Short communication: Hypolipidemic and antiinflammatory effects of fermented Maillard reaction products by Lactobacillus fermentum H9 in an animal model.

This study examined the effects of Maillard reaction products reacted by casein and lactose (cMRP) and of cMRP fermented by Lactobacillus fermentum H9 (F-cMRP) on hypolipidemic and antiinflammatory effects in rats fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HD). The HD-fed rats had significantly increased hepatic triglyceride concentrations compared with the rats fed a normal diet. It was shown that treatment with simvastatin, L. fermentum H9 (H9), cMRP, and F-cMRP decreased total triglycerides in the liver compared with the HD group. On histological analysis, a reduction of lipid accumulation in the liver and aortic tissues was observed in the cMRP, F-cMRP, and H9-fed rats. Also, F-cMRP and cMRP reduced intima-media thickness in the HD group. In addition, the H9, cMRP, and F-cMRP treatments significantly reduced the expression levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, but not of MCP-1. In particular, the expressions of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were significantly decreased in the F-cMRP group compared with the HD group. These results of the present study suggest that cMRP and F-cMRP in dairy foods could potentially be used to prevent or treat cardiovascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis.

Synbiotic impact of tagatose on viability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG mediated by the phosphotransferase system (PTS).

Synbiotics, the combination of prebiotics and probiotics, has been shown to produce synergistic effects that promote gastrointestinal well-being of host. Tagatose is a low calorie food ingredient with putative health-promoting benefits. Herein, we investigated its synbiotic impact on the viability of Lactobacillus casei 01 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG and the potential mechanism involved. Tagatose, as a synbiotic substrate, enhanced the growth of L. casei 01 and L. rhamnosus strain GG compared to other prebiotics. Other gut-indigenous such as Clostridium spp. readily utilized fructooligosaccharide (FOS), the most widely used functional prebiotics, but not tagatose. Additionally, tagatose enhanced probiotic functions of L. casei 01 and L. rhamnosus strain GG by reinforcing their attachment on HT-29 intestine epithelial cells and enhancing their cholesterol-lowering activities. Whole transcriptome study and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) test showed that the presence of tagatose in L. rhamnosus strain GG caused induction of a large number of genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism including the phosphotransferase system (PTS). Collectively, these results indicate the tagatose enhanced the growth of L. casei 01 and L. rhamnosus strain GG and their probiotic activities by activating tagatose-associated PTS networks. Importantly, this study highlights the potential application of tagatose and L. casei 01 and/or L. rhamnosus strain GG as a synbiotic partner in functional dairy foods (i.e. yogurt and cheese) and therapeutic dietary supplements.

Surgical ligation of A Large Mastoid Emissary Vein in A Patient Complaining of Pulsatile Tinnitus.

Pulsatile tinnitus is an uncommon symptom characterized by a perceived sound pulsing like a heartbeat. Here, we report an unusual case of a patient with unilateral pulsatile tinnitus caused by a large, prominent mastoid emissary vein (MEV). A 45-year-old woman presented at our hospital with pulsatile tinnitus. She had persistent tinnitus for 20 years, and her symptoms had worsened in the previous 2 years. She said that she perceived a sound pulsing like a heartbeat. She had some hearing impairment in both the ears for a long time owing to long-term otitis media. The temporal bone computed tomography scan showed a large right jugular bulb, and there was a large MEV canal draining into the right sigmoid sinus. Therefore, we decided to perform a large MEV ligation with the planned right tympanoplasty. On follow-up, the patient's pulsatile tinnitus improved completely. According to reviews, this is the first reported case of surgical ligation of a large MEV as a treatment for pulsatile tinnitus; therefore, we report this case with a brief literature review.

Is septal deviation associated with headache?: A nationwide 10-year follow-up cohort study.

To investigate the potential relationship between septal deviation (SD) and headache using nationwide representative cohort sample data.This study used a nationwide cohort sample from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. The cohort sample was composed of 1 million patients, which is obtained by propensity score matching from 2002 to 2013. There were 9171 individuals in the SD group and 28243 in the control or no SD group. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were used to calculate the incidence, survival curve, and hazard ratio of headache for each group.There were no statistically significant differences in sex (P = .7708), age (P = .991), residential area (P = .9626), or socioeconomic status (P = .9982) between the 2 groups. The survival curve between SD and control or no SD showed a statistically significant difference. The adjusted hazard ratio for headache incidence during the 10-year follow-up period of the SD group was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.31-1.43).This cohort study suggests that SD is associated with headache. Therefore, these findings suggest that septoplasty can be considered as 1 of the treatment option in SD patients with headache.

The Synergic Anti-inflammatory Impact of Gleditsia sinensis Lam. and Lactobacillus brevis KY21 on Intestinal Epithelial Cells in a DSS-induced Colitis Model.

We investigated the synergic anti-inflammatory activity of Gleditsia sinensis Lam. (GS) extract and Lactobacillus brevis KY21 both in vitro and in vivo. Western blot analysis and immunostaining showed that AKT phosphorylation that increased by the exposure of LPS were significantly decreased by the presence of either GS extract or L. brevis KY21. In addition, p65 intracellular transport was critically inhibited by GS extract and L. brevis KY21. We further studied these effects using an in vivo dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse model. Body weight, food intake, and clinical scores were dramatically decreased after treatment with DSS, whereas these effects were palliated by the addition of GS extract and L. brevis KY21. Importantly, transcription of genes encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and the spleen were increased by DSS treatment, whereas they were inhibited by the presence of GS extract and L. brevis KY21.