Cardiac iron measurement and iron chelation therapy in patients with ß thalassaemia major: experience from Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: The aims of our study were to evaluate (i) the relationship between cardiac T2* values and cardiac complications in Asian ß-thalassaemia major (TM) patients, and (ii) the association between cardiac T2* values and other parameters currently used to predict cardiac complications as a result of transfusion iron overload. METHODS: We examined the myocardial iron loads of 88 TM patients from Taiwan with cardiac T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and assessed the correlation between cardiac T2* values and serum ferritin levels, liver iron concentration and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We also determined the predictive value of these measurements for the development of arrhythmia. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In our group of Taiwanese patients, the relative risk for arrhythmia was 10·36 when cardiac T2* values were less than 10 ms (compared with ≥10 ms) and 1·98 when serum ferritin levels increased >2500 ng mL(-1) (compared with ≤2500 ng mL(-1) ). Serum ferritin levels correlated with cardiac T2* values in patients with abnormal myocardial iron loads (T2* < 20 ms, r = -0·48, P = 0·004, n = 34), but LVEF (measured by echocardiography) gave no indication of excess myocardial iron deposition (r = -0·07, P = 0·52) or of the risk of developing arrhythmia.

In vivo and in vitro studies on the antitumor activities of MCP (Malva crispa L. Powder).

Four short-term in vivo and in vitro tests were used to further confirm the antitumor activities of MCP, a vegetable powder, prepared from Malva crispa L. (i) In the H22 hepatoma-transplanting test, MCP had antitumor action, but MCP residue did not show such action; 5-FU appeared to have more potent antitumor activities and more harmful effects than MCP. (ii) In the micronucleus (MN) test, MCP significantly decreased MN frequency. (iii) In the cancer cell culture systems, the MCP fat-soluble extract revealed inhibitory effects on the growth and proliferation of the human hepatoma and the gastric cancer cells in a dose-response manner. (iv) In the colony formation test, MCP also altered the morphology of human gastric cancer cells. It was suggested that MCP could be consumed not only by healthy subjects for cancer prevention but also by patients with cancer as supplementary treatment in combination with anticarcinogenic drug such as 5-FU, cyclophosphamide (CP).

Comparison of hypolipidemic effect of refined konjac meal with several common dietary fibers and their mechanisms of action.

The effects of RKM in comparison with pectin, algin and agar on lipid levels in serum and liver and on liver histopathology in rats were studied. In addition, the effects of all the tested materials on the composition and output of fecal bile acid were observed. All four kinds of dietary fiber were given at a level of 5% of diet to young male rats of Wistar strain fed on a lipid-rich diet containing 5% lard, 1% cholesterol and 0.25% cholate. All the dietary fibers tested have similar effects on serum lipid composition. In all groups, these substances prevented increases in total cholesterol in fasting serum, but the level of triglyceride was unchanged. The concentrations of total cholesterol and triglyceride in the liver were lower in the RKM group than in the control group and the other three groups. Hepatic histopathological examination also showed the most significant lipotropic effect in the RKM group. The daily output of fecal bile acids (CDCA + GDCA) was significantly increased in the four experimental groups than in the normal group and the control group. The increase of CDCA was more significant than GDCA, suggesting that the increase of fecal bile acids, especially CDCA, may be one of the mechanisms by which RKM and the other three dietary fibers exerts a hypocholesterolemic effect.

Long-term animal feeding trial of the refined konjac meal. I. Effects of the refined konjac meal on the calcium and phosphorus metabolism and the bone in rat.

Effects of refined konjac meal (RKM) on the calcium and phosphorus metabolism and bone parameters were observed in rats of both sexes fed with food containing 1% of RKM for 18 months. A comparable group of rats fed on basic diet only was used as a control. Results obtained indicate that all the measured parameters (serum calcium and phosphorus level, femur weight and its calcium and phosphorus content, and the osteometry of the tibia) showed no significant difference between the experimental and the control groups. Thus there is no adverse effect either on the calcium and phosphorus metabolism or on the bone after a long-term intake at a moderate dosage.

Metabolic regulation of the gene encoding glutamine-dependent asparagine synthetase in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Here, we characterize a cDNA encoding a glutamine-dependent asparagine synthetase (ASN1) from Arabidopsis thaliana and assess the effects of metabolic regulation on ASN1 mRNA levels. Sequence analysis shows that the predicted ASN1 peptide contains a purF-type glutamine-binding domain. Southern blot experiments and cDNA clone analysis suggest that ASN1 is the only gene encoding glutamine-dependent asparagine synthetase in A. thaliana. The ASN1 gene is expressed predominantly in shoot tissues, where light has a negative effect on its mRNA accumulation. This negative effect of light on ASN1 mRNA levels was shown to be mediated, at least in part, via the photoreceptor phytochrome. We also investigated whether light-induced changes in nitrogen to carbon ratios might exert a metabolic regulation of the ASN1 mRNA accumulation. These experiments demonstrated that the accumulation of ASN1 mRNA in dark-grown plants is strongly repressed by the presence of exogenous sucrose. Moreover, this sucrose repression of ASN1 expression can be partially rescued by supplementation with exogenous amino acids such as asparagine, glutamine, and glutamate. These findings suggest that the expression of the ASN1 gene is under the metabolic control of the nitrogen to carbon ratio in cells. This is consistent with the fact that asparagine, synthesized by the ASN1 gene product, is a favored compound for nitrogen storage and nitrogen transport in dark-grown plants. We have put forth a working model suggesting that when nitrogen to carbon ratios are high, the gene product of ASN1 functions to re-direct the flow of nitrogen into asparagine, which acts as a shunt for storage and/or long-distance transport of nitrogen.