Predictive role of vitamin B12 in acute kidney injury in living donor liver transplantation: a propensity score matching analysis.

OBJECTIVES: We examine the association between vitamin B12 level and risk for acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study. SETTING: University hospital, from January 2009 to December 2018. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 591 patients who underwent elective LDLT were analysed in this study. Those with a preoperative history of kidney dysfunction, vitamin B12 supplementation due to alcoholism, low vitamin B12 (<200 pg/mL) or missing laboratory data were excluded. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The population was classified into AKI and non-AKI groups according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria, and associations between perioperative factors and AKI were analysed. After 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching, the association between high vitamin B12 (>900 pg/mL) and postoperative AKI was evaluated. RESULTS: Preoperative vitamin B12 was higher in the AKI group. Potentially significant perioperative factors from univariate analyses were entered into multivariate analyses, including preoperative factors (vitamin B12, diabetes), intraoperative factors (hourly urine output) and donor graft fatty change in LDLT patients. PS matching analyses with adjustment using PS revealed that high serum vitamin B12 (>900 pg/mL) was associated with risk for AKI, and the risk was 2.8-fold higher in patients with high vitamin B12 than in those with normal vitamin B12. Higher vitamin B12 was also related to a higher AKI stage. In addition, inflammatory factors (C reactive protein, white blood cells and albumin) were associated with vitamin B12 level. CONCLUSIONS: Our study may improve the accuracy of predicting postoperative AKI by introducing preoperative vitamin B12 into risk assessments for patients undergoing LDLT.

Hovenia Dulcis Extract Reduces Lipid Accumulation in Oleic Acid-Induced Steatosis of Hep G2 Cells via Activation of AMPK and PPARα/CPT-1 Pathway and in Acute Hyperlipidemia Mouse Model.

Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (HDT) was known to have anti-fatigue, anti-diabetes, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. In the present study, the anti-fatty liver mechanism of HDT was elucidated in oleic acid (OA)-treated Hep G2 cells and acute hyperlipidemia mouse model using Triton WR-1339. Here, HDT activated p-AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), proliferator activated receptor-α, carnitine palmitoyltransferase and also inhibited the expression of lipogenesis and cholesterol synthesis proteins, such as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, SREBP-2, and fatty acid synthase in OA-treated Hep G2 cells. Conversely, AMPK inhibitor compound C blocked the anti-fatty liver effect of HDT to induce AMPK phosphorylation and decrease 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and lipid accumulation by oil red O staining in OA-treated Hep G2 cells. Additionally, HDT pretreatment protected against the increase of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and phospholipid in an acute hyperlipidemia mouse model with enhancement of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities. Taken together, HDT inhibits OA-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via activation of AMPK and proliferator activated receptor-α/carnitine palmitoyltransferase signaling and enhancement of antioxidant activity as a potent candidate for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hyperlipidemia. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Inhibitory effect of corn silk on skin pigmentation.

In this study, the inhibitory effect of corn silk on melanin production was evaluated. This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effect of corn silk on melanin production in Melan-A cells by measuring melanin production and protein expression. The corn silk extract applied on Melan-A cells at a concentration of 100 ppm decreased melanin production by 37.2% without cytotoxicity. This was a better result than arbutin, a positive whitening agent, which exhibited a 26.8% melanin production inhibitory effect at the same concentration. The corn silk extract did not suppress tyrosinase activity but greatly reduced the expression of tyrosinase in Melan-A cells. In addition, corn silk extract was applied to the human face with hyperpigmentation, and skin color was measured to examine the degree of skin pigment reduction. The application of corn silk extract on faces with hyperpigmentation significantly reduced skin pigmentation without abnormal reactions. Based on the results above, corn silk has good prospects for use as a material for suppressing skin pigmentation.

Expression of miRNAs and ZEB1 and ZEB2 correlates with histopathological grade in papillary urothelial tumors of the urinary bladder.

Histopathological grading of papillary urothelial tumors (PUTs) of the urinary bladder is subjective and poorly reproducible. We investigated the relationship between the expression of frequently deregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as their target genes (ZEB1/ZEB2) and bladder cancer histopathological grade in an attempt to find a miRNA that might allow more reliable grading of PUTs. We measured the expression levels of four miRNAs (miR-145, miR-205, miR-125b, and miR-200c) in 120 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded bladder tumor tissue samples using real-time PCR assays. ZEB1 and ZEB2 expression was assessed in the same bladder tissues by immunohistochemistry. MiR-205 distinguished low-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma (LG) from high-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma (HG), and miR-145 distinguished HG from infiltrating carcinoma (CA) with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.992 and 0.997, respectively (sensitivity/specificity of 95.8/96.7 % and 100/91.7 %, respectively; p < 0.05). The expression level of miR-125b was significantly lower in LG than in PUNLMP, with an AUC value of 0.870 (93.3 % sensitivity and 84.2 % specificity; p < 0.05). ZEB1 immunoreactivity was more frequently detected in HG than in LG (57 % vs 13 %, p < 0.01) and in HG than in CA (57 % vs 17 %, p < 0.01). ZEB2 immunoreactivity was more frequent in CA than in HG (83 % vs 54 %, p < 0.05). ZEB1/ZEB2 and miRNAs expression seems to reliably distinguish between different grades of PUTs of the urinary bladder. They might well serve as useful complementary diagnostic biomarkers for grading of papillary urothelial tumors.

Prediction of early allograft dysfunction using serum phosphorus level in living donor liver transplantation.

Serum phosphorus is greatly affected by liver surgeries, but its change after liver transplantation has not yet been clarified. We investigated the predictive role of serum phosphorus for early allograft dysfunction (EAD) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Perioperative factors, including serum phosphorus level, of 304 patients who underwent LDLT were retrospectively studied and compared between patients with and without EAD after LDLT. Potentially significant factors (P < 0.15) in univariate comparisons were subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis to develop a prediction model for EAD. A total of 48 patients (15.8%) met the EAD criteria. Patients with EAD experienced more severe preoperative disease conditions, higher one-month mortality and more elevated serum phosphorus concentrations during the first week after surgery compared with patients without EAD (P = 0.016). Multivariate analysis showed that a serum phosphorus level ≥4.5 mg/dl on postoperative day 2 was an independent predictor of EAD occurrence after LDLT (relative risk: 2.36, 95% confidence interval [1.18-4.31], P = 0.017), together with a history of past abdominal surgery, emergency transplantation and preoperative continuous veno-venous haemodiafiltration. These data indicate that hyperphosphataemia during the immediate postoperative days could be utilized as a predictor of EAD after LDLT.

Stimulation of osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization in MC3T3-E1 cells by antler and fermented antler using Cordyceps militaris.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: For thousands of years antlers have been used in Asian countries to promote rapid healing, treat weight loss, slow growth in children, strengthen weak bones, and alleviate cold hands and feet. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study was performed to examine the effect of fermentation on the ability of antler to act as a stimulator of bone growth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells to examine factors related to bone growth, such as cell proliferation, production of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and deposition of extracellular matrix proteins (e.g., collagens, osteonectin, bone sialoprotein (BSP)), via the treatment of non-fermented and fermented antler. RESULTS: Antler fermentation using Cordyceps militaris was carried out at 25°C for seven days. The total content of sugar, sialic acid, and protein increased with fermentation time. Cell proliferation was greater in the fermented antler- (FA-) treated groups than in the NFA- (non-fermented antler-) treated groups, in which proliferation increased significantly up to 137% of the basal value. Significant increases in mRNA expression and ALP activity were found at FA concentrations of 50-100 µg/ml; at 100 µg/ml the activity had increased 119% compared to the control activity. For NFA and FA the expression levels of type I collagen mRNA significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner at all treatment doses. However, significant differences between the antler groups were not observed. Mineralization significantly increased by NFA and FA treatment to 183% and 241%, respectively, when compared to colostrum, as a positive control (165%). CONCLUSIONS: Antler treatment increased the proliferation of osteoblasts and bone matrix proteins, such as type I collagen and BSP. Antler fermented with Cordyceps militaris showed enhanced activity, and its stimulatory effects on cell proliferation and ALP production were greater than those of NFA. We surmise that these increases in activity were related to increased sialic acid content. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the physiological effects of antler, including bone growth, may be increased through the fermentation process.