Short term effect of tetrahydrocurcumin on adipose angiogenesis in very high-fat diet-induced obesity mouse model.

Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) has been shown to possess anti-angiogenic activities. This study aims to investigate the effects of THC on adipose angiogenesis and expression of angiogenic factors that occurs in 60% high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Male ICR mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: mice fed with a low-fat diet (LFD group); mice fed with very high fat diet (VHFD group), and mice fed with VHFD supplemented with THC (300 mg/kg/day orally) (VHFD+THC treated group) for 6 weeks. Body weight (BW), food intake, fasting blood sugar (FBS), lipid profiles and visceral fats weight (VF) were measured. The microvascular density (MVD), TNF-α, VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9 expressions were evaluated. The VHFD group had significantly increased total cholesterol, triglyceride, food intake, BW, VF, VF/BW ratio, adipocyte size and the number of crown-liked structures as compared to LFD group. THC supplementation markedly reduced these parameters and adipocyte hypertrophy and inflammation in white adipose tissues. MVD, TNF-α, VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were over-expressed in the VHFD group. However, THC supplementation decreased MVD and reduced expression of TNF-α, VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9. In conclusion, THC suppressed angiogenesis in adipose tissue by the downregulation of TNF-α, VEGF, MMP-2, and MMP-9. With its effects on lipid metabolism as well as on food consumption, THC could contribute to lower visceral fat and body weight. Overall, our study demonstrated the potential benefit of THC in mitigating obesity and associated metabolic disorders along with elucidated the suppression of adipose angiogenesis as one of its underlying mechanisms.

Experience of online physiology laboratory teaching for undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional face-to-face human physiology teaching for students at the Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Thailand since February 2020. An online curriculum for both lectures and laboratory sessions was developed to continue the education. This work compared the effectiveness of online physiology labs to the traditional onsite counterparts for 120 dental and pharmacy sophomore students during the 2020 academic year. The method used was a Microsoft Teams synchronous online laboratory experience consisting of eight topics. Faculty lab facilitators created protocols, video scripts, online assignments, and instruction notes. Group lab instructors prepared and delivered the content for recording and led the student discussion. Data recording and live discussion were synchronized and executed. The response rates for the control (2019) and study (2020) groups were 36.89 and 60.83%, respectively. The control group reported higher satisfaction about general laboratory experience, compared to the online study group. The online group rated the laboratory online experience with equal satisfaction to that of an onsite lab experience. The onsite control group reported 55.26% satisfaction with the equipment instrument, while only 32.88% online group voiced their approval of this measure. It was understandable because the excitement in physiology work relies heavily on the experience of the work (P < 0.027). With the same difficulty index for both academic year examination papers, the nonsignificant difference in academic performance of the control and study groups (59.50 ± 13.50 and 62.40 ± 11.43, respectively) showed the effectiveness of our online synchronous physiology lab teaching. In conclusion, the online physiology learning experience was appreciated when a good design was achieved.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The COVID-19 pandemic has forced physiology educators to use online teaching. At the time of this work, there was no research investigating the effectiveness of online and face-to-face physiology lab teaching in undergraduate students. A synchronized online lab teaching of a virtual lab classroom on the Microsoft Teams platform was successfully implemented. Our data showed that online physiology lab teaching could make the students understand physiology concepts and have the same effectiveness as the onsite lab experience.

Anti-Obesity Effect of Rice Bran Extract on High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

Obesity involving adipose tissue growth and development are associated with angiogenesis and extracellular matrix remodeling. Rice bran has antioxidant and cardioprotective properties, and can act as a food supplement with potential health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. Therefore, we hypothesized that rice bran extract (RBE) can regulate adipose tissue growth and obesity. Male Institute of Cancer Research mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks and then supplemented with 220 and 1,100 mg/kg/d RBE while the low-fat diet group (control) were not. In addition to body weight, adipose tissue mass, and vessel density, we evaluated the mRNA expression of angiogenic factors such as matrix metalloproteinases, Mmp-2, Mmp-9, and the vascular endothelial growth factor (Vegf) in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Administration of RBE to HFD-induced obese mice reduced the body weight and adipose tissue mass compared with untreated mice. It also decreased blood vessel density in the adipose tissue. Furthermore, RBE downregulated Vegf and Mmp-2 mRNA levels in visceral fat tissue. These results demonstrate that RBE, at high concentrations, significantly reduces adipose tissue mass and prevents obesity development in HFD-induced obese mice, which might be partly mediated via an anti-angiogenic mechanism.

The Effect of Rice Bran Extract on Arterial Blood Pressure, Hepatic Steatosis, and Inflammation in Mice Fed with a High-Fat Diet.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation and hypertension are primary mechanisms involving in obesity-associated adverse effects of a high-fat diet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of rice bran extract (RBE) on arterial blood pressure, hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. METHODS: Male ICR mice were divided into four groups, including a normal-diet control group, a high-fat diet (HFD) (60% kcal from fat) group, an HFD group treated with RBE (220 mg/kg/day), and an HFD group treated with 1100 mg/kg/day for eight weeks. Besides body weight and arterial blood pressure, we determined liver values of total cholesterol, triglyceride, as well as percent body fat, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), malondialdehyde (MDA), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and mRNA endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). RESULTS: The HFD group had increased body weight, increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, liver total cholesterol, triglyceride, NF-κB, COX-2 and MMP-9 protein levels, and decreased mRNA eNOS in the aorta. Mice of the HFD group receiving RBE had reduced diastolic blood pressure, as well as significantly decreased liver and serum TNF-α and MDA levels in the liver, and reduced NF-κB levels in both the liver and heart. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that RBE decreases diastolic blood pressure, the liver lipid droplet accumulation, liver and myocardial NF-κB, myocardial COX-2 and MMP-9 protein levels, and oxidative stress. Moreover, RBE may improve endothelial function and may alleviate adverse health effects associated with obesity including obesity-associated hypertension.

Corrigendum to "The Effect of Rice Bran Extract on Arterial Blood Pressure, Hepatic Steatosis, and Inflammation in Mice Fed with a High-Fat Diet".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/8374287.].

Parvalbumin promoter hypermethylation in postmortem brain in schizophrenia.

Deficits of brain parvalbumin (PV) are a consistent finding in schizophrenia and models of psychosis. We investigated whether this is associated with abnormal PV gene (PVALB) methylation in the brain in schizophrenia. Bisulfite pyrosequencing was used to determine cytosine (CpG) methylation in a PVALB promoter sequence. Greater PVALB methylation was found in schizophrenia hippocampus, while no differences were observed in prefrontal cortex. LINE-1 methylation, a measure of global methylation, was also elevated in both regions in schizophrenia, although the PVALB change was independent of this effect. These results provide the first evidence that PVALB promoter methylation is abnormal in schizophrenia and suggest that this epigenetic finding may relate to the reduction of PV expression seen in the disease.

Subchronic administration of phencyclidine produces hypermethylation in the parvalbumin gene promoter in rat brain.

AIM: A deficit in parvalbumin neurons is found in schizophrenia and several animal models of the disease. In this preliminary study, we determined whether one such model, phencyclidine (PCP) administration, results in changes in DNA methylation in the rat Pvalb promoter. MATERIALS & METHODS: DNA from hippocampus and prefrontal cortex from rats, which 6 weeks previously received either 2 mg/kg PCP or vehicle for 7 days, underwent bisulphite pyrosequencing to determine methylation. RESULTS: PCP administration induced significantly greater methylation at one of two Pvalb CpG sites in both prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, while no significant difference was found in long interspersed nucleotide element-1, a global measure of DNA methylation. CONCLUSION: Subchronic PCP administration results in a specific hypermethylation in the Pvalb promoter which may contribute to parvalbumin deficits in this animal model of psychosis.

Losartan and Sodium Nitroprusside Effectively Protect against Renal Impairments after Ischemia and Reperfusion in Rats.

Ischemia and subsequent reperfusion are known to impair renal function. We examined several agents that might prevent renal impairment or enhance the recovery of renal function after ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Different degrees of preventive effects were observed in rats treated with captopril, BQ-123 (endothelin type A receptor antagonist), sodium nitroprusside (SNP, a nitric oxide donor), and losartan (angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist). Only minimal changes in renal morphology were observed after treatment with losartan, SNP, captopril, and BQ-123 compared with control animals. On the other hand, lesions were prominent in the N(G)-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME)- and L-arginine-treated rats. The Na(+)-K(+) ATPase activity of ischemic kidneys was, however, preserved in all treatment groups, except in those treated with L-arginine and L-NAME, which showed a marked reduction in Na(+)-K(+) ATPase activity. Our post-treatment data suggest that losartan and SNP have the greatest potential for therapeutic use to mitigate post-ischemic renal damage and functional impairment.

Scenemulator: an innovative tutor note to facilitate non-specialist tutor in PBL tutorial session.

BACKGROUND: The tutor notes are the principal learning material to assist the non-specialist tutors in facilitating the students in tutorial groups effectively. Objective: This research aimed to study which tutor notes (scenemulators = scene + simulator + tutor notes anda typical one) is best to ensure effectiveness amongst Thammasat University preclinical tutors to facilitate in tutorial sessions. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Three of the scenemulators and one of typical tutor notes were formed based on the endocrinologist and endocrine block committees. After completion of each scenario over 3 consecutive years, twenty-two items with a five- rating scale questionnaire were co-operated to be completed by preclinical tutors at the Faculty ofMedicine, Thammasat University (n = 21-22/year). Thirteen and six were the topics efficiency and the comparative satisfaction, respectively. The last three were the tutor notes most needed by the tutors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean + SD) andANOVA. RESULTS: From the 85%-response data, mean scores (M) on the topics efficiency on scenemulators and the regular tutor notes were above 4.5 and 3, respectively. Noticeably, the more preferable tutor notes were scenemulator (p-value <0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the potential ofscenemulators in filling up uncertain significant matters and its effective use as a tool to assist non-specialist PBL tutors.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C/T polymorphism is associated with antipsychotic-induced weight gain in first-episode schizophrenia.

Genetic variants of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene involved in homocysteine metabolism may be important predictors of antipsychotic drug-induced weight gain (AIWG). We tested whether two functional MTHFR polymorphisms are related to AIWG. Weight gain was studied in two cohorts of first-episode, initially drug-naive schizophrenia patients; Chinese Han (n = 182) and Spanish Caucasians (n = 72) receiving antipsychotics for 10 wk and 3 months respectively. Blood DNA was genotyped for 677C/T and 1298A/C MTHFR polymorphisms. Patients with the 677 CC genotype had a significantly greater increase in BMI compared to T-allele carriers in both Chinese (p = 0.012) and Spanish (p = 0.017) samples. The 677C/T MTHFR polymorphism showed an additive effect, but no significant interaction, with the -759C/T HTR2C polymorphism previously associated with AIWG. These results suggest that the 677C/T MTHFR polymorphism might, along with the -759C/T HTR2C polymorphism and other genetic factors, provide a useful marker for the important and limiting side effect of AIWG.

Methylation at a transcription factor-binding site on the 5-HT1A receptor gene correlates with negative symptom treatment response in first episode schizophrenia.

Individual variability and inadequate response of negative symptoms are major limitations of antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia. A functional polymorphism, rs6295, in the 5-HT1A-receptor gene (HTR1A) contributes to this variability in negative symptom response. The DNA sequence containing rs6295 is rich in cytosine methylation (CpG) sites; CpG methylation is an epigenetic factor that, like rs6295, can modify transcriptional control. To investigate whether DNA methylation influences response to antipsychotic treatment, we determined methylation at CpG sites close to rs6295 in DNA from 82 Chinese subjects with a first psychotic episode. Methylation of one CpG site within a recognition sequence for HES transcriptional repressors was found to correlate with changes in total PANSS score (p = 0.006) and negative factor sub-score (p < 0.001) following 10 wk initial antipsychotic treatment, as well as with baseline negative factor score (p = 0.019); the effect on symptom change remained after correction for this baseline score. An effect of rs6295 on negative symptom response was not seen in this sample, which may not have provided sufficient power for the pharmacogenetic association. These preliminary results indicate that epigenetic modification of transcriptional regulation by specific cytosine methylation may modulate HTR1A expression, resulting in effects on emotional dysfunction and negative symptom response to antipsychotic treatment.

Phenolic and flavonoid contents of Thai rice extracts and their correlation with antioxidant activities using chemical and cell assays.

BACKGROUND: Free radicals induce oxidative stress in various cell components, leading to certain diseases. Plant-derived antioxidants have become a profitable alternative to prevent oxidative stress in cells due to adverse effects of some synthetic antioxidants. OBJECTIVE: To determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and to evaluate the correlation between these two compounds and their antioxidant properties in the ethanolic extracts of brown rice and rice bran from Thai rice cultivars: Sangyod red rice and Dawk Mali 105 white rice using the chemical and cell assays. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Total phenolic and flavonoid contents in all of the rice ethanolic extracts were determined using the colorimetric assays, as well as their antioxidant activity was analyzed through two chemical assays: DPPH radical-scavenging and inhibition of lipid peroxidation assays, as well as through a cell-based assay: scavenging capacity against intracellular superoxide in cells using DCF. RESULTS: All the rice extracts displayed their antioxidant activities in a dose dependent manner through different assays, which were expressed as EC50 values. The DPPH scavenging assay revealed very high scavenging activity in both Sangyod brown rice and rice bran extracts. Positive correlations between this activity and total phenolic and flavonoid contents suggest the major free radical scavenging activity of such compounds. In contrast, the ethanolic extract of Sangyod rice bran exhibited non-significant anti-lipid peroxidation activity relative to that of Sangyod brown rice and Dawk Mali 105 rice bran. Phenolic content was correlated to some extent with anti-lipid peroxidation activity, whereas flavonoid content and such activity showed a relatively weak correlation. Importantly, the cell-based assay also detected potent scavenging activity against superoxide production in HL-60 cells pretreated with Sangyod extracts. The content of phenolics was a major contributor to this scavenging activity including that of flavonoids but to a lesser extent. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that ethanolic extracts of brown rice and rice bran of Sangyod red rice can be promising sources of potential natural antioxidants.

Determination of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities in water extracts of Thai red and white rice cultivars.

BACKGROUND: Free radical-induced oxidative stress damages cellular components leading to many human diseases. Plant-derived antioxidant compounds have become a profitable alternative to prevent oxidative stress in cells. OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare total phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as antioxidant activity using both chemical and cell assays in the water extracts of brown rice and rice bran from two Thai rice cultivars: Sangyod, a red pigmented rice typically grown in Southern Thailand and Dawk Mali 105, a commercial white-colored rice. MATERIAL AND METHOD: All the rice water extracts were analyzed for their total phenolic and flavonoid contents using the colorimetric assays, as well as for their antioxidant activity through two chemical assays: DPPH radical-scavenging and inhibition of lipid peroxidation assays, as well as through cell-based assays: scavenging capacity of intracellular ROS in HL60 cells using the fluorescent DCF and the NBT reduction. RESULTS: The two chemical assays detected free radical scavenging and free radical chain breaking activities in all the rice extracts with EC50 values ranging from 26 to 357 microg/ml. Moreover, the cell-based assays detected ROS scavenging activities of these extracts with EC50 values in the range of 0.6-5 mg/ml. All these assays indicated that the water extracts of Sangyod exerted significantly higher antioxidant activity than those of Dawk Mali 105, which exhibited only moderate to low activity. Furthermore, high levels of antioxidant activity of the water extracts of Sangyod were closely correlated to their flavonoid and phenolic contents, which were approximately 2.5 and 3 times higher, respectively, than those of Dawk Mali 105. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that water extracts from colored brown rice or colored rice bran can be promising sources of potential natural antioxidants.