Blood profile and meat quality of Holstein-Friesian steers finished on total mixed ration or flaxseed oil-supplemented pellet mixed with reed canary grass haylage.

Holstein-Friesian steer beef production is renowned globally as a secondary product of the milk industry. Grass feeding is a common practice in raising Holstein steers because of its low cost. Furthermore, grass feeding is an alternative way to produce beef with a balanced n-6 to n-3 fatty acids (FAs) ratio. However, the performance and meat quality of Holstein-Friesian cattle is more likely to depend on a high-quality diet. The aim of this study was to observe whether feeding two mixed diets; a corn-based total mixed ration (TMR) with winter ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or flaxseed oil-supplemented pellets with reed canary grass haylage (n-3 mix) provided benefits on carcass weight, meat quality and FA composition compared with cattle fed with reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) haylage alone. In all, 15 21-month-old Holstein-Friesian steers were randomly assigned to three group pens, were allowed free access to water and were fed different experimental diets for 150 days. Blood samples were taken a week before slaughter. Carcass weight and meat quality were evaluated after slaughter. Plasma lipid levels and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), creatine kinase (CK) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were determined. Diet did not affect plasma triglyceride levels and GGT activity. Plasma cholesterol levels, including low-density and high-density lipoproteins, were higher in both mixed-diet groups than in the haylae group. The highest activities of plasma AST, CK and ALP were observed in the haylage group, followed by n-3 mix and TMR groups, respectively. Carcass weight was lower in the haylage group than in the other groups and no differences were found between the TMR and n-3 mix groups. Although the n-3 mix-fed and haylage-fed beef provided lower n-6 to n-3 FAs ratio than TMR-fed beef, the roasted beef obtained from the TMR group was more acceptable with better overall meat physicochemical properties and sensory scores. According to daily cost, carcass weight and n-6 to n-3 FAs ratio, the finishing diet containing flaxseed oil-supplemented pellets and reed canary grass haylage at the as-fed ratio of 40 : 60 could be beneficial for the production of n-3-enriched beef.

Effects of Korean ginseng berry extract on sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction: a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study.

Ginseng is beneficial for many aspects of human physiology, including sexual function. In this study, we have evaluated the efficacy and safety of an extract of ginseng berry, which has a ginsenoside profile distinct from other parts of the plant, on sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction. In all, 119 men with mild-to-moderate ED participated in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled clinical study. They were administered 4 tablets of either standardized Korean ginseng berry (SKGB, 350 mg ginseng berry extract per tablet), or placebo, daily, for 8 weeks. Efficacy was assessed with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-15 and premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT) at the end of the 4th and 8th week. We observed that the total and each of the individual domain scores of IIEF-15 increased from 40.95 ± 7.05 to 46.19 ± 12.69 significantly in the SKGB by the 8th week (P<0.05). The erectile function domain of IIEF changed slightly from 17.17 ± 2.57 to 18.59 ± 5.99 in the SKGB group by the 8th week (P<0.05). In addition, PEDT scores significantly improved from 9.14 ± 4.57 to 7.97 ± 4.4 and 7.53 ± 4.26 in the SKGB group after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). Safety markers including hormone and lipid in the blood were assessed at the end of the 4th and 8th week and they remained unchanged. Oral administration of the SKGB extract improved all domains of sexual function. It can be used as an alternative medicine to improve sexual life in men with sexual dysfunction.

Non-ablative 1550-nm erbium-glass and ablative 10 600-nm carbon dioxide fractional lasers for acne scars: a randomized split-face study with blinded response evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Non-ablative 1550-nm erbium-doped fractional photothermolysis systems (FPS) and 10 600-nm carbon dioxide fractional laser systems (CO(2) FS) have been effectively used to treat scars. OBJECTIVE: We compared the efficacy and safety of single-session treatments of FPS and CO(2) FS for acne scars through a randomized, split-face, evaluator-blinded study. METHODS: Eight patients with acne scars were enrolled in this study. Half of each subject's face was treated with FPS and the other half was treated with CO(2) FS. We used a quartile grading scale for evaluations. RESULTS: At 3 months after the treatment, the mean grade of improvement based on clinical assessment was 2.0 +/- 0.5 for FPS and 2.5 +/- 0.8 for CO(2) FS. On each side treated by FPS and CO(2) FS, the mean duration of post-therapy crusting and scaling was 2.3 and 7.4 days respectively and that of post-therapy erythema was 7.5 and 11.5 days respectively. The mean VAS pain score was 3.9 +/- 2.0 with the FPS and 7.0 +/- 2.0 with the CO(2) FS. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the efficacy and safety of single-session acne scar treatment using FPS and CO(2) FS in East Asian patients. We believe that our study could be used as an essential reference when choosing laser modalities for scar treatment.

The action mechanism of relaxation effect of atropine on the isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum.

PURPOSE: Atropine has been used to block cholinergic neurotransmission in basic research and has received recent interest clinically in the intracavernosal pharmacotherapy of erectile dysfunction. It has been suggested that at a low dose (10(-8) M), atropine blocks muscarinic receptors, and that at a large dose (10(-3) M), it induces the release of EDRF. However, no report has supported this idea experimentally. We tried to confirm the action of atropine in cavernosal tissue and define its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Strips of rabbit corpus cavernosum were mounted in organ chambers. On the precontracted muscle strips with phenylephrine (PHE; 5 x 10(-6) M), atropine was treated with increasing concentration from 10(-11) M. The relaxing activity of atropine was observed in deendothelialized tissue and preparation with treatment with methylene blue (10(-4) M), pyrogallol (10(-4) M), NW-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA; 3 x 10(-4) M) and indomethacin (10(-4) M). To evaluate the relationship of atropine to Ca++, the muscle strip was incubated in Ca++ free solution, and Ca++ induced contraction by addition of CaCl2 (10(-3) M) was recorded with atropine. Depolarization by KCl was observed with atropine to investigate the relationship of atropine relaxation to K+. RESULTS: On the precontracted muscle strip with PHE, atropine induced a dose-related contraction up to 10(-8) M and began to exert a relaxing effect at the concentration of 10(-7) M and reached the 93.6% relaxation effect at the concentration of 10(-4) M, causing dose-dependent relaxation. The relaxing effect of atropine was partially inhibited by endothelial disruption, and by pretreatment with methylene blue, pyrogallol, L-NNA, and indomethacin, although they were not statistically significant. At the basal state of muscle strips in Ca++ free solution, atropine decreased basal tension as well as inhibited the contraction induced by CaCl2 dose-dependently. However, atropine did not influence depolarization by KCl. CONCLUSIONS: Atropine has both a contraction effect at lower concentrations and a relaxation effect at higher concentrations on cavernosal smooth muscle. It is presumed that the relaxation at higher concentrations is mediated via increasing intracellular calcium sequestration, not by hyperpolarization or secretion of EDRF.