Blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum L.) have various benefits for human health. In particular, a polysaccharide derived from blackcurrant was found to be an immunostimulating food ingredient in a mouse ...model. We named a polysaccharide derived from blackcurrant cassis polysaccharide (CAPS). In a previous clinical study, we reported that CAPS affects skin dehydration, demonstrating its effectiveness against skin inflammation was related to atopic dermatitis; skin inflammation caused skin dehydration. However, there are no studies regarding CAPS effectiveness against skin dehydration. The current study aimed to investigate CAPS effectiveness against skin dehydration. We further demonstrate the effect of oral administration of CAPS on skin dehydration caused by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced inflammation in mice. We found that CAPS administration suppresses skin dehydration caused by UV irradiation. We also found that CAPS decreases interleukin-6 and matrix metalloproteinase transcription levels in the mouse skin. These results show that CAPS improves skin hydration in UV-irradiated mice.
Black currant (Ribes nigrum) has various beneficial properties for human health. In particular, polysaccharide from black currant was found to be an immunostimulating food ingredient and was reported ...to have antitumor activity in a mouse model. We named it cassis polysaccharide (CAPS). In a previous study, CAPS administration caused tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production in vitro and in vivo, but the immunological mechanism of CAPS was not demonstrated. In this study, we revealed the CAPS immunostimulating mechanism in vitro. First, we found that CAPS activated dendritic cells (DCs). Second, we investigated whether it depends on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation primary response (Myd). We concluded that CAPS stimulates DCs through Myd88 depending TLR4 signaling and activates Th1-type cytokine release.
The transformation of α-acids in hops (Humulus lupulus L.) to iso-α-acids (in beer) during the brewing process is well known, but the occurrence and structure of the oxidized α-acids during hop ...storage are not well documented. Because an understanding of these oxidized compounds is essential to optimize the effects of oxidized hops on the quality of beer, we investigated the autoxidation products of humulone (a representative congener of α-acids) using a simplified autoxidation model. Among the oxidation products, tricyclooxyisohumulones A (1) and B (2), tricycloperoxyisohumulone A (3), deisopropyltricycloisohumulone (4), and the hemiacetal 5 of tricycloperoxyhumulone A (5′) were isolated, and their structures were elucidated for the first time. The occurrence of compounds 1–4 in stored hops was verified using LC/MS/MS analysis. We also monitored the levels of compounds 1–4 during hop storage using LC/MS/MS analysis.
ABSTRACT
Background. Extracellular urease proteins located on the surface of Helicobacter pylori are gastric mucin‐targeted adhesins, which play an important role in infection and colonization to ...the host. In this study we have determined the inhibitory activity of a variety of melanoidins, protein‐derived advanced Maillard reaction products, ubiquitously found in heat‐treated foods, on urease‐gastric mucin adhesion. In addition, we have determined the anticolonization effect of melanoidin I, prepared by the Maillard reaction between casein and lactose, in an animal model and in human subjects infected with this bacterium.
Methods. The inhibitory activity of each compound was determined by a competitive binding assay of labeled gastric mucin to plate‐immobilized urease. Melanoidin I was used in an in vivo trial using euthymic hairless mice as an infection model. Melanoidin I was consumed for 8 weeks by subjects infected with H. pylori. The 13C urease breath test and H. pylori‐specific antigen in the stool (HpSA) test were performed on subjects at week 0 and week 8.
Results. A variety of food protein‐derived melanoidins strongly inhibited urease‐gastric mucin adhesion in the concentration range of 10 µg/ml to 100 µg/ml. In particular, melanoidin I significantly (p < .05) suppressed colonization of H. pylori in mice when given for 10 weeks via the diets. Eight weeks daily intake of 3 g melanoidin I significantly (p < .05) decreased the optical density of HpSA in subjects.
Conclusion. Foods containing protein‐derived melanoidins may be an alternative to antibiotic‐based therapy to prevent H. pylori that combines safety, ease of administration and efficacy.
Clinical resistance to new quinolones had increased in our department and other hospitals and occurred most often among urinary pathogens, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ...Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Morganella morganii. In the Aino and Rosai hospitals in which the resistant strains to new quinolones in urinary tract infections appeared, the administration of all new quinolones was halted for one month and the changes in sensitivity to four new quinolones were studied. As a result, the sensitivity to fluoroquinolones had definitely recovered in many pathogenic bacteria, especially S. aureus, E. coli, C. freundii, K. pneumoniae, S. marcescens, M. morganii and P. aeruginosa. But the MICs of E. faecalis, P. mirabilis and Providencia spp. were unchanged. Further ca reful study of the decrease in resistance to the new quinolones is required.
Laboratory and clinical studies on AT-2266, a new pyridonecarboxylic analogue, were performed and the following results were obtained. 1. Antibacterial activity of AT-2266 Antibacterial activity of ...AT-2266 against respiratory pathogenic isolates from sputum were as follows: 0.20μg/ml against H. influenzae, 0.78μg/ml against P. aeruginosa, 0.39μg/ml against K. pneumoniae and 12.5μg/ml against S. pneumoniae. 2. Concentration of serum and sputum AT-2266 200 mg was given to 3 patients and its concentration was followed up for 24 hours. Peak level of serum was about 3μg/ml at one or two hours, and half time was about 3 hours. The transition of sputum level was in accord with serum level, so it was found that AT-2266 shifted to sputum from serum very easily. When its doseof 200mg was given 3 times a day, the maximum sputum level was 2.8μg/ml and minimum level was 0.28μg/ml. It always continued high sputum level. 3. Clinical effects AT-2266 was given to 22 infectious episodes and clinical effect was found in 18 episodes (81.8%). Especially it was effective for the mild and moderate acute respiratory infectious episodes. 4. Bacteriological effects Bacteriological effects were investigated in 19 infectious episodes. Pathogenic bacteria was completely eradicated in 10 cases (52.6%). Investigating the kind of bacteria, S. among 10 strains of H. influenzae and 3 among 5 strains of P. aeruginosa were eradicated by AT-2266, but not effective for 4 strains of S. pneumoniae.
In this clinical study we tried to find out the clinical significance of positive blood cultures between Jan. 1984 and Dec. 1989 in the Nagasaki Rosai Hospital. In this period the association between ...the isolated bacteria from blood cultures (398 specimens: 17.9%) and clinical background were evaluated. Each year the positive cultures were seen in about 18-20%. The distribution of bacteria showed increase percentage of the gram-positive organisms such as coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. Gram-negative organisms in included P. aeruginosa, A. calcoaceticus and E. coli. A. calcoaceticus was frequently found from the dept. of neurosurgery. Fungus, mostly Candida, was isolated in about 10-20%. The specimens were provided from department of internal medicine (62.9%) and neurosurgery (22.8%) An analysis of 213 episodes of 188 bacteremic cases was made. The onset of bacteremia had two peaks, 24 h or 1 month, after admission. The primary infected sites were the urinary tract (26.7%), respiratory system (14.5%) and central nervous system (6.1%). The central venous catheter was an important infected site. The major underlying diseases included acute cerebrovascular diseases, cardiac failure due to valvular heart diseases or acute myocardial infarction and/or iatrogenic immunocompromised state. The major complications were disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (24.4%) and multiple organ failure (MOF) (8.9%). Half of the DIC episodes was caused by grampositive cocci such as CNS, E. faecalis and MRSA. 68.4% of MOF episodes was associated with gram-negative bacteria. While the remainder was caused by gram-positive cocci including CNS and MRSA. The comparison between the effective group and the poor group of antimicrobial chemoterapy revealed that ixn the poor group E. faecalis, A. calcoaceticus and Candida were major pathogens and the respiratory infection and central venous catheter were also major risk factors of chemotherapy for bacteremia. We recommend minocycline to be included in the combination treatment when we considered infection of the CNS where S. aureus and A. calcoaceticus as a causative organism of bacteremia.
In Japan, we experienced the first case of Hafnia alvei septicemia with shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in an adult with postoperative lung cancer. A 63 year-old male, who had ...been followed up in our department since 1987, was admitted to our hospital with the complaints of fever, hemoptysis and dyspnea on June 25, 1989. After admission, he was treated with sulbactam/cefoperazone 4 g/day intravenously for suspicion of respiratory-tract infection. After antibiotic administration, the fever subsided and the general condition became almost good. The patient experienced fever again after the antibiotic was stopped. For this reason subsequent Clavulanic acid/Amoxicillin, Flomoxef, and Ceftazidime was administered, but was not effective. Therefore septicemia was suspected and blood culture was done. The bacteria isolated from blood culture was identified as Hafnia alvei. Hafnia alvei is a gram-negative organism belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family and quite rare pathogen in human.
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