Food additives: Sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, azorubine, and tartrazine modify the expression of NFκB, GADD45α, and MAPK8 genes

It has been reported that some of the food additives may cause sensitization, inflammation of tissues, and potentially risk factors in the development of several chronic diseases. Thus, we hypothesized that expressions of common inflammatory molecules – known to be involved in the development of various inflammatory conditions and cancers – are affected by these food additives. We investigated the effects of commonly used food preservatives and artificial food colorants based on the expressions of NFκB, GADD45α, and MAPK8 (JNK1) from the tissues of liver. RNA was isolated based on Trizol protocol and the activation levels were compared between the treated and the control groups. Tartrazine alone could elicit effects on the expressions of NFκB (p = 0.013) and MAPK8 (p = 0.022). Azorubine also resulted in apoptosis according to MAPK8 expression (p = 0.009). Preservatives were anti-apoptotic in high dose. Sodium benzoate (from low to high doses) dose-dependently silenced MAPK8 expression (p = 0.004 to p = 0.002). Addition of the two preservatives together elicited significantly greater expression of MAPK8 at half-fold dose (p = 0.002) and at fivefold dose (p = 0.008). This study suggests that some of the food preservatives and colorants can contribute to the activation of inflammatory pathways

Caracterización de argumentos y semánticas de aceptabilidad valuadas

El objetivo general de esta línea de investigación es incrementar la capacidad de representación de los marcos argumentativos, permitiendo representar las características especiales de lo argumentos, y analizar como estas se ven afectadas por las relaciones de soporte, agregación y ataque que se establecen entre los argumentos del modelo. Para ello, añadiremos un meta-nivel de información a los argumentos en la forma de etiquetas extendiendo así sus capacidades de representación, y brindaremos las herramientas necesarias para propagar y combinar las etiquetas asociadas a los argumentos en el dominio de la argumentación. Finalmente, utilizaremos la información proporcionadas por las etiquetas para optimizar el proceso de aceptabilidad de los argumentos, y brindar así resultados más refinados.Eje: Agentes y Sistemas InteligentesRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Caracterización de argumentos y semánticas de aceptabilidad valuadas

El objetivo general de esta línea de investigación es incrementar la capacidad de representación de los marcos argumentativos, permitiendo representar las características especiales de lo argumentos, y analizar como estas se ven afectadas por las relaciones de soporte, agregación y ataque que se establecen entre los argumentos del modelo. Para ello, añadiremos un meta-nivel de información a los argumentos en la forma de etiquetas extendiendo así sus capacidades de representación, y brindaremos las herramientas necesarias para propagar y combinar las etiquetas asociadas a los argumentos en el dominio de la argumentación. Finalmente, utilizaremos la información proporcionadas por las etiquetas para optimizar el proceso de aceptabilidad de los argumentos, y brindar así resultados más refinados.Eje: Agentes y Sistemas InteligentesRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Herbal compounds increased the level of CD34 positive cells in peripheral blood — An experimental work

Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) could contribute to tissue regeneration through the ability to form somatic cells. CD34 positivity is regarded as stem cell (SC) or endothelial progenitor cell (EP) marker. According to literature natural substances could increase the release of CD34 positive (CD34+) cells. In this study we investigated the basic rate of CD34+ cells in peripheral blood of CBA/Ca (H-2k haplotype) and BALB/c inbred mice by flow cytometry. Then we treated the mice with a new mixture of medical herbs, and we measured the level of CD34+ cells at 1, 3, 6, 18 and 24 hours after the treatment. A biological rhythm in the untreated blood was detected. Moreover the used herbal compounds increased the number of CD34+ cells.Although SC number is individually and highly variable in peripheral blood, the fluctuation could be used as a biomarker like the other compounds of peripheral blood in different aspects in risk assessment

Effect of Uncaria and Tabebuia extracts on molecular epidemiological biomarkers in patients with colorectal cancer

The combined effect of surgical treatment and consumption of so-called “CoD™ tea” (containing Uncaria guianensis, U. tomentosa and Tabebuia avellanedae) on expression of c-myc, Ha-ras, Bcl-2, Ki-ras and p53 key onco/suppressor genes, the carbohydrate antigen (CA19-9) and carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) tumour markers in blood samples of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) were investigated. Expression of genes followed the effect of the surgical treatment combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic treatment; this may predict the outcome of carcinoma. Moreover their expressions might show possible additional effect of supportive therapy, e.g. CoD™ consumption. The antioxidant capacity of blood was also examined. Blood samples were taken at the day of, and one week, 3, 6 and 12 months after the surgical treatment. During that period patients got 0.25 l standard portion of CoD™ tea three times a day. The surgical treatment and neoadjuvant therapy were able to suppress the expression of c-myc, Ha-ras, Bcl-2, Ki-ras, p53 genes up to the twelfth month. Moreover, CoD™ tea together with conventional treatment caused a strong decrease in the expression of c-myc and Ha-ras oncogenes in comparison to the non-consumer control