Beneficial Effects of Fermentation of Red Chili Pepper Using Lactococcus lactis subs. Cremoris RPG-HL-0136 in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

Red chili pepper is a beneficial natural spicy food that has antiobesity and antitype II diabetes effects, but it is not conducive to in-depth research as a dietary strategy to treat obesity. This study aims to investigate the beneficial effects of red chili pepper, fermented with a novel Lactococcus lactis subs. cremoris RPG-HL-0136. LC-MS/MS analysis is conducted to detect the content of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, and no significant difference is observed between the nonfermented red chili pepper (NFP) (W/W) and the prepared L. lactis subs. cremoris RPG-HL-0136-fermented chili mixture (LFP). After establishing a high-fat diet-induced obese type II diabetic mouse model, the effects on weight gain, weight loss of liver and testicular fat, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting glucose, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance in LFP were evaluated to be better than those in NFP following 10 weeks of interventions. All animal experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Xinxiang medical university. NFP and LFP could increase the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha and caspase-2 in the high-fat mice. Compared with unfermented red chili pepper, the fermented red chili pepper complex significantly reduced LPS, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 in serum (P < .05). Intake of LFP significantly increased the expression of claudin-1 and occludin in the colon of the high-fat mice (P < .05), and there was no damage to the stomach and colon. This study provides scientific evidence that red chili pepper, fermented with L. lactis subs. cremoris RPG-HL-0136, may be beneficial for future treatment of obesity and accompanying diabetes. (IACUC.No.XYLL-20200019).

Ligand-Controlled Regiodivergent Cyanoboration of Internal Allenes by Copper Catalysis.

The first copper-catalyzed regiodivergent cyanoboration of internal allenes with B2 pin2 (bis(pinacolato)diboron) and NCTS (N-cyano-N-phenyl-p-toluenesulfonamide) derivatives is reported. The ß,γ- and α,ß-cyanoborylated products were synthesized with high regio- and stereo-selectivity. Computational studies revealed that nucleophilic addition of allylcopper or related intermediates on cyanation reagent is the regio- and stereo-determining step, while transmetalation with B2 pin2 is the rate-determining step. The nucleophilic addition step proceeds via inner-sphere mechanism in the CuI /P(o-tol)3 and CuI /Xantphos (P(o-tol)3 =tris(o-methylphenyl)phosphine, Xantphos=4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethylxanthene) catalytic systems and via outer-sphere mechanism in the CuII /Xantphos catalytic system, respectively.

The Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancer on Daily Intake of Low-Dose BaP in C57BL/6 for 60 Days.

BACKGROUND: Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a carcinogenic compound in contaminated foodstuffs. The effect of oral intake of the environmental carcinogen BaP under low doses and frequent exposure on a digestive system has not been thoroughly verified. METHODS: In this regard, this study was conducted to prove the toxicity effects of BaP on the stomach and colon tissue after exposure to C57BL/6 mouse (3 and 6 µg/kg) following daily oral administration for 60 days. This study investigated acute gastric mucosal injury, severe gastric edema, cell infiltration, and mononuclear cells, multifocal cells, and tumoral inflammatory cells. RESULTS: The results of ELISA showed that the expression of serum interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the BaP exposure group were significantly increased, and a high level of DNA adduct distribution in their stomach and colon. Moreover, this study has confirmed the expression of early carcinogenesis markers: nuclear factor (NF)-κB, p53, IL-6, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), mucin (MUC1 and MUC2), and ß-catenin in the stomach and colon, and showed that there was a significant increase in IL-6, NF-κB, SOD1, ß-catenin, and MUC1 (P < 0.05). At the same time, there was a significant decrease in MUC2 and p53 (P < 0.05). Thus, even in low doses, oral intake of BaP can induce DNA damage, increasing the potential risk of gastrointestinal cancer. CONCLUSION: This study will provide a scientific basis for researching environmental contaminated food and intestinal health following daily oral administration of BaP.

[The prevalence of appositional angle closure among adults aged 50 years or above in Funing county Jiangsu Province].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to determine the prevalence of appositional angle closure in persons aged 50 or above in Funing County. METHODS: Cluster sampling randomly selected residents in Funing County aged 50 years or above. From March to May 2010, 484 eyes of 243 patients with the shallow peripheral anterior chamber and the anatomic narrow chamber angle, which was determined by Van Herick technique and gonioscopy, were collected from 5202 individuals. The presence of appositional angle closure and the angle-opening distance (AOD) was determined with photopic and scotopic ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) in eight positions. Paired χ² test and paired t test (SPSS 17.0) were used to determine any significant differences at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of appositional angle closure was found at least one position in 337 eyes (69.6%) by scotopic UBM and in 116 eyes (24.0%) by photopic UBM. The prevalence of appositional angle closure was significantly higher by scotopic UBM than by photopic UBM (χ² = 204.36, P < 0.001 respectively), and was the highest in superior quadrant. The AOD varied significantly among the eight positions and was significantly narrower by scotopic UBM than by photopic UBM (t = 6.039, 6.883, 11.612, 11.157, 4.732, 6.798, 5.156, 4.071; P < 0.001). Since 197 persons (81.07%) were found anterior angle closure by scotopic UBM, we estimated the prevalence of appositional angle closure was 5.40% (95% CI: 4.80%-6.05%) among adults aged 50 or above in Funing County. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of appositional angle closure was higher than previous surveys, the possible reason is that scotopic UBM could find early appositional angle closure more preferably.

Association of eNOS polymorphisms with anterior chamber depth in han chinese: jiangsu eye study.

Recently, a study reported that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were associated with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) in Australian cohort. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether those eNOS SNPs are associated with primary angle closure (PAC) or ocular biometric characteristics such as axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and diopter of spherical power (DS) in Han Chinese. The samples consisted of 232 PAC subjects and 306 controls collected from a population-based prevalence survey conducted in Funing County of Jiangsu, China. The rs3793342 and rs11771443 in eNOS were genotyped by TaqMan-MGB probe using the RT-PCR system. Our data did not identify any association of the eNOS SNPs with PAC. However, the analysis on the quantitative traits of ocular biometrics showed that the ACD of rs11771443 AA and GA carriers is significantly deeper than that of rs11771443 GG carriers (P = 0.0025), even though the AL and DS are not associated with rs11771443 genotypes. Rs3793342 was not associated with any biometric parameters including ACD, AL and DS. In summary, our data indicates that eNOS rs11771443 is associated with ACD and its role in the pathogenesis of PACG warranted further study.

An extensive replication study on three new susceptibility Loci of primary angle closure glaucoma in han chinese: jiangsu eye study.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis identified three new susceptibility loci for PACG. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether these three loci in PLEKHA7, COL11A1, and PCMTD1-ST18 are associated with PAC and ocular biometric characteristics, such as axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and diopter of spherical power (DS). The study was a part of the Jiangsu Eye Study. The samples were collected from 232 PAC subjects and 306 controls from a population-based prevalence survey conducted in Funing County of Jiangsu, China. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of rs11024102 in PLEKHA7, rs3753841 in COL11A1, and rs1015213 in PCMTD1-ST18 were genotyped by TaqMan-MGB probe using the RT-PCR system. None of the three polymorphisms showed differences in the distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies between the PAC group and the control group. No significant association was determined between the 3 SNPs and AL, ACD, or DS of PAC subjects. We concluded that even though PLEKHA7 rs11024102, COL11A1 rs3753841, and PCMTD1-ST18 rs1015213 are associated with PACG, those sequence variations are not associated with PAC in a Han Chinese population. Our results also did not support a significant role for these three SNPs in ocular biometry such as AL, ACD, and DS.

Association of frizzled-related protein (MFRP) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) single nucleotide polymorphisms with primary angle closure in a Han Chinese population: Jiangsu Eye Study.

PURPOSE: Primary angle closure (PAC) is the early stage of primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG). It is believed that the formation of PAC is regulated by a tissue remodeling pathway. This study investigated the association between gene variants in extracellular matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), frizzled-related protein (MFRP), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and PAC. METHODS: The study was part of the Jiangsu Eye Study. The sample consisted of 232 subjects with PAC and 306 controls obtained from a population-based prevalence survey conducted in Funing County in Jiangsu Province, China. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) included rs17576 and rs3918249 in MMP-9, rs1801133 in MTHFR, rs3814762 in MFRP, and rs1043618 in HSP70. SNP genotyping was performed with a TaqMan MGB probe using the real-time PCR system. RESULTS: Among the five SNPs tested, only MFRP rs3814762 and HSP70 rs1043618 showed a nominal association with PAC. The frequency of the minor T allele of MFRP rs3814762 was higher in the control group than in the PAC group (uncorrected p=0.016 and p=0.027, for alleles and genotypes, respectively) and conferred an odds ratio (OR) of 0.67 in the allelic analysis, indicating a protective role of the SNP in developing PAC. In contrast, the frequency of the CC genotype of HSP70 rs1043618 was higher in the PAC group than in the control group (uncorrected p=0.048 and p=0.022 for the genotypes general model and recessive model, respectively) and conferred an OR of 1.79 in the recessive model, indicating a harmful role in developing PAC. However, the differences did not remain statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. The remaining three SNPs showed no differences in the distribution of the genotypes and allele frequencies between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals a suggestive association of MFRP and HSP70 with PAC in a Han Chinese population. The results from this population-based survey will serve as the baseline for prospective observation of the role of tissue remodeling pathway in the development of PACG.