Bioinformatic approach for tracking HIV-1 evolution in Vietnam and neighboring southeast Asian countries

viii, 69 leavesThere is high prevalence of a methionine substitution at the tip of the V3 loop (MGPGQ) among HIV CRF_AE strains from Vietnam. The aim of this study was to identify other molecular markers or ""signature sequences"" for mapping the spread of HIV in Vietnam and in neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Analysis of the sequence diversity and grouping by molecular markers suggested that ET strain initially gained entry in CSW in southern Vietnam. Unique substitutions among ECM and EC- strains in southern Vietnam IDU and CSW suggested independent introduction and spread of HIV among these high-risk groups. Unique and identical amino acid substitutions found in ECV strains from IDU in northern Vietnam and southern China suggested cross-border travel of virus-infected IDU

The Potential Health Benefits of Noni Juice: A Review of Human Intervention Studies

Noni juice is a globally popular health beverage originating in the tropics. Traditional Tahitian healers believe the noni plant to be useful for a wide range of maladies, and noni juice consumers throughout the world have similar perceptions. Nevertheless, human clinical trials are necessary for a precise understanding of what the health benefits of noni juice are. A review of published human intervention studies suggests that noni juice may provide protection against tobacco smoke-induced DNA damage, blood lipid and homocysteine elevation as well as systemic inflammation. Human intervention studies also indicate that noni juice may improve joint health, increase physical endurance, increase immune activity, inhibit glycation of proteins, aid weight management, help maintain bone health in women, help maintain normal blood pressure, and improve gum health. Further, these studies point to notable antioxidant activity in noni juice, more so than other fruit juices which served as trial placebos. It is this antioxidant effect and its interaction with the immune system and inflammation pathways that may account for many of the observed health benefits of noni juice. However, the existing evidence does have some limitations as far as its general application to noni juice products; all the peer-reviewed human interventions studies to date have involved only one source of French Polynesian noni juice. Geographical factors and variations in processing methods are known to produce commercial noni juice products with divergent phytochemical and nutrient compositions. Therefore, other sources of noni products may have different toxicological and pharmacological profiles

Cannabidiol Content and In Vitro Biological Activities of Commercial Cannabidiol Oils and Hemp Seed Oils

Background: Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed contains high contents of various nutrients, including fatty acids and proteins. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound that can be extracted from C. sativa and used for treating epilepsy and pain. Industrial hemp products, including CBD and hemp seed oils, have become increasingly popular. Some products are marketed without a clear distinction between CBD and hemp seed oils. Herein, the CBD content and biological activities of commercial CBD and hemp seed oils were examined. Methods: CBD content was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. For in vitro antioxidant activity determination, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical-scavenging assays were performed. Results: The CBD concentrations in the two CBD oil samples were 18.9 ± 0.5 and 9.2 ± 0.4 mg/mL. Of the seven hemp seed oil samples, six samples contained CBD in concentrations ranging from 2.0 ± 0.1 to 20.5 ± 0.5 µg/mL, but it was not detected in one sample. Antioxidant activity was observed in both CBD oil samples. Conclusions: The results indicate that (1) CBD content varied by hemp seed oil sample and that (2) antioxidant activity could be a useful landmark for discriminating CBD oils from hemp seed oils

Antiglycation Activity of Iridoids and Their Food Sources

Iridoids are dietary phytochemicals that may have the ability to inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Three studies were conducted to investigate this anti-AGE potential. First, the inhibition of fluorescence intensity by food-derived iridoids, after 4 days of incubation with bovine serum albumin, glucose, and fructose, was used to evaluate in vitro antiglycation activity. Next, an 8-week open-label pilot study used the AGE Reader to measure changes in the skin autofluorescence of 34 overweight adults who consumed daily a beverage containing food sources of iridoids. Finally, a cross-sectional population study with 3913 people analyzed the relationship between daily iridoid intake and AGE accumulation, as measured by skin autofluorescence with the TruAge scanner. In the in vitro test, deacetylasperulosidic acid and loganic acid both inhibited glycation in a concentration-dependent manner, with respective IC50 values of 3.55 and 2.69 mM. In the pilot study, average skin autofluorescence measurements decreased by 0.12 units (P<0.05). The cross-sectional population survey revealed that, for every mg of iridoids consumed, there is a corresponding decline in AGE associated age of 0.017 years (P<0.0001). These results suggest that consumption of dietary sources of iridoids may be a useful antiaging strategy

Aging-like physiological changes in the skin of Japanese obese diabetic patients

Objective: Obesity-associated diabetes causes aging-like changes to skin physiology in animal models, but there have been no clinical studies focusing on human obese diabetic patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that obesity-associated diabetes accelerates aging-like skin changes in Japanese people. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled obese-diabetes patients (body mass index ≥ 25 kg m−2) and healthy volunteers (body mass index < 25 kg m −2 ) as controls. Skin physiology parameters relating to aging (stratum corneum hydration, transepidermal water loss, skin pH, advanced glycation end-products, and dermal collagen density) were evaluated in the two groups. Results: About 37 subjects participated (16 in a control group and 21 in an obese-diabetes group). Age was not significantly different between the groups. The stratum corneum hydration level was significantly lower in the obese-diabetes group. Transepidermal water loss and levels of advanced glycation end-products were significantly higher in this group. Skin pH was not significantly different between groups. Dermal collagen density decreased in the obese-diabetes group. Conclusion: We showed that obese-diabetes patients have decreased stratum corneum hydration, increased transepidermal water loss, higher skin advanced glycation end-products and decreased dermal collagen fiber density compared with normal-weight subjects. These results indicate that the ordinary age-related physiological skin changes seen in the elderly can also occur in obese-diabetes patients aged in their 40s

Anti-inflammatory Effect of a Combination of Cannabidiol and Morinda citrifolia Extract on Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264 Macrophages

Background/Aim: The inflammatory response plays an important role in the activation and progression of many inflammation-related diseases. Cannabis sativa and Morinda citrifolia have long been used in folk medicine to treat inflammation. Cannabidiol is the most abundant non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid in C. sativa and exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. The objective of this study was to examine the anti-inflammatory effect of cannabidiol in combination with M. citrifolia and compare its effects with those of cannabidiol alone. Materials and Methods: RAW264 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (200 ng/ml) were treated with cannabidiol (0-10 μM), M. citrifolia seed extract (0-100 μg/ml), or a combination of both for 8 or 24 h. Following the treatments, nitric oxide production in the activated RAW264 cells and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase were assessed. Results: Our results showed that combination of cannabidiol (2.5 μM) and M. citrifolia seed extract (100 μg/ml) exhibited more efficient inhibition of nitric oxide production than cannabidiol treatment alone in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264 cells. The combination treatment also reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Conclusion: These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effect of combined treatment with cannabidiol and M. citrifolia seed extract causes a reduction in the expression of inflammatory mediators.This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 international license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0)