic responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mice. The antiseptic activities of vicenin-2 and scolymoside were determined by measuring permeability, neutrophil adhesion and migration, and activation of proinflammatory proteins in HMGB1-activated HUVECs and mice. According to the results, vicenin-2 and scolymoside effectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced release of HMGB1, and suppressed HMGB1-mediated septic responses such as hyperpermeability, the adhesion and migration of leukocytes, and the expression of cell adhesion molecules. In addition, vicenin-2 and scolymoside suppressed the production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin 6, and activation of nuclear factor-κB and extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 by HMGB1. Collectively, these results indicate that vicenin-2 and scolymoside could be a potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of various severe vascular inflammatory diseases via inhibition of the HMGB1 signaling pathway.

Ameliorative Effect of Aspalathin and Nothofagin from Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) on HMGB1-Induced Septic Responses In Vitro and In Vivo.

The ubiquitous nuclear protein, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), is released by activated macrophages and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and functions as a late mediator of experimental sepsis. Aspalathin (Asp) and nothofagin (Not), which have been reported to have anti-oxidant activity, are the two major active dihydrochalcones found in green rooibos. In this study, we investigated the antiseptic effects and underlying mechanisms of Asp and Not against HMGB1-mediated septic responses in HUVECs and mice. The anti-inflammatory activities of Asp and Not were determined by measuring permeability, monocyte adhesion and migration, and activation of proinflammatory proteins in HMGB1-activated HUVECs and mice. According to the results, Asp and Not effectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of HMGB1, and suppressed HMGB1-mediated septic responses, such as hyperpermeability, adhesion and migration of leukocytes, and expression of cell adhesion molecules. In addition, Asp and Not suppressed the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) by HMGB1. Collectively, these results indicate that Asp and Not could be potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of various severe vascular inflammatory diseases via the inhibition of the HMGB1 signaling pathway.

Lack of effect of superficial heat to the knee on quadriceps function in individuals with quadriceps inhibition.

CONTEXT: Quadriceps function improves after application of focal joint cooling or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to the knee in patients with arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI), yet it is not known whether superficial heat is able to produce a similar effect. OBJECTIVE: To determine quadriceps function after superficial heat to the knee joint in individuals with AMI. DESIGN: Single blinded randomized crossover. SETTING: Laboratory. PATIENTS: 12 subjects (4 female, 8 males; 25.6 ± 7.7 y, 177.2 ± 12.7 cm, 78.4 ± 18.2 kg) with a history of knee-joint pathology and AMI, determined with a quadriceps central activation ratio (CAR) of <90%. INTERVENTION: 3 treatment conditions for 15 min on separate days: superficial heat using a cervical moist-heat pack (77 °C), sham using a cervical moist pack (room temperature at about 24 °C), and control (no treatment). All subjects received all treatment conditions in a randomized order. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Central activation ratio and knee-extension torque during maximal voluntary isometric contraction with the knee flexed to 60° were collected at pre, immediately post, 30 min post, and 45 min posttreatment. Skin temperature of the quadriceps and knee and room temperature were also recorded at the same time points. RESULTS: Three (treatment conditions) by 4 (time) repeated ANOVAs found that there were no significant interactions or main effects in either CAR or knee-extension torque (all P > .05). Skin-temperature 1-way ANOVAs revealed that the skin temperature in the knee during superficial heat was significantly higher than other treatment conditions at all time points (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Superficial heat to the knee joint using a cervical moist-heat pack did not influence quadriceps function in individuals with AMI in the quadriceps.

Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on quadriceps strength, function, and patient-oriented outcomes: a systematic review.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic literature review. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on quadriceps strength, functional performance, and self-reported function after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. BACKGROUND: Conflicting evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of NMES following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. METHODS: Searches were performed for randomized controlled trials using electronic databases from 1966 through October 2008. Methodological quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale. Between-group effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: Eight randomized controlled trials were included. The average Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale score was 4 out of possible maximum 10. The effect sizes for quadriceps strength measures (isometric or isokinetic torque) from 7 studies ranged from -0.74 to 3.81 at approximately 6 weeks postoperatively; 6 of 11 comparisons were statistically significant, with strength benefits favoring NMES treatment. The effect sizes for functional performance measures from 1 study ranged from 0.07 to 0.64 at 6 weeks postoperatively; none of 3 comparisons were statistically significant, and the effect sizes for self-reported function measures from 1 study were 0.66 and 0.72 at 12 to 16 weeks postoperatively; both comparisons were statistically significant, with benefits favoring NMES treatment. CONCLUSION: NMES combined with exercise may be more effective in improving quadriceps strength than exercise alone, whereas its effect on functional performance and patient-oriented outcomes is inconclusive. Inconsistencies were noted in the NMES parameters and application of NMES. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapy, level 1a-.