Botropase is a snake venom-based hemocoagulase with thrombin-like activity 1. Despite its clinical use over several decades, its therapeutic effect has been controversial, and no study about ...botropase effect on platelet function has been reported. In this report, we present two cases with markedly decreased platelet function after receiving intravenous botropase, especially one of whom, with end stage renal disease (ESRD), showed a severe bleeding complication. On April 20, 2020, a 59-year-old man (case 1) visited our hospital for spinal stenosis surgery. His past medical history was pertinent, with diabetes diagnosed at the age of 40 and hemodialysis since February 2017. He did not take any antiplatelet medications for several months before the surgery. Initial laboratory findings showed white blood cell count 8.8 × 103 /µL, hemoglobin 10.0 g/dL, hematocrit 29%, platelet count 162 × 103 /µL, blood urea nitrogen 45 mg/dL, creatinine 6.3 mg/dL, glucose 92 mg/dL, prothrombin time 13.4 seconds, protein C activity 97%, protein S activity 78%, von Willebrand factor 150%, antithrombin III 80%, and fibrinogen 116 mg/dL. KCI Citation Count: 0
•Fermented soy bean extract reduced lipid accumulation by suppressing the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes.•Fermented soy bean extract improved glucose utilization by facilitating glucose uptake ...into the adipocytes.•Fermented soy bean extract may have a potential as a functional food ingredient in improving obesity and related metabolic disorders.
Obesity is a serious health problem which may continuously increase the morbidity and mortality associated with a variety of acute and chronic diseases.This study aimed to examine the antiobesity effect of soy bean extract fermented by Bacillus subtilis MORI (BTD-1) and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying such effects using 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Lipid accumulations were significantly inhibited by BTD-1 treatment, which were accompanied by the decreased expression of CCAAT element binding protein α (C/EBPα) and the increased phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) protein expression. In addition, BTD-1 treatment increased the expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) along with significantly increasing glucose uptake into the adipocytes based on results of a 2-deoxy-D-3H glucose uptake assay. Our findings suggest that BTD-1 may suppress the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and greatly facilitate glucose uptake into the adipocytes. Therefore, BTD-1 has a potential as a functional food ingredient in improving obesity and related metabolic disorders.
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are able to efficiently generate high power densities, making the technology potentially attractive for certain mobile and portable applications. ...Since the bipolar plate is a major part of the PEMFC stack both in weight and volume, the bipolar plate should be developed with its weight and thickness in mind.
For this paper, a bipolar plate for automotive fuel cells was developed with carbon fiber composite by compression molding due to the fact that carbon/epoxy composite has not only high electrical and thermal conductivities, but also high specific stiffness and strength. The mechanical and thermo-electrical properties of the developed composite bipolar plate were measured to investigate its suitability for the automotive fuel cell.
► We isolated Bacillus subtilis MORI-fermented soybean extracts (BTD-1). ► BTD-1 decreased the glucose level via the increment of insulin in diabetic rat. ► BTD-1 attenuates the production of ROS via ...the antioxidative activity. ► BTD-1 ameliorates the vascular contraction and relaxation responses in rats aorta.
Most of the available drugs for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) produce detrimental side effects, which has prompted an ongoing search for plant with the antidiabetic potential. The present study investigated the effect of soybean extracts fermented with Bacillus subtilis MORI, fermented soybean extracts (BTD-1) was investigated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The possible effects of BTD-1 against hyperglycemia and free radical-mediated oxidative stress was investigated by assaying the plasma glucose level and the activity of enzymatic antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA). A significant increase in the levels of both plasma glucose and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed in the diabetic rats when compared to normal control group. After administration of BTD-1 (500 and 1000mg/kg/day), the elevated plasma glucose level was significantly reduced while the plasma insulin level and the activities of SOD, GSH-Px, CAT and MDA were significantly increased. The results suggest that administration of BTD-1 can inhibit hyperglycemia and free radical-mediated oxidative stress. The administration of BTD-1 also inhibited the contractile response by norepinephrine (10−10–10−5M) in the presence of endothelium, and caused significant relaxation by carbachol (10−8–10−5M) in rat aorta. These findings indicate that BTD-1 improves vascular functions on STZ-induced diabetic rats. Therefore, subchronic administration of BTD-1 could prevent the functional changes in vascular reactivity in STZ-induced diabetic rats. The collective findings support that administration of BTD-1 may prevent some diabetes-related changes in vascular reactivity directly and/or indirectly due to its hypoglycaemic effect and inhibition of production of ROS.
Antioxidants with antimelanogenic activity are potentially useful for the attenuation of skin hyperpigmentation disorders. In a previous study, luteolin 7-sulfate isolated from
Makino, a marine ...plant, was shown to inhibit cellular melanin synthesis. The aim of the present study was to examine its action mechanism, focusing on the regulation of tyrosinase (TYR) expression in cells. Cell-based assay was undertaken using murine melanoma B16-F10 cells and primary human epidermal melanocytes (HEMs). Luteolin 7-sulfate showed lower toxicity compared to luteolin in B16-F10 cells. At the non-toxic concentration ranges, luteolin 7-sulfate attenuated melanin synthesis, stimulated by α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone or forskolin. Luteolin 7-sulfate attenuated forskolin-induced microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and TYR expressions at the mRNA and protein levels in B16-F10 cells. It also attenuated the phosphorylation of cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) stimulated by forskolin. Luteolin 7-sulfate also attenuated melanin synthesis in primary HEMs. This study demonstrates that luteolin 7-sulfate attenuates TYR gene expression through the intervention of a CREB- and MITF-mediated signaling pathway, leading to the decreased melanin synthesis.
Abstract A natural recombinant nephropathogenic K40/09 strain of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was heat-adapted for possible future use as live attenuated vaccine. The K40/09 strain was selected ...during successive serial passages in specific-pathogen free (SPF) embryonated eggs at sub-optimal higher temperature (56 °C). Unlike the parental strain, the attenuated strain, designated K40/09 HP50, was found to be safe in 1-day-old SPF chicks, which showed neither mortality nor signs of morbidity, and rarely induced ciliostasis or histological changes in the trachea and kidney after intraocular and fine-spray administration. K40/09 HP50 provided almost complete protection against two distinct subgroups of a nephropathogenic strain (KM91-like and QX-like subgroup) and elicited the production of high titers of neutralizing antibody (neutralization index of 3.6). We conclude that the K40/09 HP50 vaccine virus is rapidly attenuated by heat adaptation and exhibits the desired level of attenuation, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy required for a live attenuated vaccine. These results indicate that the K40/09 vaccine could be helpful for the reduction of economic losses caused by recently emergent nephropathogenic IBV infection in many countries.
Purpose
This study compared the factors associated with the utilization of mental health services across various age cohorts, with a particular focus on the differential influence of the stigma ...placed on mental illness on the use of these services.
Methods
The present study used data from a Korean national epidemiological survey of mental disorders among community-dwelling adults aged 18–74 years (
n
= 3,055). The subjects were categorized into three age groups: young (18–39), middle-aged (40–59), and late adulthood (60–74). The Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination scale was used to assess the stigma placed on mental disorders in each group. The influence of perceived stigma on lifetime utilization of mental health services was examined according to age cohort using multiple logistic regression analyses that were adjusted for various sociodemographic factors (
p
< 0.006 with a Bonferroni correction).
Results
The late-adulthood cohort was more likely to have perceived stigma of mental illness than were the other two groups, and the utilization of mental health services by the elderly cohort was more strongly affected by this perceived stigma than was such utilization by younger cohorts adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 4.14, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.86–9.22. In the middle-aged cohort, being female or never being married was a significant determinant of use of mental health services (female, AOR 3.80, 95 % CI 2.17–6.65; unmarried, AOR 3.09, 95 % CI 1.43–6.70).
Conclusion
It is important to reduce the perceived stigma placed on mental illness to improve access to mental health care among the current population of elderly people in Korea.
A hypoxic-preconditioned secretome from stem cells reportedly promotes the functional and regenerative capacity of the liver more effectively than a control secretome. However, the optimum oxygen ...partial pressure (pO
) in the cell culture system that maximizes the therapeutic potential of the secretome has not yet been determined.
We first determined the cellular alterations in adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) cultured under different pO
(21%, 10%, 5%, and 1%). Subsequently, partially hepatectomized mice were injected with the secretome of ASCs cultured under different pO
, and then sera and liver specimens were obtained for analyses.
Of all AML12 cells cultured under different pO
, the AML12 cells cultured under 1% pO
showed the highest mRNA expression of proliferation-associated markers (IL-6, HGF, and VEGF). In the cell proliferation assay, the AML12 cells cultured with the secretome of 1% pO
showed the highest cell proliferation, followed by the cells cultured with the secretome of 21%, 10%, and 5% pO
, in that order. When injected into the partially hepatectomized mice, the 1% pO
secretome most significantly increased the number of Ki67-positive cells, reduced serum levels of proinflammatory mediators (IL-6 and TNF-α), and reduced serum levels of liver transaminases. In addition, analysis of the liver specimens indicated that injection with the 1% pO
secretome maximized the expression of the intermediate molecules of the PIP3/Akt and IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathways, all of which are known to promote liver regeneration.
The data of this study suggest that the secretome of ASCs cultured under 1% pO
has the highest liver reparative and regenerative potential of all the secretomes tested here.
Objective
To compare the clinical effectiveness of two treatment strategies for active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs ...(csDMARDs): starting TNF inhibitors (TNFIs) or changing csDMARDs.
Methods
We used two nationwide Korean RA registries for patient selection. TNFI users were selected from the BIOPSY, which is an inception cohort of RA patients starting biologic DMARDs. As a control group, we selected RA patients with moderate or high disease activity from the KORONA database whose treatment was changed to other csDMARDs. After comparing baseline characteristics between the two groups in either unmatched or propensity score matched cohorts, we compared potential differences in the 1-year remission rate as a primary outcome and changes in HAQ-DI and EQ-5D scores as secondary outcomes.
Results
A total of 356 TNFI starters and 586 csDMARD changers were identified from each registry as unmatched cohorts, and 294 patients were included in the propensity score matched cohort. In the intention-to-treat analysis, TNFI starters had higher 1-year remission rates than csDMARD changers in both unmatched (19.1 vs. 18.4%,
p
< 0.01) and matched cohorts (19.7 vs. 15.0%,
p
< 0.01). In per protocol analysis, TNFI starters had much higher remission rates in unmatched (37.2 vs. 28.0%,
p
= 0.04) and matched cohorts (35.4 vs. 19.1%,
p
= 0.04). However, in matched cohorts, no significant differences were observed between two groups in HAQ-DI and EQ-5D scores.
Conclusions
We compared the clinical effectiveness of the two treatment strategies for active RA refractory to csDMARDs. TNFI starters showed higher 1-year remission rates than csDMARD changers.
PDF
