A placebo-controlled trial of Korean red ginseng extract for preventing Influenza-like illness in healthy adults

<p>Abstracts</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Standardized Korean red ginseng extract has become the best-selling influenza-like illness (ILI) remedy in Korea, yet much controversy regarding the efficacy of the Korean red ginseng (KRG) in reducing ILI incidence remains. The aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of the KRG extract on the ILI incidence in healthy adults.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>We will conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at the onset of the influenza seasons. A total of 100 subjects 30-70 years of age will be recruited from the general populations. The subjects will be instructed to take 9 capsules per day of either the KRG extract or a placebo for a period of 3 months. The primary outcome measure is to assess the frequency of ILI onset in participated subjects. Secondary variable measures will be included severity and duration of ILI symptoms. The ILI symptoms will be scored by subjects using a 4-point scale.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This study is a randomized placebo controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the KRG extract compared to placebo and will be provided valuable new information about the clinical and physiological effects of the KRG extract on reduction of ILI incidence including flu and upper respiratory tract infections. The study has been pragmatically designed to ensure that the study findings can be implemented into clinical practice if KRG extract can be shown to be an effective reduction strategy in ILI incidence.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p><a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01478009">NCT01478009</a>.</p

25th annual computational neuroscience meeting: CNS-2016

The same neuron may play different functional roles in the neural circuits to which it belongs. For example, neurons in the Tritonia pedal ganglia may participate in variable phases of the swim motor rhythms [1]. While such neuronal functional variability is likely to play a major role the delivery of the functionality of neural systems, it is difficult to study it in most nervous systems. We work on the pyloric rhythm network of the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) [2]. Typically network models of the STG treat neurons of the same functional type as a single model neuron (e.g. PD neurons), assuming the same conductance parameters for these neurons and implying their synchronous firing [3, 4]. However, simultaneous recording of PD neurons shows differences between the timings of spikes of these neurons. This may indicate functional variability of these neurons. Here we modelled separately the two PD neurons of the STG in a multi-neuron model of the pyloric network. Our neuron models comply with known correlations between conductance parameters of ionic currents. Our results reproduce the experimental finding of increasing spike time distance between spikes originating from the two model PD neurons during their synchronised burst phase. The PD neuron with the larger calcium conductance generates its spikes before the other PD neuron. Larger potassium conductance values in the follower neuron imply longer delays between spikes, see Fig. 17.Neuromodulators change the conductance parameters of neurons and maintain the ratios of these parameters [5]. Our results show that such changes may shift the individual contribution of two PD neurons to the PD-phase of the pyloric rhythm altering their functionality within this rhythm. Our work paves the way towards an accessible experimental and computational framework for the analysis of the mechanisms and impact of functional variability of neurons within the neural circuits to which they belong

Complex interaction of fasting glucose, body mass index, age and sex on all-cause mortality: a cohort study in 15 million Korean adults

International audienceAims/hypothesis: The aim of this work was to examine whether synergistic associations with mortality exist for BMI and fasting blood glucose (FBG) and to identify FBG–BMI combined subgroups with higher mortality according to sex and age. Methods: A total of 15,149,275 Korean adults participated in health examinations during 2003–2006 and were followed up until December 2018. Mortality HRs of 40 FBG–BMI combined groups were assessed by Cox proportional hazards models. Results: During a mean 13.7 years of follow-up, 1,213,401 individuals died. A J-shaped association was seen between FBG and all-cause mortality for all BMI categories. Those with BMI &lt;20 kg/m2 had the highest mortality for any given FBG level, followed by those with BMI 20–22.4 kg/m2. The detrimental effect of elevated FBG was greater among leaner individuals than more corpulent individuals. Moreover, the synergistic adverse effects of hyperglycaemia and leanness was stronger in younger adults than in older adults. Compared with the reference group (overweight with normoglycaemia), age- and sex-adjusted HRs of the leanest with normoglycaemia (BMI &lt;20 kg/m2 and FBG 4.4–5.2 mmol/l), overweight with diabetes (BMI 25–27.4 kg/m2 and FBG ≥10.0 mmol/l) and leanest with diabetes (BMI &lt;20 kg/m2 and FBG ≥10.0 mmol/l) were 1.29, 2.59 and 11.18, respectively, in those aged 18–44 years and 1.56, 1.72 and 2.87, respectively, in those aged 75–99 years. The identification of BMI–FBG subgroups associated with higher mortality was not straightforward, illustrated by the group with FBG 6.1–6.9 mmol/l and BMI 20–22.4 kg/m2 having a similar or higher mortality compared with the group with FBG 7.0–9.9 mmol/l and BMI ≥22.5 kg/m2. In women aged &lt;45 years with FBG &lt;6.9 mmol/l, those with BMI ≥27.5 kg/m2 had the highest mortality, whereas individuals with BMI &lt;20 kg/m2 had the highest mortality for each given FBG level in other age and sex groups. Conclusions/interpretation: Leanness and hyperglycaemia interact together to increase mortality in a supra-multiplicative manner, especially in younger adults; the interactions of BMI, FBG, sex and age with mortality are complex. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Reelin and APP Cooperatively Modulate Dendritic Spine Formation In Vitro and In Vivo

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer???s disease (AD), but the normal function of APP at synapses is poorly understood. We and others have found that APP interacts with Reelin and that each protein is individually important for dendritic spine formation, which is associated with learning and memory, in vitro. However, whether Reelin acts through APP to modulate dendritic spine formation or synaptic function remains unknown. In the present study, we found that Reelin treatment significantly increased dendritic spine density and PSD-95 puncta number in primary hippocampal neurons. An examination of the molecular mechanisms by which Reelin regulates dendritic spinogenesis revealed that Reelin enhanced hippocampal dendritic spine formation in a Ras/ERK/CREB signaling-dependent manner. Interestingly, Reelin did not increase dendritic spine number in primary hippocampal neurons when APP expression was reduced or in vivo in APP knockout (KO) mice. Taken together, our data are the first to demonstrate that Reelin acts cooperatively with APP to modulate dendritic spine formation and suggest that normal APP function is critical for Reelin-mediated dendritic spinogenesis at synapses

Evaluation of Infectivity, Virulence and Transmission of FDMV Field Strains of Serotypes O and A Isolated In 2010 from Outbreaks in the Republic of Korea.

Since the early 2000s outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have been described in several previously FMD-free Asian nations, including the Republic of Korea (South Korea). One outbreak with FMD virus (FDMV) serotype A and two with serotype O occurred in South Korea in 2010/2011. The causative viruses belonged to lineages that had been spreading in South East Asia, far East and East Asia since 2009 and presented a great threat to the countries in that region. Most FMDV strains infect ruminants and pigs, as it happened during the outbreaks of FMDV serotype O in South Korea. Contrastingly, the strain of serotype A affected only ruminants. Based upon these findings, the intention of the work described in the current report was to characterize and compare the infectivity, virulence and transmission of both strains under laboratory conditions in cattle and pigs, by direct inoculation and contact exposure. As expected, FMDV serotype O was highly virulent in both cattle and swine by contact exposure and direct inoculation. Surprisingly, FMDV serotype A was highly virulent in swine, but was less infectious in cattle by contact exposure to infected swine or cattle. Interestingly, similar quantities of aerosolized FMDV RNA were detected during experiments with viruses of serotypes O and A. Specific virus-host interaction of A/SKR/2010 could affect the transmission of this strain to cattle, and this may explain in part the limited spread of the serotype A epizootic

The Kinase Activity of Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 Is Essential for the Regulation of T Cell Function

Summary: We examined hematopoietic protein kinase 1 (HPK1), whose reliance on scaffold versus kinase functions for negative immune cell regulation is poorly understood and critical to its assessment as a viable drug target. We identify kinase-dependent roles for HPK1 in CD8 T cells that restrict their anti-viral and anti-tumor responses by using HPK1 kinase-dead (HPK1.kd) knockin mice. Loss of HPK1 kinase function enhanced T cell receptor signaling and cytokine secretion in a T-cell-intrinsic manner. In response to chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection or tumor challenge, viral clearance and tumor growth inhibition were enhanced in HPK1.kd mice, accompanied by an increase in effector CD8 T cell function. Co-blockade of PD-L1 further enhanced T effector cell function, resulting in superior anti-viral and anti-tumor immunity over single target blockade. These results identify the importance of HPK1 kinase activity in the negative regulation of CD8 effector functions, implicating its potential as a cancer immunotherapy target. : HPK1 is implicated in several important steps that limit T cell responsiveness, but the mechanism is poorly characterized. Hernandez et al. demonstrate that HPK1’s kinase activity is essential for attenuating T cell function. Loss of HPK1 kinase activity enhanced antitumoral responses, proving to be an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. Keywords: HPK1, hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1, cancer immunotherap

Intake of milk and dairy product at schoolchildren (importace)

My thesis concerns milk and dairy products intake by schoolchildren, more precisely, I compare the factual intake of these products by schoolchildren with a recommended daily intake. The theoretical part of my thesis consists of characterizing milk and dairy products as well as describing composition and production of these kind of commodities. Furthermore, in this part, I will deal with the issue of diseases connected to milk intake (low intake, normal intake). For the practical part of my thesis I chose a questionnaire form that consists of two separate parts. The first one is about the intake of milk and dairy products in long term. The second part is focused on the intake of milk and dairy products in one week. In the questionnaire I prepared for the purposes of my thesis there are 50 children involved. Half of them are pupils of Sir Nicholas Winton elementary school in Kunžak whose age ranges between 6 and 12 years. The second half of surveyed children are students of Business school of T. G. Masaryk in Jindřichův Hradec those students are either 15 or 16 years old. Because of accuracy of my results, the questionnaires for pupils of elementary school in Kunžak were filled by children's parents. The research was done in December 2016. After having all the questionnaires returned, I processed the results and described weekly amount of milk and dairy products that the children consume. Afterwards, the results were compared to the recommendation according to the attachment of act n. 150/2005 Sb., o školním stravování. Moreover, I put the intake of milk and dairy products into the program Nutriservis where I focused on the intake of calcium and phosphorus. Those micronutrients are important for children's body and its growth. In the end of my thesis I present my suggestions to take remedial action to the situation discovered in the thesis