ABSTRACT
Black rice is rich in anthocyanin and is expected to have more healthful dietary potential than white rice. We assessed expression of anthocyanin in black rice cultivars using a newly designed 135 K Oryza sativa microarray. A total of 12,673 genes exhibited greater than 2.0-fold up- or down-regulation in comparisons between three rice cultivars and three seed developmental stages. The 137 transcription factor genes found to be associated with production of anthocyanin pigment were classified into 10 groups. In addition, 17 unknown and hypothetical genes were identified from comparisons between the rice cultivars. Finally, 15 out of the 17 candidate genes were verified by RT-PCR analysis. Among the genes, nine were up-regulated and six exhibited down-regulation. These genes likely play either a regulatory role in anthocyanin biosynthesis or are related to anthocyanin metabolism during flavonoid biosynthesis. While these genes require further validation, the results here underline the potential use of the new microarray and provide valuable insight into anthocyanin pigment production in rice.
Subject(s)
Anthocyanins/biosynthesis , Oryza/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , Seeds/genetics , Transcription Factors/genetics , Anthocyanins/genetics , Breeding , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Expression Regulation , Genes, Plant , Genome-Wide Association Study , Multigene Family , Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , Oryza/genetics , Pigments, Biological/genetics , Pigments, Biological/metabolism , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Seeds/metabolism , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcription, GeneticABSTRACT
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the differences in salivary flow rates and dry mouth-related subjective symptoms and behaviours in patients with xerostomia according to its aetiology. One hundred and forty patients (24 men and 116 women, mean age, 58.1 +/- 13.3 years) with a chief complaint of xerostomia were included. The patients were divided into five groups; Sjögren's syndrome (n = 34), post-radiation therapy in the head and neck region (n = 16), antipsychotic medications (n = 30), systemic diseases or medications affecting salivary flow (n = 35), and unknown aetiology (n = 25). The patients were asked a standardized series of questions concerning dry mouth, and their whole salivary flow rates were measured. Patients with a history of radiation therapy displayed the most decreased values of salivary flow rates and the most severe associated symptoms and behaviours while patients with unknown aetiology displayed the least decreased values of salivary flow rates and relatively favourable symptoms and behaviours. A burning sensation in the mouth was the most prevalent in patients with systemic diseases or those who were taking medications while altered taste perception was the most prevalent in patients taking antipsychotics. In conclusion, patients with xerostomia displayed various degrees of discomfort related to the quality of life according to the aetiology of their conditions.
Subject(s)
Saliva/metabolism , Xerostomia/physiopathology , Adult , Aged , Anti-Anxiety Agents/adverse effects , Antidepressive Agents/adverse effects , Antipsychotic Agents/adverse effects , Attitude to Health , Burning Mouth Syndrome/etiology , Burning Mouth Syndrome/physiopathology , Burning Mouth Syndrome/psychology , Chronic Disease , DMF Index , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions , Female , Head and Neck Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Quality of Life , Radiation Injuries/etiology , Radiation Injuries/physiopathology , Radiation Injuries/psychology , Saliva/drug effects , Saliva/radiation effects , Secretory Rate/drug effects , Secretory Rate/physiology , Self Care , Sjogren's Syndrome/physiopathology , Sjogren's Syndrome/psychology , Smoking , Taste Disorders/etiology , Taste Disorders/physiopathology , Taste Disorders/psychology , Xerostomia/etiology , Xerostomia/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To test whether parathyroid hormone (PTH) might be related to the development of atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women, we measured serum levels of PTH, the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and other clinical and biochemical parameters. METHODS: One hundred and seven postmenopausal women were recruited for this study. The serum level of PTH was measured by immunoradiometric assay, and carotid IMT was measured with high resolution B-mode ultrasonography. RESULTS: On the basis of bivariate correlation analyses or unpaired t-tests, the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were not associated with carotid IMT. In contrast, age (r = 0.414, p < 0.001), serum level of PTH (r = 0.304, p = 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), and hypercholesterolaemia (p = 0.004) were related to carotid IMT. On the basis of multiple regression analysis, the serum level of PTH (beta = 0.198, p = 0.029), as well as age (beta = 0.309, p = 0.001) and hypertension (beta = 0.262, p = 0.006), were independent predictors of carotid IMT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results have demonstrated that serum PTH is an independent determinant of carotid IMT in postmenopausal women. This result suggests that serum PTH, even in the reference range, might be associated with the development of atherosclerosis or cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. Further study is necessary in males and premenopausal women to fully elucidate the clinical significance of this finding.