Dietary supplement use in Korean children and adolescents, KNHANES 2015-2017.

OBJECTIVE: To date, there have been few studies on dietary supplement (DS) use in Korean children and adolescents, using nationally representative data. This study aimed to investigate the current status of DS use and its related factors, among Korean children and adolescents from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Data from the KNHANES 2015-2017. Participants completed 24-h dietary recall interviews, including DS products that the subjects consumed. PARTICIPANTS: The study population was 4380 children and adolescents aged 1-18 years. RESULTS: Approximately 20.3 % of children and adolescents were using DS; the highest use was among children aged 1­3 years old, and the lowest use was among adolescents aged 16­18 years. The most frequently used DS was prebiotics/probiotics, followed by multivitamin/mineral supplements. Factors that were associated with DS use were lower birth weight in children aged <4 years; younger age, higher household income, regular breakfast intake and lower BMI in children aged 4-9 years; and regular breakfast intake and use of nutrition facts label in adolescents aged 10-18 years. Feeding patterns in infancy and having chronic diseases were not associated with DS use. CONCLUSIONS: We report that over 20 % of children and adolescents use DS. Nutritional education for parents and children about proper DS consumption is needed.

Prognostic impact of sarcopenia in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is known to be related to an increased risk of chemotherapy toxicity and to a poor prognosis in patients with malignancy. We assessed the prognostic role of sarcopenia in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS: In total, 187 consecutive patients with DLBCL treated with induction rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) immunochemotherapy were reviewed. Sarcopenia was defined as the lowest sex-specific quartile of the skeletal muscle index, calculated by dividing the pectoralis muscle area by the height. Clinical outcomes were compared between the sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic groups. A nomogram was constructed from the Cox regression model for overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Treatment-related mortality (21.7 vs. 5.0%, P = 0.002) and early discontinuation of treatment (32.6 vs. 14.9%, P = 0.008) were more common in the sarcopenic group than in the non-sarcopenic group. The 5 year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 35.3% in the sarcopenic group and 65.8% in the non-sarcopenic group (P < 0.001). The 5 year OS rates were 37.3% in the sarcopenic group and 68.1% in the non-sarcopenic group (P < 0.001). Sarcopenia and the five variables of the International Prognostic Index (IPI) were independent prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis for PFS and OS and were used to construct the nomogram. The calibration plot showed good agreement between the nomogram predictions and actual observations. The c index of the nomogram (0.80) was higher than those of other prognostic indices (IPI, 0.77, P = 0.009; revised-IPI, 0.74, P < 0.001; National Comprehensive Cancer Network-IPI, 0.77, P = 0.062). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is associated with intolerance to standard R-CHOP chemotherapy as well as a poor prognosis. Moreover, sarcopenia itself can be included in prognostic models in DLBCL.

Prognostic impact of concordant and discordant bone marrow involvement and cell-of-origin in Korean patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP.

AIMS: Previous studies have suggested many prognostic factors in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but the prognostic importance of cell-of-origin and discordant bone marrow involvement remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of bone marrow involvement histological subtype, cell-of-origin subtype and international prognostic index (IPI) scores in patients with DLBCL. METHODS: Patients who were newly diagnosed with DLBCL and treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP) were analysed. Clinical information was reviewed retrospectively. Patients were classified into negative, concordant and discordant bone marrow involvement by histological review. The cell-of-origin types were defined using immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Both concordant and discordant bone marrow involvement had a negative prognostic impact on progression-free survival, independent of the standard and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) IPI scores and cell-of-origin. Patients with non-germinal centre B-cell type showed significantly shorter progression-free survival than those with germinal centre B-cell type. However, non-germinal centre B-cell type did not have a prognostic impact on progression-free survival or overall survival after controlling for the standard and NCCN-IPI and bone marrow involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Both concordant and discordant bone marrow involvement had an adverse prognostic impact on progression-free survival and overall survival; this was independent of the standard and NCCN-IPI and cell-of-origin (non-germinal centre B-cell type). The NCCN-IPI had more powerful prognostic value than the standard IPI (sIPI). The non-germinal centre B-cell type lost significant prognostic impact on progression-free survival after adjustment for standard and NCCN-IPI and bone marrow involvement.

Inhibitory constituents of Euscaphis japonica on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in BV2 microglia.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of EUSCAPHIS JAPONICA (Tunb.) Kantiz (Staphyleaceae), afforded a new compound, P-coumaroyl- D-malic acid 1-methyl ester (1), together with twelve known compounds, 3,7-dihydro-5-octanolide (2), blumenol A (3), megastigmane (4), gallic acid (5), stenophyllin H1 (6), methyl 5,7-dihydroxyoctanoate (7), TRANS-phytol (8), alpha-tocopherol (9), kaempferol (10), kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (11), quercetin (12) and quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (13). Among them, compounds 1 - 5 and 8 - 13 significantly inhibited lipopolysacchride-induced nitric oxide production in murine BV2 microglial cells. Especially, compounds 5, 8, 10 and 12 exerted potent inhibitory activity comparable to that of NAME, used as positive control.

Aristolactam BII of Saururus chinensis attenuates glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in rat cortical cultures probably by inhibiting nitric oxide production.

Saurolactam and aristolactam BII, aristolactam-type alkaloids isolated from the aerial part of Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Ball (Saururaceae), showed significant neuroprotective activity against glutamate-induced toxicity in primary cultured rat cortical cells. The action mechanism of aristolactam BII, the more potent neuroprotective compound, was investigated using primary cultures of rat cortical cells as an in vitro system. Aristolactam BII attenuated glutamate-induced neurotoxicity significantly when it was added immediately or up to 9 h after the excitotoxic glutamate challenge. The alkaloid could not protect cultured neuronal cells from neurotoxicity induced by kainic acid or N-methyl- D-aspartate in a pre-treatment paradigm. However, aristolactam BII successfully reduced the overproduction of nitric oxide and the level of cellular peroxide in cultured neurons when it was treated as a post-treatment paradigm. These results may suggest that aristolactam BII exerts its significant neuroprotective effects on glutamate-injured primary cultures of rat cortical cells by directly inhibiting the production of nitric oxide.

Dissatisfactioin with height and weight, and attempts at height gain and weight control in Korean school-children.

Most students are reported to be dissatisfied with their height and weight. The current study was designed to assess the prevalence of height and weight dissatisfaction and specific height-gain and weight-control attempts in school-children in Korea. A questionnaire survey was carried out in 3,382 students aged 11-18 years. The prevalence of dissatisfaction with height and weight was significantly higher in girls than in boys. High school students were more dissatisfied with their height and weight than elementary school students. The concordance rates between perceived vs actual height and weight were 30% and 45%, respectively. The average desired adult height was 8-9 cm taller than the average Korean adult height. The average desired adult weight was 4.9 kg more in boys, and 4.8 kg less in girls, than the current average Korean adult weight. Approximately 4.4-7.3% of overall school-children had tried to promote their growth. The prevalence of height-gain attempts was highest in middle school students, and the prevalence of weight-control attempts was highest in high school students. Among the height-gain methods, herbal medicine was most frequently used (46.4%), followed by growth-promoting health supplements (27.4%) and growth hormone (3.2%). For weight control, exercise at a fitness center was more favored (54.5%) than herbal medicine (17.5%) or diet drugs (13.0%). In conclusion, the prevalence of height and weight dissatisfaction was high and many students made attempts at height gain and weight control. These data emphasize the importance of health education about body image to students.

Decursin from Angelica gigas mitigates amnesia induced by scopolamine in mice.

We previously reported that a total methanolic extract of the underground part of Angelica gigas Nakai (Umbelliferae) (here-in-after abbreviated AG) significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. We characterized 12 coumarin derivatives including both decursin and decursinol from extracts of AG. In this study, we evaluated the anti-amnestic activity of decursin, a major coumarin constituent isolated from AG, in vivo using ICR mice with amnesia induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg body weight, s.c.). Decursin, when administered to mice at 1 and 5 mg/kg body weight i.p., significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced amnesia as measured in both the passive avoidance test and the Morris water maze test. Moreover, decursin significantly inhibited AChE activity by 34% in the hippocampus of treated mice. These results indicate that decursin may exert anti-amnestic activity in vivo through inhibition of AChE activity in the hippocampus.

Flavonoids of Inula britannica protect cultured cortical cells from necrotic cell death induced by glutamate.

We previously reported 12 antioxidative flavonoids isolated from the n-BuOH extract of Inula britannica (Asteraceae). This prompted us to investigate further whether these flavonoids also showed antioxidative activity upon live cells grown in a culture system. Among the 12 flavonoids tested, only patuletin, nepetin, and axillarin protected primary cultures of rat cortical cells from oxidative stress induced by glutamate. These flavonoids exerted significant neuroprotective activity when they were administered either before or after the glutamate insult. Treatment with these flavonoids maintained the activities of such antioxidant enzymes as catalase, glutathione-peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, all of which play important roles in the antioxidative defense mechanism. Moreover, these three flavonoids also attenuated significant drops in glutathione induced by glutamate which is a routine concomitant of oxidative stress by inhibiting glutathione diminution. Accordingly, these flavonoids did not stimulate the synthesis of glutathione. With regard to structure-activity relationships, our results indicated that the 6-methoxyl group in the A ring and the 3', 4'-hydroxyl groups in the B ring are crucial for the protection against the oxidative stress; glycosylation greatly reduced their protective activities. Collectively, these results indicated that patuletin, nepetin, and axillarin strongly protect primary cultured neurons against glutamate-induced oxidative stress.

(+)-Alpha-viniferin, a stilbene trimer from Caragana chamlague, inhibits acetylcholinesterase.

In the course of screening natural products for anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, we found that a total methanolic extract of the underground parts of Caragana chamlague (Leguminosae) had significant inhibition towards AChE. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the total methanolic extract resulted in the isolation and identification of two active stilbene oligomers, (+)-alpha-viniferin (1) and kobophenol A (2). Both 1 and 2 inhibited AChE activity in a dose-dependent manner, and the IC50 values of 1 and 2 were 2.0 and 115.8 microM, respectively. The AChE inhibitory activity of 1 was specific, reversible and noncompetitive.