Regional prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, Korea

Background/AimsThe prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Korea has increased recently. The aim of the present study was to determine the regional differences in the prevalence and characteristics of NAFLD.MethodsFrom January 2009 to December 2010, 161,891 Seoul and Gyeonggi-do residents receiving a health examination at our institution were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. After applying exclusion criteria, the data of 141,610 subjects (80,943 males, 60,667 females) were analyzed. The presence of NAFLD was established by ultrasound examination.ResultsThe overall prevalence of NAFLD was 27.3% (38.3% in men, 12.6% in women). When standardized according to age, area, and sex, the prevalence of NAFLD was 25.2%. The age and area standardized prevalence of NAFLD was higher for men (34.4%) than for women (12.2%; P<0.001). The overall prevalence of NAFLD was higher in Gyeonggi-do (27.7%) than in Seoul (26.9%; P<0.001). Among the men, the prevalence of NAFLD was higher in Gyeonggi-do (39.2%) than in Seoul (37.4%; P<0.001), while for the women it was higher in Seoul (13.2%) than in Gyeonggi-do (12.0%; P<0.001).ConclusionsThe regional prevalence of NAFLD differed between Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. Further studies are needed to establish the etiology of this difference

Comparison of the outcomes between sorafenib and lenvatinib as the first-line systemic treatment for HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis

In a randomized controlled trial, lenvatinib was non-inferior to sorafenib in overall survival (OS) of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). This study aimed to compare the effects of sorafenib and lenvatinib as first-line systemic therapy against uHCC with real-world data in chronic hepatitis B patients. This retrospective single-center study involved 132 patients with HBV-related uHCC. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance the baseline characteristics, including age, sex, serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, Child–Pugh class, tumor size, and tumor stage. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression (TTP), and tumor response. After PSM, the final analysis included 44 patients treated with lenvatinib and 88 with sorafenib. The OS (7.0 vs 9.2months, p = 0.070) and PFS (4.6 vs 2.4months, p = 0.134) were comparable between the two drugs. Multivariable analysis showed that lenvatinib and sorafenib were not independent prognostic factors of OS (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.41, 95% confidence interval = 0.96–2.08, p = 0.077) after adjustment for baseline alpha-fetoprotein levels, total bilirubin levels, alanine aminotransferase level, performance status, tumor stage, and tumor size. However, the lenvatinib group had a significantly prolonged TTP (5.2 vs 2.5months, p = 0.018) and a higher objective response rate (18.2% vs 4.5%, p = 0.020) and disease control rate (77.3% vs 47.7%, p = 0.001) than the sorafenib group. Our study demonstrated that lenvatinib had a comparable OS and PFS but longer TTP and better tumor response compared to sorafenib in patients with HBV-related uHCC

SRD1 is involved in the auxin-mediated initial thickening growth of storage root by enhancing proliferation of metaxylem and cambium cells in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas)

A sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas cv. ‘Jinhongmi’) MADS-box protein cDNA (SRD1) has been isolated from an early stage storage root cDNA library. The role of the SRD1 gene in the formation of the storage root in sweetpotato was investigated by an expression pattern analysis and characterization of SRD1-overexpressing (ox) transgenic sweetpotato plants. Transcripts of SRD1 were detected only in root tissues, with the fibrous root having low levels of the transcript and the young storage root showing relatively higher transcript levels. SRD1 mRNA was mainly found in the actively dividing cells, including the vascular and cambium cells of the young storage root. The transcript level of SRD1 in the fibrous roots increased in response to 1000 μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) applied exogenously. During the early stage of storage root development, the endogenous IAA content and SRD1 transcript level increased concomitantly, suggesting an involvement of SRD1 during the early stage of the auxin-dependent development of the storage root. SRD1-ox sweetpotato plants cultured in vitro produced thicker and shorter fibrous roots than wild-type plants. The metaxylem and cambium cells of the fibrous roots of SRD1-ox plants showed markedly enhanced proliferation, resulting in the fibrous roots of these plants showing an earlier thickening growth than those of wild-type plants. Taken together, these results demonstrate that SRD1 plays a role in the formation of storage roots by activating the proliferation of cambium and metaxylem cells to induce the initial thickening growth of storage roots in an auxin-dependent manner

Assessment of Flood Frequency Alteration by Dam Construction via SWAT Simulation

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impacts of the upstream Soyanggang and Chungju multi-purpose dams on the frequency of downstream floods in the Han River basin, South Korea. A continuous hydrological model, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), was used to individually simulate regulated and unregulated daily streamflows entering the Paldang Dam, which is located at the outlet of the basin of interest. The simulation of the regulated flows by the Soyanggang and Chungju dams was calibrated with observed inflow data to the Paldang Dam. The estimated daily flood peaks were used for a frequency analysis, using the extreme Type-I distribution, for which the parameters were estimated via the L-moment method. This novel approach was applied to the study area to assess the effects of the dams on downstream floods. From the results, the two upstream dams were found to be able to reduce downstream floods by approximately 31% compared to naturally occurring floods without dam regulation. Furthermore, an approach to estimate the flood frequency based on the hourly extreme peak flow data, obtained by combining SWAT simulation and Sangal’s method, was proposed and then verified by comparison with the observation-based results. The increased percentage of floods estimated with hourly simulated data for the three scenarios of dam regulation ranged from 16.1% to 44.1%. The reduced percentages were a little higher than those for the daily-based flood frequency estimates. The developed approach allowed for better understanding of flood frequency, as influenced by dam regulation on a relatively large watershed scale

Poly-γ-Glutamic Acid Induces Apoptosis via Reduction of COX-2 Expression in TPA-Induced HT-29 Human Colorectal Cancer Cells

Poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA) is one of the bioactive compounds found in cheonggukjang, a fast-fermented soybean paste widely utilized in Korean cooking. PGA is reported to have a number of beneficial health effects, and interestingly, it has been identified as a possible anti-cancer compound through its ability to promote apoptosis in cancer cells, although the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our findings demonstrate that PGA inhibits the pro-proliferative functions of the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a known chemical carcinogen in HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells. This inhibition was accompanied by hallmark apoptotic phenotypes, including DNA fragmentation and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and caspase 3. In addition, PGA treatment reduced the expression of genes known to be overexpressed in colorectal cancer cells, including cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Lastly, PGA promoted activation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein (AMPK) in HT-29 cells. Taken together, our results suggest that PGA treatment enhances apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells, in part by modulating the activity of the COX-2 and AMPK signaling pathways. These anti-cancer functions of PGA make it a promising compound for future study

The cytochrome d oxidase complex regulated by fexA is an Achilles' heel in the in vivo

ABSTRACTVibrio vulnificus is a halophilic estuarine bacterium causing severe opportunistic infections. To successfully establish an infection, V. vulnificus must adapt to redox fluctuations in vivo. In the present study, we show that deletion of V. vulnificus fexA gene caused hypersensitivity to acid and reactive oxygen species. The ΔfexA mutant exhibited severe in vivo survival defects. For deeper understanding the role of fexA gene on the successful V. vulnificus infection, we analyzed differentially expressed genes in ΔfexA mutant in comparison with wild type under aerobic, anaerobic or in vivo culture conditions by genome-scale DNA microarray analyses. Twenty-two genes were downregulated in the ΔfexA mutant under all three culture conditions. Among them, cydAB appeared to dominantly contribute to the defective phenotypes of the ΔfexA mutant. The fexA deletion induced compensatory point mutations in the cydAB promoter region over subcultures, suggesting essentiality. Those point mutations (PcydSMs) restored bacterial growth, motility, cytotoxicity ATP production and mouse lethality in the ΔfexA mutant. These results indicate that the cydAB operon, being regulated by FexA, plays a crucial role in V. vulnificus survival under redox-fluctuating in vivo conditions. The FexA-CydAB axis should serve an Achilles heel in the development of therapeutic regimens against V. vulnificus infection

More robust gut immune responses induced by combining intranasal and sublingual routes for prime-boost immunization

Norovirus causes acute and debilitating gastroenteritis, characterized by vomiting and diarrhea. We recently reported a recombinant GII. 4 P domain particle (Pd) vaccine adjuvanted with a flagellin, Vibrio vulnificus FlaB, effectively promoting both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. In the previous study, we found that sublingual (SL) immunization induced higher fecal secretory IgA (SIgA) responses while intranasal (IN) route provided higher amplitude of humoral and cellular immune responses in the systemic compartment. We hypothesized that the combination of IN and SL routes should induce more potent and sustained SIgA responses in the gut. In this study, we have tried combinatorial prime-boost immunization employing both IN and SL routes. The IN priming and SL boosting with the Pd+FlaB vaccine enhanced highest SIgA responses in feces, accompanying increased Pd-specific memory B cells and plasma cells in spleen and bone marrow, respectively. Notably, the strongest long-lasting SIgA response in feces was induced by combined IN prime and SL boost vaccination, which was sustained for more than 3 months. Significantly enhanced gut-homing B cell and follicular helper T cell responses in mesenteric lymph nodes (mLNs) were observed in the IN prime and SL boost combination. IN priming was a requisite for the robust induction of Pd-specific IFNγ, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-5 cytokine responses in the systemic immune compartment. Collectively, the IN prime and SL boost combination was the best option for inducing balanced long-lasting immune responses against the norovirus antigen in both enteric and systemic compartments. These results suggest that immune responses in specific mucosal compartments may be programmed by employing different prime-boost immunization routes

Honokiol Improves Liver Steatosis in Ovariectomized Mice

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease, and is associated with the development of metabolic syndrome. Postmenopausal women with estrogen deficiency are at a higher risk of progression to NAFLD. Estrogen has a protective effect against the progression of the disease. Currently, there are no safe and effective treatments for these liver diseases in postmenopausal women. Honokiol (Ho), a bioactive natural product derived from Magnolia spp, has anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-oxidative properties. In our study, we investigated the beneficial effects of Ho on NAFLD in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. We divided the mice into four groups, as follows: SHAM, OVX, OVX+β-estradiol (0.4 mg/kg of bodyweight), and OVX+Ho (50 mg/kg of diet). Mice were fed diets with/without Ho for 12 weeks. The bodyweight, epidermal fat, and weights of liver tissue were lower in the OVX group than in the other groups. Ho improved hepatic steatosis and reduced proinflammatory cytokine levels. Moreover, Ho markedly downregulated plasma lipid levels. Our results indicate that Ho ameliorated OVX-induced fatty liver and inflammation, as well as associated lipid metabolism. These findings suggest that Ho may be hepatoprotective against NAFLD in postmenopausal women