The in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of an amino acid blend supplemented feed on pigs experimentally challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium.

Background: The in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of an amino acid (AA) blend (tryptophan, threonine, and methionine) in pigs. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of an AA blend on intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) and the in vivo anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects in pigs experimentally challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium. Methods: IPEC-J2 were pretreated with an AA blend for 25 h and then treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), deoxynivalenol (DON), or H2O2 for in vitro evaluation. A controlled standard diet supplemented with 0.3% of the AA blend was orally fed to the treated group pigs for 14 days, beginning at 21 days of age. At the end of the feeding period, pigs were orally inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium. Results: Pre-treatment with the AA blend reduced LPS/DON-induced interleukin (IL)-8 mRNA as a measurement of the anti-inflammatory effect and H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a measurement of the anti-oxidative effect on IPEC-J2. Feeding with an AA blend resulted in a reduction of proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, and IL-8) cytokine levels, while treated pigs experienced an increase in anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokine in their sera. The addition of an AA blend-supplemented pig feed resulted in significantly lower Salmonella-induced cecal lesion scores compared to untreated pigs. Discussion: Supplementation of feed with an AA blend reduced intestinal inflammation and pathology in pigs and may be applied for the control of Salmonella Typhimurium infection, as demonstrated in this study.

Structural analysis of the pseudaminic acid synthase PseI from Campylobacter jejuni.

Campylobacter jejuni PseI is a pseudaminic acid synthase that condenses the 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-l-altrose sugar (6-deoxy AltdiNAc) and phosphoenolpyruvate to generate pseudaminic acid, a sialic acid-like 9-carbon backbone α-keto sugar. Pseudaminic acid is conjugated to cell surface proteins and lipids and plays a key role in the mobility and virulence of C. jejuni and other pathogenic bacteria. To provide insights into the catalytic mechanism of PseI, we performed a structural study on PseI. PseI forms a two-domain structure and assembles into a domain-swapped homodimer. The PseI dimer has two cavities, each of which accommodates a metal ion using conserved histidine residues. A comparative analysis of structures and sequences suggests that the cavity of PseI functions as an active site that binds the 6-deoxy AltdiNAc and phosphoenolpyruvate substrates and mediates their condensation. Furthermore, we propose the substrate binding-induced structural rearrangement of PseI and predict 6-deoxy AltdiNAc recognition residues that are specific to PseI.

Roughness-Controlled Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Thin-Film Solar Cells with Reduced Charge Recombination.

Copper zinc tin sulfo-selenide (CZTSSe) is a promising light-absorbing material of thin-film solar cells because of its low material cost especially when it is prepared by cost-effective processes like the electrochemical deposition process. The CZTSSe thin-film solar cells, however, suffer from the relatively low efficiency, mostly because of the significant charge recombination. Given that the surface recombination is one of the major recombination paths, controlling the surface roughness, and thus the interfacial area is one of the key factors for improving their device performances. In this study, we demonstrated a simple but effective strategy for reducing the surface roughness during the electrochemical deposition process of the CZTSSe thin films. By adopting an initial nucleation stage with higher deposition currents ahead of the steady-state galvanostatic deposition, the surface of the copper-zinc-tin (CZT) precursor and CZTSSe thin films became significantly smoother and uniform (ΔRrms: -43.8% for CZT, -28.9% for CZTSSe). The effects of the surface roughness on the photovoltaic properties of the CZTSSe thin-film solar cells have been investigated systematically with various characterization techniques like the diode analysis, lifetime measurement, and the temperature dependency of the open-circuit voltage. The device with the smoother surface exhibited higher open-circuit voltage and fill factor, mostly because of the significantly reduced charge recombination, leading to the high conversion efficiency of 8.64% (active).

Effect of Rubidium Incorporation on the Structural, Electrical, and Photovoltaic Properties of Methylammonium Lead Iodide-Based Perovskite Solar Cells.

We report the electrical properties of rubidium-incorporated methylammonium lead iodide ((RbxMA1-x)PbI3) films and the photovoltaic performance of (RbxMA1-x)PbI3 film-based p-i-n-type perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The incorporation of a small amount of Rb+ (x = 0.05) increases both the open circuit voltage (Voc) and the short circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of the PSCs, leading to an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, a high fraction of Rb+ incorporation (x = 0.1 and 0.2) decreases the Jsc and thus the PCE, which is attributed to the phase segregation of the single tetragonal perovskite phase to a MA-rich tetragonal perovskite phase and a RbPbI3 orthorhombic phase at high Rb fractions. Conductive atomic force microscopic and admittance spectroscopic analyses reveal that the single-phase (Rb0.05MA0.95)PbI3 film has a high electrical conductivity because of a reduced deep-level trap density. We also found that Rb substitution enhances the diode characteristics of the PSC, as evidenced by the reduced reverse saturation current (J0). The optimized (RbxMA1-x)PbI3 PSCs exhibited a PCE of 18.8% with negligible hysteresis in the photocurrent-voltage curve. The results from this work enhance the understanding of the effect of Rb incorporation into organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites and enable the exploration of Rb-incorporated mixed perovskites for various applications, such as solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes.

Anti-Photoaging Effects of Angelica acutiloba Root Ethanol Extract in Human Dermal Fibroblasts.

The effects that ultraviolet rays elicit on collagen synthesis and degradation are the most common causes of wrinkle formation and photo-aging in skin. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of Angelica acutiloba root ethanol extract (AAEE) to promote collagen synthesis and inhibit collagen degradation in human dermal fibroblasts. By examining total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, electron donating ability, radical scavenging activity, and superoxide dismutase-like activity, we found that AAEE exhibited fairly good antioxidant activity. Treatment with AAEE significantly increased type I procollagen production by cultured fibroblasts, as well as reduced ultraviolet-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression and MMP-2 activity in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). In addition, AAEE significantly increased TIMP-1 mRNA expression (p < 0.05), although without an associated dose-dependent increase in TIMP-1 protein expression. In summary, we suggest that AAEE may be a potentially effective agent for the prevention or alleviation of skin-wrinkle formation induced by ultraviolet rays.

Highly Efficient and Uniform 1†cm2 Perovskite Solar Cells with an Electrochemically Deposited NiOx Hole-Extraction Layer.

Given that the highest certified conversion efficiency of the organic-inorganic perovskite solar cell (PSC) already exceeds 22 %, which is even higher than that of the polycrystalline silicon solar cell, the significance of new scalable processes that can be utilized for preparing large-area devices and their commercialization is rapidly increasing. From this perspective, the electrodeposition method is one of the most suitable processes for preparing large-area devices because it is an already commercialized process with proven controllability and scalability. Here, a highly uniform NiOx layer prepared by electrochemical deposition is reported as an efficient hole-extraction layer of a p-i-n-type planar PSC with a large active area of >1 cm2 . It is demonstrated that the increased surface roughness of the NiOx layer, achieved by controlling the deposition current density, facilitates the hole extraction at the interface between perovskite and NiOx , and thus increases the fill factor and the conversion efficiency. The electrochemically deposited NiOx layer also exhibits extremely uniform thickness and morphology, leading to highly efficient and uniform large-area PSCs. As a result, the p-i-n-type planar PSC with an area of 1.084 cm2 exhibits a stable conversion efficiency of 17.0 % (19.2 % for 0.1 cm2 ) without showing hysteresis effects.

Reactively sputtered nickel nitride as electrocatalytic counter electrode for dye- and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells.

Nickel nitride electrodes were prepared by reactive sputtering of nickel under a N2 atmosphere at room temperature for application in mesoscopic dye- or quantum dot- sensitized solar cells. This facile and reliable method led to the formation of a Ni2N film with a cauliflower-like nanostructure and tetrahedral crystal lattice. The prepared nickel nitride electrodes exhibited an excellent chemical stability toward both iodide and polysulfide redox electrolytes. Compared to conventional Pt electrodes, the nickel nitride electrodes showed an inferior electrocatalytic activity for the iodide redox electrolyte; however, it displayed a considerably superior electrocatalytic activity for the polysulfide redox electrolyte. As a result, compared to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), with a conversion efficiency (η) = 7.62%, and CdSe-based quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs, η = 2.01%) employing Pt counter electrodes (CEs), the nickel nitride CEs exhibited a lower conversion efficiency (η = 3.75%) when applied to DSCs, but an enhanced conversion efficiency (η = 2.80%) when applied to CdSe-based QDSCs.

Antioxidant Activity and Anti-wrinkle Effects of Aceriphyllum rossii Leaf Ethanol Extract.

We evaluated the antioxidant activity and anti-wrinkle effects of Aceriphyllum rossii leaf ethanol extract (ARLEE) in vitro using human dermal fibroblasts. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of ARLEE were 578.6 and 206.3 mg/g, respectively. At a concentration of 250 µg/mL, the electron-donating ability of ARLEE was 87.1%. In comparison with the vehicle, ARLEE treatment at 100 µg/mL significantly increased type I procollagen synthesis (p < 0.01) by 50.7%. In vitro ARLEE treatment (10 mg/mL) inhibited collagenase and elastase activity by 97.1% and 99.2%, respectively. Compared with the control, ascorbic acid treatment at 100 µg/mL significantly decreased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 protein expression (p < 0.01) by 37.0%. ARLEE treatment at 50 µg/mL significantly decreased MMP-1 protein expression (p < 0.01) by 46.1%. Ascorbic acid and ARLEE treatments at 100 µg/mL significantly decreased MMP-1 mRNA expression (p < 0.01) by 26.1% and 36.1%, respectively. From these results, we conclude that ARLEE has excellent antioxidant activity and even better anti-wrinkle effects than ascorbic acid in human dermal fibroblasts. These results suggest that ARLEE could be used in functional cosmetics for the prevention or alleviation of skin wrinkles induced by ultraviolet rays.

Effects of 4-nonylphenol and bisphenol A on stimulation of cell growth via disruption of the transforming growth factor-ß signaling pathway in ovarian cancer models.

Transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathway is a major pathway in cellular processes such as cell growth, apoptosis, and cellular homeostasis. The signaling pathway activated by 17ß-estadiol (E2) appeared to inhibit the TGF-ß signaling pathway by cross-talk with the TGF-ß components in estrogen receptor (ER) positive cells. In this study, we examined the inhibitory effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including 4-nonylphenol (NP), 4-otylphenol (OP), bisphenol A (BPA), and benzophenon-1 (BP-1), in the TGF-ß signaling pathway in BG-1 ovarian cancer cells expressing estrogen receptors (ERs). The transcriptional and translational levels of TGF-ß related genes were examined by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), Western blot analysis, and xenograft mouse models of ovarian cancer cells. As a result, treatment with NP, OP, and BPA induced the expressions of SnoN, a TGF-ß pathway inhibitor, and c-Fos, a TGF-ß target transcription factor. Treatment with NP, BPA, and BP-1 resulted in decreased phosphorylation of Smad3, a downstream target of TGF-ß. These results indicate that NP and BPA may stimulate the proliferation of BG-1 cells via inhibition of the TGF-ß signaling pathway. In a xenograft mouse model, transplanted BG-1 ovarian cancer cells showed significantly decreased phosphorylation of Smad3 and increased expression of SnoN in the ovarian tumor masses following treatment with E2, NP, or BPA. In parallel with an in vitro model, the expressions of these TGF-ß signaling pathway were similarly regulated by NP or BPA in a xenograft mouse model. These results support the fact that the existence of an unproven relationship between EDCs/ER-α and TGF-ß signaling pathway and a further study are required in order to verify more profound and distinct mechanism(s) for the disturbance of the TGF-ß signaling pathway by diverse EDCs.

Peppermint Oil Promotes Hair Growth without Toxic Signs.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is a plant native to Europe and has been widely used as a carminative and gastric stimulant worldwide. This plant also has been used in cosmetic formulations as a fragrance component and skin conditioning agent. This study investigated the effect of peppermint oil on hair growth in C57BL/6 mice. The animals were randomized into 4 groups based on different topical applications: saline (SA), jojoba oil (JO), 3% minoxidil (MXD), and 3% peppermint oil (PEO). The hair growth effects of the 4-week topical applications were evaluated in terms of hair growth, histological analysis, enzymatic activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), known bio-markers for the enhanced hair growth. Of the 4 experimental groups, PEO group showed the most prominent hair growth effects; a significant increase in dermal thickness, follicle number, and follicle depth. ALP activity and IGF-1 expression also significantly increased in PEO group. Body weight gain and food efficiency were not significantly different between groups. These results suggest that PEO induces a rapid anagen stage and could be used for a practical agent for hair growth without change of body weight gain and food efficiency.

Anticancer effect of genistein on BG-1 ovarian cancer growth induced by 17 ß-estradiol or bisphenol A via the suppression of the crosstalk between estrogen receptor α and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor signaling pathways.

The interaction between estrogen receptor (ER) and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling pathway plays an important role in proliferation of and resistance to endocrine therapy to estrogen dependent cancers. Estrogen (E2) upregulates the expression of components of IGF-1 system and induces the downstream of mitogenic signaling cascades via phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). In the present study, we evaluated the xenoestrogenic effect of bisphenol A (BPA) and antiproliferative activity of genistein (GEN) in accordance with the influence on this crosstalk. BPA was determined to affect this crosstalk by upregulating mRNA expressions of ERα and IGF-1R and inducing phosphorylation of IRS-1 and Akt in protein level in BG-1 ovarian cancer cells as E2 did. In the mouse model xenografted with BG-1 cells, BPA significantly increased a tumor burden of mice and expressions of ERα, pIRS-1, and cyclin D1 in tumor mass compared to vehicle, indicating that BPA induces ovarian cancer growth by promoting the crosstalk between ER and IGF-1R signals. On the other hand, GEN effectively reversed estrogenicity of BPA by reversing mRNA and protein expressions of ERα, IGF-1R, pIRS-1, and pAkt induced by BPA in cellular model and also significantly decreased tumor growth and in vivo expressions of ERα, pIRS-1, and pAkt in xenografted mouse model. Also, GEN was confirmed to have an antiproliferative effect by inducing apoptotic signaling cascades. Taken together, these results suggest that GEN effectively reversed the increased proliferation of BG-1 ovarian cancer by suppressing the crosstalk between ERα and IGF-1R signaling pathways upregulated by BPA or E2.

Suppression of the growth of human colorectal cancer cells by therapeutic stem cells expressing cytosine deaminase and interferon-ß via their tumor-tropic effect in cellular and xenograft mouse models.

Genetically engineered stem cells (GESTECs) exhibit a potent therapeutic efficacy via their strong tumor tropism toward cancer cells. In this study, we introduced the human parental neural stem cells, HB1.F3, with the human interferon beta (IFN-ß) gene which is a typical cytokine gene that has an antitumor effect and the cytosine deaminase (CD) gene from Escherichia coli (E. coli) that could convert the non-toxic prodrug, 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), to a toxic metabolite, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Two types of stem cells expressing the CD gene (HB1.F3.CD cells) and both the CD and human IFN-ß genes (HB1.F3.CD.IFN-ß) were generated. The present study was performed to examine the migratory and therapeutic effects of these GESTECs against the colorectal cancer cell line, HT-29. When co-cultured with colorectal cancer cells in the presence of 5-FC, HB1.F3.CD and HB1.F3.CD.IFN-ß cells exhibited the cytotoxicity on HT-29 cells via the bystander effect. In particular, HB1.F3.CD.IFN-ß cells showed the synergistic cytotoxic activity of 5-FU and IFN-ß. We also confirmed the migration ability of HB1.F3.CD and HB1.F3.CD.IFN-ß cells toward HT-29 cells by a modified migration assay in vitro, where chemoattractant factors secreted by HT-29 cells attracted the GESTECs. In a xenograft mouse model, the volume of tumor mass was decreased up to 56% in HB1.F3.CD injected mice while the tumor mass was greatly inhibited about 76% in HB1.F3.CD.IFN-ß injected mice. The therapeutic treatment by these GESTECs is a novel strategy where the combination of the migration capacity of stem cells as a vector for therapeutic genes towards colorectal cancer and a synergistic antitumor effect of CD and IFN-ß genes can selectively target this type of cancer.

Benzophenone-1 stimulated the growth of BG-1 ovarian cancer cells by cell cycle regulation via an estrogen receptor alpha-mediated signaling pathway in cellular and xenograft mouse models.

2,4-Dihydroxybenzophenone (benzophenone-1; BP-1) is an UV stabilizer primarily used to prevent polymer degradation and deterioration in quality due to UV irradiation. Recently, BP-1 has been reported to bioaccumulate in human bodies by absorption through the skin and has the potential to induce health problems including endocrine disruption. In the present study, we examined the xenoestrogenic effect of BP-1 on BG-1 human ovarian cancer cells expressing estrogen receptors (ERs) and relevant xenografted animal models in comparison with 17-ß estradiol (E2). In in vitro cell viability assay, BP-1 (10(-8)-10(-5)M) significantly increased BG-1 cell growth the way E2 did. The mechanism underlying the BG-1 cell proliferation was proved to be related with the up-regulation of cyclin D1, a cell cycle progressor, by E2 or BP-1. Both BP-1 and E2 induced cell growth and up-regulation of cyclin D1 were reversed by co-treatment with ICI 182,780, an ER antagonist, suggesting that BP-1 may mediate the cancer cell proliferation via an ER-dependent pathway like E2. On the other hand, the expression of p21, a regulator of cell cycle progression at G1 phase, was not altered by BP-1 though it was down-regulated by E2. In xenograft mouse models transplanted with BG-1 cells, BP-1 or E2 treatment significantly increased the tumor mass formation compared to a vehicle (corn oil) within 8 weeks. In histopathological analysis, the tumor sections of E2 or BP-1 group displayed extensive cell formations with high density and disordered arrangement, which were supported by the increased number of BrdUrd positive nuclei and the over-expression of cyclin D1 protein. Taken together, these results suggest that BP-1 is an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) that exerts xenoestrogenic effects by stimulating the proliferation of BG-1 ovarian cancer via ER signaling pathway associated with cell cycle as did E2.

Development of mobile electronic health records application in a secondary general hospital in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: The recent evolution of mobile devices has opened new possibilities of providing strongly integrated mobile services in healthcare. The objective of this paper is to describe the decision driver, development, and implementation of an integrated mobile Electronic Health Record (EHR) application at Ulsan University Hospital. This application helps healthcare providers view patients' medical records and information without a stationary computer workstation. METHODS: We developed an integrated mobile application prototype that aimed to improve the mobility and usability of healthcare providers during their daily medical activities. The Android and iOS platform was used to create the mobile EHR application. The first working version was completed in 5 months and required 1,080 development hours. RESULTS: The mobile EHR application provides patient vital signs, patient data, text communication, and integrated EHR. The application allows our healthcare providers to know the status of patients within and outside the hospital environment. The application provides a consistent user environment on several compatible Android and iOS devices. A group of 10 beta testers has consistently used and maintained our copy of the application, suggesting user acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: We are developing the integrated mobile EHR application with the goals of implementing an environment that is user-friendly, implementing a patient-centered system, and increasing the hospital's competitiveness.

Risk of cardiovascular disease is suppressed by dietary supplementation with protamine and chitooligosaccharide in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Protamine from salmon spermaries is a novel dietary protein. Chitooligosaccharide (COS) is an oligosaccharide derived from chitin or chitosan, a long-chain polymer, by chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis. These two compounds are known to enhance lipid metabolism by interrupting the digestion and absorption of fat in the body. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to any type of specific disease that affects the heart and circulatory system. Dyslipidemia, a condition involving high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, is generally known to be a primary cause of CVD development. The risk of CVD is usually associated with the atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factor (CRF). The CVD risk is also closely associated with serum levels of total cholesterol (T-CHO), LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. In the present study, we evaluated alterations in serum lipid contents following the administration of protamine, COS and mixtures of these two compounds to male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and their ability to reduce CVD risk. Based on the results of a serum lipid assay, protamine, COS and their mixtures were found to significantly reduce AI, CRF and CVD risk by decreasing serum levels of TG, T-CHO and LDL cholesterol and increasing serum HDL cholesterol levels. By contrast, TG and T-CHO concentrations in feces were markedly increased. Accumulation of lipids in the liver tissues of the SD rats fed high-fat diets was also inhibited by the intake of protamine and COS. Our findings suggest that protamine, COS and combinations of the two compounds may be used as a dietary therapy for preventing CVD due to their suppressive effects on hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia.

Genistein, a soy phytoestrogen, prevents the growth of BG-1 ovarian cancer cells induced by 17ß-estradiol or bisphenol A via the inhibition of cell cycle progression.

An endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) is a global health concern. In this study, we examined the effects of genistein (GEN) on bisphenol A (BPA) or 17ß-estradiol (E2)-induced cell growth and gene alterations of BG-1 ovarian cancer cells expressing estrogen receptors (ERs). In an in vitro cell viability assay, E2 or BPA significantly increased the growth of BG-1 cells. This increased proliferative activity was reversed by treatment with ICI 182,780, a well-known ER antagonist, while cell proliferation was further promoted in the presence of propyl pyrazole triol (PPT), an ERα agonist. These results imply that cell proliferation increased by E2 or BPA was mediated by ERs, particularly ERα. BPA clearly acted as a xenoestrogen in BG-1 ovarian cancer cells by mimicking E2 action. In contrast, GEN effectively suppressed BG-1 cell proliferation promoted by E2 or BPA by inhibiting cell cycle progression. E2 and BPA increased the expression of cyclin D1, a factor responsible for the G1/S cell cycle transition. They also decreased the expression of p21, a potent cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor that arrests the cell cycle in G1 phase, and promoted the proliferation of BG-1 cells. As shown by its repressive effect on cell growth, GEN decreased the expression of cyclin D1 augmented by E2 or BPA. On the other hand, GEN increased the p21 expression downregulated by E2 or BPA. Collectively, our findings suggest that GEN, a dietary phytoestrogen, has an inhibitory effect on the growth of estrogen-dependent cancers promoted by E2 or BPA.

Modulation of lipid metabolism by mixtures of protamine and chitooligosaccharide through pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity in a rat model.

Overweight and obesity are usually related with high fat and calorie intake, and seriously causative of lifestyle-related diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, arteriosclerosis, and colon cancer. In this study, we propose a novel dietary therapy against overweight and obesity using mixtures of protamine and chitooligosaccharide (COS), which are known to interrupt the lipid metabolism in the body. Protamine is a dietary protein originated from salmon reproductive organ, and COS is an oligosaccharide made from chitin or chitosan by chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis. In the enzyme activity analysis in vitro, protamine and COS strongly suppressed the activity of pancreatic lipase, which is the primary enzyme for the digestion and absorption of lipids in the intestine. In in vivo animal test, the mixtures of protamine and COS significantly reduced the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLC) and inhibited the accumulation of lipids in liver tissue of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats fed high fat diets. On the other hand, they increased fecal TG and T-CHO contents. From these alterations in lipid metabolism, we verified that protamine and COS mixtures could effectively interrupt the digestion and absorption of dietary lipids in the body by inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity. In addition, protamine and COS mixtures increased the serum level of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC), responsible for removing cholesterol from cells and protecting atherosclerosis, and therefore decreased the potential risks of cardiovascular diseases by lowering values of the atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factor (CRF). Taken together, we suggest protamine and COS mixtures as a prominent dietary therapy for the prevention of overweight, obesity, and further cardiovascular diseases related with hyperlipidemia.

Treatment with bisphenol A and methoxychlor results in the growth of human breast cancer cells and alteration of the expression of cell cycle-related genes, cyclin D1 and p21, via an estrogen receptor-dependent signaling pathway.

Various endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous compounds found in the environment and have the potential to interfere with the endocrine system and hormonal regulation. Among EDCs, bisphenol A (BPA) and 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-methoxyphenol)-ethane [methoxychlor (MXC)] have estrogenic activity resulting in a variety of dysfunctions in the E2-mediated response by binding to estrogen receptors (ERs), causing human health problems such as abnormal reproduction and carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effects of BPA and MXC on cell proliferation facilitated by ER signaling in human breast cancer cells. MCF-7 cells are known to be ERα-positive and to be a highly E2-responsive cancer cell line; these cells are, therefore, a useful in vitro model for detecting estrogenic activity in response to EDCs. We evaluated cancer cell proliferation following BPA and MXC treatment using an MTT assay. We analyzed alterations in the expression of genes associated with the cell cycle in MCF-7 cells by semi-quantitative reverse-transcription PCR following treatment with BPA or MXC compared to EtOH. To determine whether BPA and MXC stimulate cancer cell growth though ER signaling, we co-treated the cells with agonists (propyl pyrazoletriol, PPT; and diarylpropionitrile, DPN) or an antagonist (ICI 182,780) of ER signaling and reduced ERα gene expression via siRNA in MCF-7 cells before treatment with EDCs. These studies confirmed the carcinogenicity of EDCs in vitro. As a result, BPA and MXC induced the cancer cell proliferation by the upregulation of genes that promote the cell cycle and the downregulation of anti-proliferative genes, especially ones affecting the G1/S transition via ERα signaling. These collective results confirm the carcinogenicity of these EDCs in vitro. Further studies are required to determine whether EDCs promote carcinogenesis in vivo.

Cell growth of BG-1 ovarian cancer cells is promoted by di-n-butyl phthalate and hexabromocyclododecane via upregulation of the cyclin D and cyclin-dependent kinase-4 genes.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are environmentally persistent exogenous compounds released from various industrial products such as plastics, pesticides, drugs, detergents and cosmetics. They can cause a variety of adverse effects to the reproductive, developmental, immune and nervous systems in humans and wildlife. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) is the main compound of phthalates and is reported to inhibit estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated gene expression and to interfere with normal fetal development of the male reproductive system. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD or HBCDD) is one of the brominated flame retardants (BFRs) which have been widely used in plastic, electronic and textile applications and are known to cause endocrine disruption with toxicity of the nervous system. In the present study, the estrogenic effects of DBP and HBCD were examined in an ovarian cancer cell line, BG-1, expressing high levels of ER via MTT assay and semi-quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. Treatment with DBP (10(-8)-10(-5) M) or HBCD (2 x 10(-8) -2 x 10(-6) M) resulted in increased cell proliferation of BG-1 cells as observed with 17-ß estradiol (E2). In addition, both DBP and HBCD upregulated the expression levels of cell cycle-regulatory genes, such as cyclin D and cyclin-dependent kinase-4 (cdk-4), which are downstream target genes of ER, at 6 h after treatment. However, the expression of the p21 gene was not altered by DBP or HBCD at any time as with E2. Taken together, these results suggest that DBP and HBCD are EDCs which have apparent estrogenic activities by stimulating the cell proliferation of BG-1 cells and by inducing the expression of cyclin D and cdk-4. Our results suggest that DBP and HBCD have sufficient potency to disrupt the endocrine system and to stimulate cell growth in ER-positive cancer cells.

Isolation, screening and identification of Swine gut microbiota with ochratoxin a biodegradation ability.

The potential for ochratoxin A (OTA) degradation by swine intestinal microbiota was assessed in the current study. Intestinal content that was collected aseptically from swine was spiked with 100 ppb OTA and incubated for 6 and 12 h at 39°C. An OTA assay was conducted using the incubated samples, and it was found that 20% of the OTA toxin was detoxified, indicating the presence of microbes capable of OTA degradation. Twenty-eight bacterial species were isolated anaerobically in M 98-5 media and 45 bacterial species were isolated using nutrient broth aerobically. Screening results showed that one anaerobic bacterial isolate, named MM11, detoxified more than 75% of OTA in liquid media. Furthermore, 1.0 ppm OTA was degraded completely after 24 h incubation on a solid 'corn' substrate. The bacterium was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as having 97% sequence similarity with Eubacterium biforme. The isolation of an OTA-degrading bacterium from the swine natural flora is of great importance for OTA biodegradation and may be a valuable potential source for OTA-degradation enzymes in industrial applications.