Dietary Interventions in Atopic Dermatitis: A Comprehensive Scoping Review and Analysis.

BACKGROUND: This scoping review aims to critically assess gaps in the current literature on atopic dermatitis (AD) by evaluating the overall effectiveness of dietary interventions. Through a comprehensive analysis that follows the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, we conducted a thorough search on the Web of Science database in May 2023 using specific search strategies to identify all relevant studies on the research topic. SUMMARY: A total of 104 full-text articles were included for review. Our synthesis identified seven notable categories of dietary interventions for AD, showcasing the diversity of interventions utilized. This includes vitamin supplementation, probiotic and prebiotic supplementation, dietary fat, biological compounds, foods from natural sources, major nutrients, and diet-related approaches. Further analyses stratified by targeted populations revealed a predominant focus on pediatrics, particularly in probiotic supplementation, and on adults, with an emphasis on vitamin D and E supplementation. KEY MESSAGES: Despite most dietary interventions demonstrating overall effectiveness in improving AD severity and its subjective symptoms, several significant gaps were identified. There was a scarcity of studies on adults and whole-diet interventions, a prevalence of short-term interventions, heterogeneity in study outcomes, designs, and population, occasional disparity between statistical significance and clinical relevance, and a lack of a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach. Nonetheless, these findings offer valuable insights for future AD research, guiding additional evidence-driven dietary interventions and informing healthcare professionals, researchers, and individuals, advancing both understanding and management of AD.

Burgers, Fast Foods, and Increased Associated Risk for Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study of Dietary Habits among Young Chinese Adults in Singapore/Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: We see increasing evidence that dietary and nutrients factors play a pivotal role in allergic diseases and recent global findings suggest that dietary habits influence the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Frequent consumption of fast food diets is associated with AD development. Despite the rising prevalence of AD in Asia, efforts in investigating the role of dietary habits and AD in adults are still lacking. METHODS: We evaluated the association between the dietary intake of 16 food types and AD manifestations using our Singapore/Malaysia Cross-sectional Genetics Epidemiology Study (SMCGES) population. Dietary habits profiles of 11,494 young Chinese adults (1,550 AD cases/2,978 non-atopic controls/6,386 atopic controls) were assessed by an investigator-administered questionnaire. AD cases were further evaluated for their chronicity (550 chronic) and severity (628 moderate-to-severe). Additionally, we derived a novel food index, Quality of Diet based on Glycaemic Index Score (QDGIS), to examine the association between dietary intake of glycaemic index (GI) and various AD phenotypes. RESULTS: The majority of AD subjects are distributed in the good (37.1%) and moderate (36.2%) QDGIS classes. From the multivariable analyses for age and gender, a moderate QDGIS class was significantly associated with a lower odds of AD (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.844; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.719-0.991; p < 0.05) and moderate-to-severe AD (AOR: 0.839; 95% CI: 0.714-0.985; p < 0.05). A good QDGIS class was only significantly associated with a lower odds of chronic AD (AOR: 0.769; 95% CI: 0.606-0.976; p < 0.05). Among high GI foods, frequent consumption of burgers/fast food was strongly associated with an increased risk of chronic and moderate-to-severe AD. Among low GI foods, increased intake frequencies of fruits, vegetables, and pulses decreased the odds of AD. Finally, we identified significant associations between frequent seafood, margarine, butter, and pasta consumption with an increased odds of AD despite them having little GI values. CONCLUSION: While genetic components are well-established in their risks associated with increased AD prevalence, there is still a lack of a focus epidemiology study associating dietary influence with AD. Based on the first allergic epidemiology study conducted here in Singapore and Malaysia, it laid the groundwork to guide potential dietary interventions from changing personal dietary habits.

Laboratory-adapted and wild-type black soldier flies express differential plasticity in bioconversion and nutrition when reared on urban food waste streams.

BACKGROUND: The black soldier fly (BSF) offers a potential solution to address shortages of feed and food sources; however, selecting effective rearing substrates remains a major hurdle in BSF farming. In an urban area like Singapore, current practice is based on rearing BSF on homogeneous waste streams (e.g., spent brewery grains or okara) because heterogeneous food wastes (e.g., mixed kitchen/canteen waste or surplus cooked food) present several operational challenges with respect to the standardization of development, nutritional content, and harvesting. RESULTS: In this study, we compared two genetic strains of BSF larvae (wild-type and laboratory-adapted line) in a bioconversion experiment with diverse types of food waste (homogeneous/heterogeneous; plant/meat) and we quantified the phenotypic plasticity. Our results demonstrate different plasticity in bioconversion performance, larval growth and larval nutrition between the two BSF lines. This difference may be attributed to the selective breeding the laboratory-adapted line has experienced. Notably, larval lipid content displayed little to no genetic variation for plasticity compared with larval protein and carbohydrate content. Despite variation in larval development, heterogeneous food wastes can produce better performance in bioconversion, larval growth, and larval nutrient content than homogeneous food waste. All-meat diets result in high larvae mortality but larval survival could be rescued by mixing meat with plant-based food wastes. CONCLUSION: Overall, we suggest using mixed meals for BSF larvae feeding. Targeted breeding may be a promising strategy for the BSF industry but it is important to consider the selection effects on plasticity in larval nutrition carefully. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Postprandial glycemic and lipidemic effects of black rice anthocyanin extract fortification in foods of varying macronutrient compositions and matrices.

Anthocyanin (ACN) fortification of commonly consumed foods is significant as a dietary strategy against the development of metabolic complications by delivering ACNs at high doses. However, its bioactivity and translated metabolic effects in the presence of varying food matrices and macro-constituents is particularly unclear. This end-to-end study investigates the metabolic effects of black rice ACN extract (BRAE) fortification-from in-vitro enzyme inhibitory activities and digestibility, to downstream in vivo impacts on GI, postprandial glycemia and lipidemia. The in vivo effects were investigated in two separate crossover randomised controlled trials (RCT) of 24 healthy participants each-the first RCT determined the postprandial blood glucose, insulin, and ACN bioavailability to a starch-rich single food over 2 h, while the second RCT determined the postprandial blood glucose, insulin, lipid panel, and lipoprotein particles and subfractions to a starch- and fat-rich composite meal over 4 h. In-vitro findings confirmed the inhibitory activities of major black rice ACNs on carbohydrases (p = 0.0004), lipases (p = 0.0002), and starch digestibility (p < 0.0001). in vivo, a 27-point mean GI reduction of wheat bread was observed with BRAE fortification, despite a non-significant attenuation in postprandial glycemia. Conversely, there were no differences in postprandial glycemia when fortified bread was consumed as a composite meal, but acute lipid profiles were altered: (1) improved plasma HDL-c, ([0.0140 mmol/L, 95% CI: (0.00639, 0.0216)], p = 0.0028), Apo-A1 ([0.0296 mmol/L, 95% CI: (0.00757, 0.0515)], p = 0.0203), and Apo-B ([0.00880 mmol/L, 95% CI: (0.00243, 0.0152)], p = 0.0185), (2) modified LDL and HDL subfractions (p < 0.05), and (3) remodelled lipid distributions in HDL and LDL particles. This end-to-end study indicates the potential of ACN fortification in GI reduction and modulating postprandial lipoprotein profiles to starch- and fat-rich composite meals.

Dietary Protein Intake and Associated Risks for Atopic Dermatitis, Intrinsic Eczema, and Allergic Sensitization among Young Chinese Adults in Singapore/Malaysia: Key Findings from a Cross-sectional Study.

Through an investigator-administered questionnaire that follows the standard protocol of the International Study of Allergy and Asthma in Childhood, data on symptomatic histories of eczema and dietary habits were collected from 11,494 young Chinese adults in Singapore/Malaysia. Allergic sensitization status was assessed through a skin prick test reactivity to common house dust mites. Using three dietary indices (dietary protein score, animal protein score, and plant protein score), the associations between atopic dermatitis, intrinsic eczema, allergic sensitization, and intake of various proteins were estimated. On average, most subjects frequently eat meat, vegetables, and rice in their diets. Through a multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and parental eczema, subjects with high dietary protein score (adjusted OR = 1.397; 95% confidence interval = 1.133-1.724; P < 0.003) and high animal protein score (adjusted OR = 1.353; 95% confidence interval = 1.106-1.682; P < 0.003) were associated with increased risk of atopic dermatitis. Interestingly, synergy factor analysis revealed that a higher intake of plant proteins than animal proteins in diets significantly reduced overall associated risks of atopic dermatitis and allergic sensitization but not those of intrinsic eczema. Most importantly, these associations are independent of dietary fat intake. Taken together, frequent adherence to diets rich in plant proteins reduced associated risks of atopic dermatitis in Singapore/Malaysia Chinese adults.

A dietary pattern of frequent plant-based foods intake reduced the associated risks for atopic dermatitis exacerbation: Insights from the Singapore/Malaysia cross-sectional genetics epidemiology cohort.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has been increasing in recent years, especially in Asia. There is growing evidence to suggest the importance of dietary patterns in the development and management of AD. Here, we seek to understand how certain dietary patterns in a Singapore/Malaysia population are associated with various risks of AD development and exacerbation. METHODS: A standardized questionnaire following the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) guidelines was investigator-administered to a clinically and epidemiology well-defined allergic cohort of 13,561 young Chinese adults aged 19-22. Information on their sociodemographic, lifestyle, dietary habits, and personal and family medical atopic histories were obtained. Allergic sensitization was assessed by a skin prick test to mite allergens. Spearman's rank-order correlation was used to assess the correlation between the intake frequencies of 16 food types. Dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. Four corresponding dietary scores were derived to examine the association of identified dietary patterns with allergic sensitization and AD exacerbations through a multivariable logistic regression that controlled for age, gender, parental eczema, BMI, and lifestyle factors. RESULTS: The correlation is the strongest between the intake of butter and margarine (R = 0.65). We identified four dietary patterns, "high-calorie foods", "plant-based foods", "meat and rice", and "probiotics, milk and eggs", and these accounted for 47.4% of the variance in the dietary habits among the subjects. Among these patterns, moderate-to-high intake of "plant-based foods" conferred a negative association for chronic (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.706; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.589-0.847; p < 0.001) and moderate-to-severe AD (AOR: 0.756; 95% CI: 0.638-0.897; p < 0.01). "Meat and rice" and "probiotics, milk and eggs" were not significantly associated with AD exacerbation. While frequent adherence to "high-calorie foods" increased the associated risks for ever AD and moderate-to-severe AD, having a higher adherence to "plant-based foods" diminished the overall associated risks. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent adherence to "plant-based foods" was associated with reduced risks for AD exacerbation in young Chinese adults from Singapore/Malaysia. This provides the initial evidence to support the association between dietary factors and AD. Further research is needed to better understand the pathomechanisms underlying diet and AD exacerbations.

A Dietary Pattern for High Estimated Total Fat Amount Is Associated with Enhanced Allergy Sensitization and Atopic Diseases among Singapore/Malaysia Young Chinese Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Frequent dietary patterns for fast food diets are suggested to be a risk factor for atopic disease development. Excessive dietary fats in fast foods are postulated to promote low-grade chronic inflammation. However, no studies in Asia have yet to characterize the dietary pattern for high-fat foods with atopic diseases. Thus, this study aims to assess the association between dietary fats with the prevalence of atopic diseases in an allergic cohort. METHODS: Through an investigator-administered questionnaire that follows the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol, we evaluated the eating habits, lifestyle behaviours, sociodemographics, and atopic symptoms, and history among 11,494 young Chinese adults in Singapore and Malaysia. A skin prick test (SPT) for common house dust mites was also conducted to determine the atopic (allergic) status. We identified 1,550 atopic dermatitis (AD), 1,301 allergic asthma (AS), and 3,757 allergic rhinitis (AR) atopic cases. We derived a novel dietary index, Diet Quality based on Total Fat Amount (DQTFA), to examine the association between eating patterns for estimated total fat amount with various atopic outcomes. RESULTS: There was a preponderance of subjects having positive SPT reaction (69.0%) with the prevalence of AR being the highest (32.7%), then AD (13.5%), and AS (11.3%). Additionally, there is a significantly higher proportion of subjects with an atopy background and atopic diseases consume diets with a high estimated mean fat amount. The adherence to a dietary pattern of the higher estimated total fat amount was shown to be strongly associated with all atopic diseases and exhibited dose-dependent responses in the univariate analysis. These associations remained significant even with the adjustments for age, gender, body mass index, use of alcohol, sedentary lifestyles, and physical activity. A dietary pattern for high-fat amount is more strongly associated with AS (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.524; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.216-1.725; p < 0.001) and AR (AOR: 1.294; 95% CI: 1.107-1.512; p < 0.001) compared to AD (AOR: 1.278; 95% CI: 1.049-1.559; p < 0.05). Finally, it was shown that having either one of the atopic comorbidities was strongly associated with a dietary pattern of high-fat amounts (AOR: 1.360; 95% CI: 1.161-1.594; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings altogether provide initial evidence that the dietary pattern of a diet high in fat amount is associated with an increased risk of atopy and atopic diseases in young Chinese adults in Singapore and Malaysia. Balancing the consumption of dietary fats and changing personal dietary habits by choosing foods of the lower fat amount may reduce the associated odds of atopic diseases.

Impact of Starch-Rich Food Matrices on Black Rice Anthocyanin Accessibility and Carbohydrate Digestibility.

Anthocyanins reduce starch digestibility via carbohydrase-inhibitory pathways, but food matrix effects during digestion may also influence its enzymatic function. Understanding anthocyanin-food matrix interactions is significant as the efficiency of carbohydrase inhibition relies on anthocyanin accessibility during digestion. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the influence of food matrices on black rice anthocyanin accessibility in relation to starch digestibility in common settings of anthocyanin consumption-its co-ingestion with food, and consumption of fortified food. Our findings indicate that black rice anthocyanin extracts (BRAE) had reduced intestinal digestibility of bread to a larger extent for the co-digestion of BRAE with bread (39.3%) (4CO), than BRAE-fortified bread (25.9%) (4FO). Overall anthocyanin accessibility was about 5% greater from the co-digestion with bread than fortified bread across all digestion phases. Differences in anthocyanin accessibility were also noted with changes to gastrointestinal pH and food matrix compositions-with up to 10.1% (oral to gastric) and 73.4% (gastric to intestinal) reductions in accessibility with pH changes, and 3.4% greater accessibility in protein matrices than starch matrices. Our findings demonstrate that the modulation of starch digestibility by anthocyanin is a combined result of its accessibility, food matrix composition, and gastrointestinal conditions.

Multiple Perspectives with Online EFL Practicum Technology Learning: Case Study on a Cloud.

This yearlong study describes multiple stakeholders' perspectives of 20 preservice English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, 43 elementary school students, 2 online mentors, and a teacher-researcher during a technology professional development practicum on a cloud. The case study provides qualitative and quantitative data from stakeholders concerning technology integration after participating in online project-based EFL instruction. The participating stakeholders encountered affordances and challenges that enhanced their online learning and teaching repertoires and offered nuanced evidence within this online professional development community. The findings call for continuing exploration of online practicums in preservice (language) teacher education and further research documenting complexities of multiple stakeholders' technology professional development.

Effects of anthocyanins on bread microstructure, and their combined impact on starch digestibility.

Several studies have confirmed the reduction of starch digestibility with anthocyanins in food systems via mechanisms of enzyme inhibition. However, starch-polyphenol interactions may also contribute to this reduction, by modifying food microstructures and physicochemical properties of starch. The interactions among anthocyanins, starch digestibility, and food microstructures are significant to clarify the digestion processes of fortified food systems, but its interrelationship lacks clarity. Hence, we aim to evaluate the effects of black rice anthocyanin extract (BRAE) incorporation on the microstructural changes of wheat bread, in relation to overall digestibility. Overall, BRAE incorporation demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in starch digestibility. Physicochemical analyses reflected that BRAE incorporation decreased starch gelatinisation and increased crystallinity. Microscopic imaging revealed differentiating microstructural characteristics of starch and gluten with BRAE incorporation, supporting the reduction in digestibility. Our results conclusively demonstrate that BRAE incorporation in bread suppresses starch digestibility not only through enzyme inhibition, but also food microstructural modifications.

Encapsulation of Lutein via Microfluidic Technology: Evaluation of Stability and In Vitro Bioaccessibility.

Inadequate intake of lutein is relevant to a higher risk of age-related eye diseases. However, lutein has been barely incorporated into foods efficiently because it is prone to degradation and is poorly bioaccessible in the gastrointestinal tract. Microfluidics, a novel food processing technology that can control fluid flows at the microscale, can enable the efficient encapsulation of bioactive compounds by fabricating suitable delivery structures. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the stability and the bioaccessibility of lutein that is encapsulated in a new noodle-like product made via microfluidic technology. Two types of oils (safflower oil (SO) and olive oil (OL)) were selected as a delivery vehicle for lutein, and two customized microfluidic devices (co-flow and combination-flow) were used. Lutein encapsulation was created by the following: (i) co-flow + SO, (ii) co-flow + OL, (iii) combination-flow + SO, and (iv) combination-flow + OL. The initial encapsulation of lutein in the noodle-like product was achieved at 86.0 ± 2.7%. Although lutein's stability experienced a decreasing trend, the retention of lutein was maintained above 60% for up to seven days of storage. The two types of device did not result in a difference in lutein bioaccessibility (co-flow: 3.1 ± 0.5%; combination-flow: 3.6 ± 0.6%) and SO and OL also showed no difference in lutein bioaccessibility (SO: 3.4 ± 0.8%; OL: 3.3 ± 0.4%). These results suggest that the types of oil and device do not affect the lutein bioaccessibility. Findings from this study may provide scientific insights into emulsion-based delivery systems that employ microfluidics for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds into foods.

Making novel staple foods the norm: perspectives from adult consumers with and without diabetes.

Novel staple foods are staple foods that are modified with the purpose of improving their nutritional properties. However, consumers' acceptance towards novel staple foods remains to be evaluated, especially in Asian populations where staple foods like white rice are a major source of energy. The objective of this study was to explore consumers' attitudes and perceptions towards novel staple foods in a multi-ethnic Asian population. We conducted 11 focus group discussions, with 37 healthy participants and 22 participants with diabetes recruited through newspaper, email and poster advertisement and in-person recruitment at a clinic. Thematic analysis using the general inductive approach was performed. We found that participants' conceptual understanding of the modification process affected their acceptance towards novel staple foods. Plant-based modifications were considered natural and acceptable while genetic modification and use of chemicals were unnatural and undesirable. Participants expected novel staple foods to be more expensive and less tasty and this was largely due to their perceptions and experiences with healthy eating. Participants with diabetes or family history of diabetes were generally more willing to compromise taste and cost for healthier staple foods, and this appeared to be driven by concerns about diabetes and its related co-morbidities. The appearance of food was an important influence on participants' initial impression of the food, which appeared to be mediated by taste expectations. Participants' trust of novel staple foods was largely influenced by their trust in food industry, governmental authorities and nutrition science that was mediated through pathways of information and food safety.

Effects of Anthocyanins in Composite Meals on Cardiometabolic Outcomes-A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Feeding Trials.

Accumulating epidemiological evidence suggests that anthocyanin intake is associated with reduced risks of cardiometabolic disorders, highlighting the importance of incorporating the phytochemical in our diets. Numerous food-based intervention studies have examined, in controlled meal settings, the role of anthocyanin on cardiometabolic health; but their effects have not been systematically summarized. This study aims to systematically review and summarize the effects of anthocyanin consumption with composite meals on cardiometabolic health from randomized controlled feeding trials. A systematic literature search for relevant human nutritional intervention studies was performed using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and Scopus databases. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the study quality. Eighteen articles involving 371 participants were included in this review. Consistent improvements from anthocyanin intake were found in glycemic, gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) responses. Anthocyanin intake did not significantly affect other markers of energy metabolism, vascular functions, oxidative stress and antioxidant status, as well as inflammatory responses. Inconsistencies in successful outcomes between epidemiological studies and included interventions were largely attributed to matrix effects, which may impede the bioaccessibility of anthocyanins and consequently, limiting its health benefits when co-delivered with some foods.

An AR-ERG transcriptional signature defined by long-range chromatin interactomes in prostate cancer cells.

The aberrant activities of transcription factors such as the androgen receptor (AR) underpin prostate cancer development. While the AR cis-regulation has been extensively studied in prostate cancer, information pertaining to the spatial architecture of the AR transcriptional circuitry remains limited. In this paper, we propose a novel framework to profile long-range chromatin interactions associated with AR and its collaborative transcription factor, erythroblast transformation-specific related gene (ERG), using chromatin interaction analysis by paired-end tag (ChIA-PET). We identified ERG-associated long-range chromatin interactions as a cooperative component in the AR-associated chromatin interactome, acting in concert to achieve coordinated regulation of a subset of AR target genes. Through multifaceted functional data analysis, we found that AR-ERG interaction hub regions are characterized by distinct functional signatures, including bidirectional transcription and cotranscription factor binding. In addition, cancer-associated long noncoding RNAs were found to be connected near protein-coding genes through AR-ERG looping. Finally, we found strong enrichment of prostate cancer genome-wide association study (GWAS) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at AR-ERG co-binding sites participating in chromatin interactions and gene regulation, suggesting GWAS target genes identified from chromatin looping data provide more biologically relevant findings than using the nearest gene approach. Taken together, our results revealed an AR-ERG-centric higher-order chromatin structure that drives coordinated gene expression in prostate cancer progression and the identification of potential target genes for therapeutic intervention.

Ethnicity-Specific Skeletal Muscle Transcriptional Signatures and Their Relevance to Insulin Resistance in Singapore.

Context: Insulin resistance (IR) and obesity differ among ethnic groups in Singapore, with the Malays more obese yet less IR than Asian-Indians. However, the molecular basis underlying these differences is not clear. Objective: As the skeletal muscle (SM) is metabolically relevant to IR, we investigated molecular pathways in SM that are associated with ethnic differences in IR, obesity, and related traits. Design, Setting, and Main Outcome Measures: We integrated transcriptomic, genomic, and phenotypic analyses in 156 healthy subjects representing three major ethnicities in the Singapore Adult Metabolism Study. Patients: This study contains Chinese (n = 63), Malay (n = 51), and Asian-Indian (n = 42) men, aged 21 to 40 years, without systemic diseases. Results: We found remarkable diversity in the SM transcriptome among the three ethnicities, with >8000 differentially expressed genes (40% of all genes expressed in SM). Comparison with blood transcriptome from a separate Singaporean cohort showed that >95% of SM expression differences among ethnicities were unique to SM. We identified a network of 46 genes that were specifically downregulated in Malays, suggesting dysregulation of components of cellular respiration in SM of Malay individuals. We also report 28 differentially expressed gene clusters, four of which were also enriched for genes that were found in genome-wide association studies of metabolic traits and disease and correlated with variation in IR, obesity, and related traits. Conclusion: We identified extensive gene-expression changes in SM among the three Singaporean ethnicities and report specific genes and molecular pathways that might underpin and explain the differences in IR among these ethnic groups.

UROLITH PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS IN ASIAN SMALL-CLAWED OTTERS ( AONYX CINEREUS).

Uroliths (urinary stones) are routinely found in both domestic and exotic animals kept under human care. In zoos, Asian small-clawed otters (ASCOs, Aonyx cinereus) have been identified as being particularly prone to this disease. Risk factors are thought to be nutritional; however, recommendations contradict each other, depending on which physiological model was used. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of uroliths in ASCOs under human care and to evaluate which feeding patterns and nutrients may be linked to their occurrence. Questionnaires were sent to zoos holding ASCOs in North America (AZA), Europe (EAZA), and Japan and Southeast Asia (Asia) asking about diets and medical histories of all ASCOs alive or dead within the last 10 yr. A risk-factor style binary logistic regression was conducted on these data. A total of 94 questionnaires were received; however, only 56 were usable (15.6% return rate), representing 161 otter cases. AZA had the significantly highest incidence of kidney stones (62.8%), followed by EAZA (12.9%) and Asia (9.4%). Age and calcium were risk factors, whereas crude protein and sodium were protective. Therefore, calcium may need to be controlled within their diet. A diet high in fish and crustaceans may be beneficial and is consistent with wild ASCO diets. The feline model may be the best choice out of other models; however, many factors cannot be compared with ASCO, such as urinary pH.

Anti-angiogenic activity of para-coumaric acid methyl ester on HUVECs in vitro and zebrafish in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Para-coumaric acid methyl ester (pCAME) is one of the bioactive components of Costus speciosus (Koen) Sm. (Zingiberaceae). This plant is traditionally used in Asia to treat catarrhal fevers, worms, dyspepsia, and skin diseases. PURPOSE: To investigate the anti-angiogenic activity of pCAME and its molecular mechanism of action. STUDY DESIGN: We investigated the anti-angiogenic activity of pCAME on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and zebrafish (Danio rerio) in vivo. METHODS: In vitro cell proliferation, would healing, migration and tube formation assays were used, along with in vivo physiological angiogenic vessel formation, tumor-induced angiogenic vessel formation assays on zebrafish model. qRT-PCR and RNA-seq were also used for the target investigation. RESULTS: pCAME could inhibit the proliferation, would healing, migration and tube formation of HUVECs, disrupt the physiological formation of intersegmental vessels (ISVs) and the subintestinal vessels (SIVs) of zebrafish embryos, and inhibit tumor angiogenesis in the zebrafish cell-line derived xenograft (zCDX) model of SGC-7901 in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistic studies revealed that pCAME inhibited vegf/vegfr2 and ang/tie signaling pathways in zebrafish by quantitative RT-PCR analysis, and regulated multi-signaling pathways involving immune, inflammation and angiogenesis in SGC-7901 zCDX model by RNA-seq analysis. CONCLUSION: pCAME may be a multi-target anti-angiogenic drug candidate and hold great potential for developing novel therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.

Mycophenolic Acid-Induced Developmental Defects in Zebrafish Embryos.

With the increasing use of mycophenolic acid (MPA) in solid organ transplantation, some clinical studies indicate that it is also a human teratogen. However, it is unknown by which mechanism MPA acts as a teratogen. Mycophenolic acid was a selective blocker of de novo purine synthesis, and its immunosuppressive effect is mediated by the inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, which could be a target for MPA-induced toxicity as well. The aim of our study was to examine the direct influence of MPA exposure on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Morphological defects including tail curvature and severe pericardial edema in zebrafish embryos caused by MPA (3.7-11.1 µmol/L) were found in a dose-dependent manner. The teratogenic index (25% lethal concentration value (LC25)/no observed adverse effect level ratio) was 16, which indicated MPA as a teratogen. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression level of impdh1b and impdh2 was significantly reduced by MPA treatment at 8 µmol/L (equals to LC25 level). All the toxic effects could be partially reversed by the addition of 33.3 µmol/L guanosine. Our results indicated that MPA impairs the development of zebrafish embryos via inhibition of impdh activity, which subsequently caused a guanosine nucleotide depletion in vivo.

Estrogen receptor-mediated long-range chromatin interactions and transcription in breast cancer.

Estrogen induces the binding of ERα to thousands of locations in the breast cancer genome, preferring intergenic and distal regions rather than near the promoters of estrogen-regulated genes. With recent technological innovations in mapping and characterization of global chromatin organization, evidence now indicates ERα mediates long-range chromatin interactions to control gene transcription. The principles that govern how ERα communicates with their putative target genes via chromosomal interactions are also beginning to unravel. Herein, we summarize our current knowledge on the functional significance of chromatin looping in estrogen-mediated transcription. ERα collaborative factors and other players that contribute to define the genomic interactions in breast cancer cells will also be discussed. Defects in chromatin organization are emerging key players in diseases such as cancer, thus understanding how ERα-mediated chromatin looping affects genome organization will clarify the receptor's role in estrogen responsive pathways sensitive to defects in chromatin organization.

Gait speed measure: the effect of different measuring distances and the inclusion and exclusion of acceleration and deceleration.

The purposes of this study were to examine the effects of different distances and the inclusion and exclusion of acceleration and deceleration distances on the measurement of self-paced and fastest gait speeds in younger and older adults. The self-paced and fastest gait speeds of younger and older adults were measured over 4-m and 10-m walkways with the acceleration and deceleration distances included and excluded in the measuring distance. The results indicated gait speeds (both self-paced and fastest) measured over different distances were comparable only if a distance for acceleration and deceleration was excluded from the measuring distance to obtain stable and comparable gait speeds. Similar results were found for younger and older groups.