NMR evaluation of total statin content and HMG-CoA reductase inhibition in red yeast rice (Monascus spp.) food supplements

Background Red yeast rice (i.e., rice fermented with Monascus spp.), as a food supplement, is claimed to be blood cholesterol-lowering. The red yeast rice constituent monacolin K, also known as lovastatin, is an inhibitor of the hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase. This article aims to develop a sensitive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method to determine the total statin content of red yeast rice products. Methods The total statin content was determined by a 400 MHz 1H NMR spectroscopic method, based on the integration of the multiplet at δ 5.37-5.32 ppm of a hydrogen at the hexahydronaphthalene moiety in comparison to an external calibration with lovastatin. The activity of HMG-CoA reductase was measured by a commercial spectrophotometric assay kit. Results The NMR detection limit for total statins was 6 mg/L (equivalent to 0.3 mg/capsule, if two capsules are dissolved in 50 mL ethanol). The relative standard deviations were consistently lower than 11%. The total statin concentrations of five red yeast rice supplements were between 1.5 and 25.2 mg per specified daily dose. A dose-dependent inhibition of the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme activity by the red yeast rice products was demonstrated. Conclusion A simple and direct NMR assay was developed to determine the total statin content in red yeast rice. The assay can be applied for the determination of statin content for the regulatory control of red yeast rice products

Simulation of propofol anaesthesia for intracranial decompression using brain hypothermia treatment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although propofol is commonly used for general anaesthesia of normothermic patients in clinical practice, little information is available in the literature regarding the use of propofol anaesthesia for intracranial decompression using brain hypothermia treatment. A novel propofol anaesthesia scheme is proposed that should promote such clinical application and improve understanding of the principles of using propofol anaesthesia for hypothermic intracranial decompression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Theoretical analysis was carried out using a previously-developed integrative model of the thermoregulatory, hemodynamic and pharmacokinetic subsystems. Propofol kinetics is described using a framework similar to that of this model and combined with the thermoregulation subsystem through the pharmacodynamic relationship between the blood propofol concentration and the thermoregulatory threshold. A propofol anaesthesia scheme for hypothermic intracranial decompression was simulated using the integrative model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared to the empirical anaesthesia scheme, the proposed anaesthesia scheme can reduce the required propofol dosage by more than 18%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The integrative model of the thermoregulatory, hemodynamic and pharmacokinetic subsystems is effective in analyzing the use of propofol anaesthesia for hypothermic intracranial decompression. This propofol infusion scheme appears to be more appropriate for clinical application than the empirical one.</p

Stability and moduli spaces of syzygy bundles

It is a longstanding problem in Algebraic Geometry to determine whether a syzygy bundle on the projective space defined as the kernel of a general epimorphism given by homogeneous forms is (semi)stable. In this thesis, attention is restricted to the case of syzygy bundles associated to n generic forms of the same degree d

Grundrechtssubjektivität im staatlichen Binnenverhältnis

Das deutsche Grundgesetz billigt über die Schaltnorm des Art. 19 Abs. 3 GG auch juristischen Personen seinen Grundrechtsschutz zu. Legt man die tradierte Lesart des Bundesverfassungsgerichts zugrunde, ist eine bestimmte Gruppe der Personengesamtheiten gleichwohl prinzipiell vom Grundrechtsschutz ausgeschlossen: die juristische Person in staatlicher Trägerschaft. Eisern verteidigt Karlsruhe diese These zumindest im Ergebnis gegen all jene Widerstände, die in wiederkehrenden Abständen anhand aktueller Einzelfallentscheidungen auf die Inkonsistenzen des verfassungsgerichtlichen Begründungsweges hinweisen. Die vorliegende Untersuchung beleuchtet die einzelnen Begründungsstränge des Bundesverfassungsgerichts und legt die Widersprüche insbesondere zwischen theoretischem Fundament und tatsächlichem Ergebnis offen. Sie plädiert für eine Neuausrichtung der Auslegung des Art. 19 Abs. 3 GG am Maßstab einer europarechtlich anschlussfähigen und inhaltlich geschärften grundrechtstypischen Gefährdungslage.»Subjectivity to Fundamental Rights within the State Body«: The discourse on fundamental rights of state-supported legal entities gathers momentum again in the light of German nuclear- and coal-based energy exit plans. The thesis takes this as an opportunity to critically assess the Federal Constitutional Court's case law. It argues for a reorientation of the interpretation of Article 19 (3) of the German Constitution on the basis of the typical risk situation of state-supported entities, which ensures connectivity in the European multi-level system