Production of persimmon and mandarin peel pastes and their uses in food.

Fruit peels are often produced as a byproduct of processing and are usually disposed of as industrial waste. We conducted a study on the effective use of peels for the food industry using persimmons and mandarins as models. The production of persimmon and mandarin peel pastes, their flavor components, color, polyphenol contents, physical properties, and uses in foods (jam, cookies, and madeleines) were studied. The effects of heat treatment for sterilization, to effectively use persimmon and mandarin peels, were also investigated. The amount of water added to produce the optimum persimmon and mandarin peel pastes was 0.5× and 2.0× the weight of the respective peel samples. The main flavor components, as per GC-MS spectra of persimmon and mandarin peel pastes, were 4 and 1, respectively. The Folin assay showed the polyphenol contents of persimmon and mandarin pastes as 33.9 mg and 236.3 mg of catechin equivalent per 100 g of fresh fruit, respectively. The persimmon paste specifically improved the physical properties of cookies, whereas the mandarin paste was well suited to all the processed food forms. Heat treatment for sterilization decreased cohesiveness but increased breaking strength and adhesiveness in persimmon and mandarin pastes.

Heat shock protein 27 expression is inversely correlated with atrophic gastritis and intraepithelial neoplasia.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal-type gastric carcinomas progress through several sequential steps, including atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and cancer. AIM: We investigated heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) expression in gastric neoplasia and background gastric mucosa to assess its involvement in gastric carcinogenesis. METHODS: We used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to examine HSP27 expression in gastric neoplasias and background gastric mucosae of 30 patients with intraepithelial neoplasias and in gastric mucosae of 30 patients without gastric neoplasia. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 30 advanced gastric cancer tissues. RESULTS: HSP27 expression was negatively associated with atrophic gastritis. HSP27 expression in the background gastric mucosa of neoplasia-bearing patients was significantly lower than in the mucosa of those without gastric neoplasia. In tumor necrosis factor α-treated gastric cancer cells, HSP27 knockdown increased cell death and accumulation of the reactive oxygen species that link inflammation to cancer. Poorly differentiated tumors most frequently had high HSP27 levels. Dedifferentiation of cancer cells is associated with an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling pathway. In gastric cancer MKN-1 cells, HSP27 knockdown upregulated E-cadherin and downregulated vimentin and smooth muscle actin, but this did not occur in MKN-74 cells. CONCLUSION: HSP27 expression in gastric mucosae is inversely correlated with intraepithelial neoplasia, a probable precursor to gastric cancer, and HSP27 expression in cancer is positively correlated with poor differentiation.

Visualization of blood drainage area from hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma on ultrasonographic images during hepatic arteriogram: Comparison with depiction of drainage area on contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

AIM: Corona enhancement is the visualized drainage area from a hypervascular tumor observed on single-level dynamic computed tomography during hepatic arteriography (CTHA) and is thought to be a high-risk area for micrometastases. However, because it cannot be visualized with ordinary ultrasonography (US), we aimed to visualize corona enhancement on US by means of arterial injection of the contrast material and to measure its thickness. METHOD: Forty-one hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases were prospectively investigated. US during hepatic arteriography (USHA) was executed by means of selective injection of the contrast material perfluorobutane (Sonazoid) from the hepatic artery. Ordinary contrast-enhanced US with venous administration of contrast material and single-level dynamic CTHA were also performed. RESULTS: Corona enhancement was observed in 36 cases (88%) on USHA and in 25 cases (61%) on single-level dynamic CTHA. The thickness of corona enhancement of 36 cases visualized with USHA ranged 3.1-18.4 mm and the mean thickness ± standard deviation was 6.0 ± 3.0 mm. Thickness of corona enhancement was less than 10.0 mm in 34 cases (94%). CONCLUSION: Corona enhancement could be visualized even on US images, and the average thickness of them was 6 mm.

Correlation between insulin resistance and outcome of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy, hepatic steatosis, hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C-1b and high viral load.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Insulin resistance (IR) has been reported to be an independent predictor of treatment outcome in chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS: We analyzed the relationship between IR and the outcome of pegylated interferon and ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) therapy, taking into account host factors of body mass index and histological index, such as rate of fatty change and fibrosis. Japanese patients (n = 30; 19 men and 11 women; median age 60.0 ± 8.7 years) with chronic hepatitis C-1b with a high viral load were treated with PEG-IFN-α2b/RBV for 48 weeks. RESULTS: Sustained virological response (SVR) was seen in 60% (18/30) and non-SVR in 40% (12/30). HOMA-IR (homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance index) at the start and at 24 weeks of treatment showed no statistical difference between SVR and non-SVR. Correlation was observed between HOMA-IR and body mass index (r = 0.45, p = 0.013). Among 20 patients, steatosis and fibrosis were assessed by biopsy. Correlation was observed between HOMA-IR and steatosis (r = 0.57, p = 0.0093), whereas no correlation was observed between HOMA-IR and fibrosis. CONCLUSION: A larger prospective study is needed to clarify the role of IR in the outcome of PEG-IFN/RBV combination therapy and hepatic fibrosis in Japanese patients.

Double-Filtration Plasmapheresis plus Interferon-ß for HCV-1b Patients with Non-Sustained Virological Response to Previous Combination Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) together with interferon (IFN) administration produces a substantial reduction in the viral load during the early stages of treatment. METHODS: Based on their responses to previous pegylated IFN and ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) therapy, 20 patients were divided into null virological response (NVR; n = 12) and relapse (n = 8) groups. DFPP was used in combination with IFN-ß/RBV with subsequent administration of PEG-IFN-α2a/RBV therapy (DFPP + IFN-ß/RBV then PEG-IFN/RBV). Early viral dynamics was assessed, focusing especially on complete early virological response (cEVR) associated with sustained virological response. Additionally, the interleukin 28B gene, the IFN/RBV resistance-determining region, the IFN sensitivity-determining region and the core regions were analyzed. RESULTS: Rapid virological response was achieved in 0% (0/12) of NVR and in 75% (6/8) of relapse patients, with a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.001). Similarly, cEVR was achieved in 8% (1/12) of NVR and in 88% (7/8) of relapse patients, with a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.037). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, interleukin-28B major was a significant determiner of cEVR (odds ratio = 24.19, p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: DFPP + IFN-ß/RBV then PEG-IFN/RBV therapy is indicated more for relapse than for NVR patients.

[A case of primary liver carcinoma of intermediate (hepatocyte-cholangiocyte) phenotype: comparison of hemodynamics and histopathology].

A 58-year-old man was followed up for HBV-associated chronic hepatitis. A low echoic hepatic nodule 1.6cm in diameter developed in segment 8 of the liver. The tumor was hypervascular and showed enhancement on CV during hepatic arteriography (CTHA) and a defect on CT during arterial portography (CTAP). Strong enhancement, which lasted for 30 seconds, was observed at the margin of the tumor on single-level dynamic CTHA. The resected tumor was whitish, had no capsule, and consisted mainly of intermediate immature cells together with HCC-like and CCC-like tumor cells. These findings led to the diagnosis of primary liver carcinoma of intermediate (hepatocyte-cholangiocyte) phenotype. Cytokeratin (CK) 7, CK8, CK19, EMA and vimentin were positive and HP-1 and c-kit tests were negative on immunohistochemical staining. Staining with CD34+alphaSMA showed more muscular arterial vessels and sinusoid-like vessels in the peripheral zone of the tumor than in the central zone. Six months after the resection of the tumor, swollen abdominal lymph nodes were observed on US and CT, which aspiration needle biopsy showed to be metastasis of a hepatic tumor.

Double-filtration plasmapheresis plus IFN for HCV-1b patients with non-sustained virological response to previous combination therapy: early viral dynamics.

Double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) was approved in Japan in April 2008 for the retreatment of chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1b and high viral loads, whose hepatitis C virus was not eradicated by earlier IFN therapy or by pegylated IFN plus ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) combination therapy. In this study, we assessed the early viral dynamics of 9 patients with non-sustained virological response to the combination therapy. The overall viral dynamics of DFPP plus IFN treatment with or without RBV for 4 weeks showed a reduction of > or =1 log in the viral load in 22% (2 of 9 patients), 55.6% (5/9), 77.8% (7/9) and 77.8% (7/9) at 24 h, 1, 2 and 4 weeks after the start of treatment. By contrast, DFPP plus consecutive intravenous IFN-beta for 4 weeks reduced the viral load by > or = 1 log in 33% (2/6), 50% (3/6), 83.3% (5/6) and 83.3% (5/6) at 24 h, 1, 2 and 4 weeks. The viral load declined by > or = 2 log in 50% (3/6) at 4 weeks after the start of treatment. DFPP plus consecutive intravenous IFN-beta for 4 weeks is a promising treatment for non-sustained virological response patients.

Coupling of calcium transport with ATP hydrolysis in scallop sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Previously, we showed that incubation of the scallop sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) with EGTA at above 37 degrees C resulted in the uncoupling of ATP hydrolysis with Ca2+ transport [Nagata et al. (1996) J. Biochem. 119, 1100-1105]. We have extended this study by comparing the kinetic behavior of Ca2+ release and binding to the uncoupled SR with that of intact scallop or rabbit SR. The change in the Ca2+ concentration in the reaction medium, as determined as the absorption of APIII, was followed using a stopped flow system. Intact scallop SR was preincubated with Ca2+ in the presence of a Ca2+ ionophore, A23187, and then ATP was added to initiate the reaction. The Ca2+ level in the medium increased to the maximum level in several seconds, and then slowly decreased to the initial low level. The rising and subsequent slow decay phases could be related to the dissociation and reassociation of Ca2+ with the Ca-ATPase, respectively. When uncoupled scallop SR vesicles were preincubated with CaCl2 in the absence of A23187 and then the reaction was initiated by the addition of ATP, a remarkable amount of Ca2+ was released from the SR vesicles into the cytosolic solution, whereas, with intact scallop or rabbit SR, only a sharp decrease in the Ca2+ level was observed. Based on these findings, we concluded that the heat treatment of scallop SR in EGTA may alter the conformation of the Ca-ATPase, thereby causing Ca2+ to be released from the enzyme, during the catalytic cycle, at the cytoplasmic surface, but not at the lumenal surface of SR vesicles.