Relationship Between Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases Following High-fat Diet and Acute Exercise

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in the degradation of the extracellular matrix of the tissue and inflammation. Several tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) are known to inhibit the activity of MMPs. PURPOSE: The current study investigated the responses of MMP-1, -2, -9, and -10 and TIMP-1, -2, -3, and -4 after a 3-week high-fat, low-carbohydrate (HFLC) diet following an acute aerobic exercise. METHODS: Physically active (unprofessional, competitive marathon runners) male subjects (N=8, age= 39.5 ± 9.9 years) volunteered for the study. Subjects maintained their habitual high carbohydrate (HC) diets before switching to the HFLC diet (70% total caloric intake from fat, not exceeding 50 g of carbohydrates) for 3 weeks. Subjects performed an acute bout of aerobic exercise before and 24 hours after each HC and HFLC diet trial. The exercise protocol consisted of treadmill running at varying paces (personal race paces) for 50 minutes (split into 5, 10-minute periods with 2 minutes of rest in between). Following a 20-minute recovery, subjects additionally performed a 5-km time trial on an outdoor course. Overnight fasting blood samples were collected at pre- and 24-hours post-exercise for each diet trial to analyze changes in MMPs and TIMPs. The data were analyzed using an ANOVA [(HC and HFLC) X (pre- and post-exercise)]. If a significant interaction was found, a Tukey’s post-hoc test was performed (p \u3c 0.05). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in MMPs or TIMPs between the HC and HFLC diet trials, and an acute bout of aerobic exercise did not alter MMPs or TIMPs. There were, however, significant positive correlations between MMP-2 and TIMP-2 (r (14) = 0.51, p = 0.01) and MMP-9 and TIMP-2 (r (14) = 0.49, p = 0.01). Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between TIMP-4 and MMP-4 (r (14) = -0.57, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: A relatively short-term high-fat diet and an acute aerobic exercise did not influence serum MMPs or TIMPs in healthy, trained male runners. The activity of MMP-4 may be related to TIMP-4, while the activity of both MMP-2 and -9 may be dependent on TIMP-2. It is highly recommended that future studies focus on examining the effects of a long-term HFLC diet on metabolic pathways of circulating or tissue MMPs and TIMPs in a variety of populations

Effects of Dietary Fish-oil Supplement and Acute Eccentric Exercise on Inflammatory Markers during Different Phases of Menstrual Cycle

Fish-oil supplementation may play a positive role in inflammation. Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important in controlling tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and inflammation. Several tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) are known to regulate the activity of specific MMPs. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of dietary fish-oil supplementation and acute eccentric exercise on MMP-1, -2, -9, and -10 and TIMP-1, -2, -3, and -4 during two different phases of menstrual cycle. METHODS: As a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled design, 22 college-aged women (age= 20.86 ± 1.39 years) were randomly assigned to either a fish oil (FOG, N=11) or a placebo group (PG, N=11). Participants in the FOG ingested 6 capsules of fish oil per day (total 6.0g, containing 2.4g eicosapentaenoic acid and 1.8g docosahexaenoic acid), while the PG took 6 capsules of safflower oil per day for 3 weeks. Participants in each group performed an acute bout of eccentric single-leg exercise (10 sets of 10 repetitions with a 3-min rest between sets at an isokinetic speed of 30⁰/second) during the mid-follicular (MF) and mid-luteal (ML) phases. The leg exercised for the MF phase was randomly selected and the opposing leg exercised during the ML phase. Overnight blood samples were collected at baseline, 6-hr post-exercise (6hr-PE), and 24-hr PE during the MF and ML phases. Data were analyzed by a separate 2 x 2 x 3 ANOVA with repeated measures along with an appropriate post-hoc test for any significant interactions (p \u3c 0.05). RESULTS: A significant interaction effect (p=0.005) in MMP-1 indicated that MMP-1 in the FOG (193.71±21.72 pg/mL) was higher than that of the placebo group (120.79±21.72 pg/mL) during the MF phase. Both TIMP-1 and -3 were significantly higher (p=.043 and p=.037, respectively) in the FOG (68674.71±2238.56 and 3827.12±193.67 pg/mL, respectively) than the placebo group (62119.26±2178.86 and 3238.94±186.73 pg/mL, respectively). CONCLUSION: Acute eccentric exercise did not affect MMPs and TIMPs in healthy, young females. MMP-1 was the only proteinase affected by the menstrual cycle and a decrease in MMP-1 during the ML phase might be related to elevated estradiol levels. Elevated TIMP-1 and -3 following the 3-weeks of fish-oil supplementation suggested a potential anti-inflammatory effect of the fish-oil supplementation by inhibiting activation of MMPs. It is recommended that an extended period of fish oil supplementation be implemented to further examine its anti-inflammatory effect on other inflammatory biomarkers in different sample groups including both pre- and post-menopausal women

Mapping Digital Media: Malaysia

The Mapping Digital Media project examines the global opportunities and risks created by the transition from traditional to digital media. Covering 60 countries, the project examines how these changes affect the core democratic service that any media system should provide: news about political, economic, and social affairs.Malaysia has had a torrid relationship with digital. Mahathir Mohamad, the former Malaysian prime minister, fell in love with it in the 1990s when he launched the Multimedia Super Corridor, a sort of East Asian Silicon Valley, to develop the local information and communications technology industry.Two out of three Malaysians regularly use the internet (even though large areas of the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, where nearly a fifth of the population lives, pose logistical challenges regarding infrastructure) and a third of the population have a 3G mobile subscription. Broadband household penetration in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, is 112 percent because many citizens have both fixed and mobile accounts. Nearly half the population is on Facebook with an average of 233 friends each, the greatest proportion in the world, all on social networks for an average nine hours a week. And they still seem to find enough time to watch television for three and a half hours a day and to listen to the radio for three hours.The outlook is for an expansion of internet and mobile-based platforms for news, comment, social networking, activism, and entertainment. However, a change of government is probably a prerequisite for the kinds of changes that would usher in greater diversity in broadcast and print, such as regulatory independence, repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act, and the dismantling of monopolies, rules on cross ownership, and political parties' ownership of media companies

Plasma Glucose and Lipid Profiles Following High-Fat Diet and Acute Aerobic Exercise

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of a 3-week high-fat (HF) diet on plasma glucose, lipids, and lipoproteins following an acute bout of aerobic exercise in middle-aged men. METHODS: Physically active (non-elite, competitive marathon runners), male participants (N=8, age=39.5±9.9 years) volunteered for the study. Participants maintained their habitual high-carbohydrate (HC) diet (60-70% caloric intake from carbohydrate) prior to switching to the HF diet (70% caloric intake from fat, not exceeding 50g of carbohydrates) for 3 weeks. At the end of each diet trial, participants performed an acute bout of aerobic exercise, which consisted of running at varying paces (personal race paces) on a treadmill for 50 minutes (split into 5, 10-minute periods with 2 minutes of rest in between). Following a 20-minute recovery from the treadmill exercise, participants additionally ran a 5-km time trial (average run time = 23.69±2.41 minutes) on an outdoor road course. Overnight fasting blood samples were collected before and 24 hours after exercise for the HC and HF diet trial to analyze glucose, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), lipoprotein(a), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C). The data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA [2 (diet: HC and HF) X 2 (time: pre and post-exercise)]. Any significant interactions were further analyzed using a Tukey’s post-hoc test. A p-value was set at \u3c 0.05. RESULTS: A glucose level was higher (p=0.046) in the HC diet (96.81±2.45 mg/dL) than the HF diet (89.6±2.45 mg/dL). As compared with the HC diet, the HF diet showed a higher level of TC (142.58±4.75 vs. 171.71±4.75 mg/dL, p=0.001), HDL-C (49.26±3.01 vs. 58.58±3.01 mg/dL, p=0.037), and LDL-C (91.51±4.91 vs. 111.20±4.91 mg/dL, p=0.008), respectively. TG significantly decreased (p=0.03) from 65.68±5.93 to 38.46±5.93 mg/dL at 24 hours of post-exercise. CONCLUSION: The 3-weeks of HF diet modestly increased plasma lipids and lipoproteins within the desirable range. Implementing a relatively short-term HF diet does not appear to significantly elicit negative cardiovascular disease risk markers in non-elite, healthy middle-aged male runners. However, it is strongly recommended for future studies to investigate the safety and beneficial effects of a long-term HF diet on cardiovascular disease risk factors in a variety of population including the untrained

Omega-3 Supplementation, Menstrual Cycle, and Acute Eccentric Exercise on Plasma Lipid Profiles

Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation and the menstrual cycle may independently influence plasma lipids and lipoproteins following acute exercise. PURPOSE: The current study investigated the effects of dietary fish oil supplement and acute eccentric exercise on plasma lipids and lipoproteins during two different phases of the menstrual cycle [mid-follicular (MF) vs. mid-luteal phase (ML)]. METHODS: As a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 22 healthy young females (age= 20.86±1.39 years) volunteered. Participants were randomly assigned to either the fish oil (N=11) or the placebo (N=11) group. The fish oil group took a total of 6 capsules of fish oil per day (6g total; each capsule with 2.4 g of eicosapentaenoic acid and 1.8 g of docosahexaenoic acid), while the placebo group took 6 capsules of safflower oil/day (6g total; 2.8 g of lauric acid, 1.1g of myristic acid, 0.4 g of caprylic acid, 0.4 g of oleic acid, and 0.09 mg of linoleic acid) for 3 weeks. Participants in each group performed an acute eccentric single-leg exercise protocol during the MF and ML phases, which consisted of 10 sets of 10 repetitions with a 3-min resting between sets at an isokinetic speed of 30⁰/sec. The leg exercised for the MF phase was randomly selected and the opposing leg exercised during the ML phase. Plasma samples were collected at pre-, 6-hours post-exercise (6-hr PE), and 24-hours post-exercise (24-hr PE)] to analyze total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), lipoprotein (a), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C). Data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance (p \u3c 0.05). If a significant interaction was found, a Tukey’s post-hoc test was performed. RESULTS: Plasma lipids and lipoproteins were not different between the fish oil and placebo groups or before and after the acute eccentric leg exercise. However, HDL-C was significantly higher (p = 0.041) during the ML (61.66 ± 2.44 mg/dL) phase than that of the MF (54.53 ± 2.44 mg/dL) phase. CONCLUSION: Although it didn’t reach a statistical significance, the overall lipid and lipoprotein profile tended to improve following a relatively short-term fish oil supplement in healthy, young women. Acute eccentric exercise may not negatively affect plasma lipids and lipoproteins. Elevated HDL-C during the mid-luteal phase may possibly be associated with increased estradiol levels. It is recommended for future studies that an extended period of fish oil supplement using different dosages and exercise regimen be implemented to examine a long-term benefit of fish oil supplement in a variety of sample groups

Ectopic adrenal gland tissue in the left ovary of an elderly woman: a case report

Ectopic adrenal gland in the ovary is very rare case, and even more rarer in older women. We reported a case of ectopic adrenal tissue as an incidental finding in left ovary from a 68-year-old woman. She presented with bearing down sensation due to uterine prolapse for 5 years. Upon physical examination, uterine prolapse grade III, cystocele, and rectocele were observed. Ultrasonography findings showed 0.69 cm intramural myoma, and no specific findings were found in the bilateral adnexae. She underwent a total laparoscopic hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and anterior-posterior repair. The final pathologic diagnosis of the case was ectopic adrenal gland tissue in the left ovary and uterine leiomyoma. No eventful reactions were observed during hospitalization and after discharge. Although ectopic adrenal gland rarely occurs in elderly women and in the pelvic ovaries, it has a risk of neoplastic transformation and accompanying germ cell tumor and sex cord tumor. Hence, if the ectopic adrenal gland tissue is suspected during surgery, the tissue should be removed. Additionally, by closely examining the contralateral ovary, determining whether other lesions are suspected is necessary. If the other lesions including germ cell tumor or sex cord tumor are suspected, a biopsy of the contralateral ovarian tissue should be performed. Thus, gynecologists must have knowledge about ectopic adrenal gland tissues

Anisotropic Dirac fermions in a Bi square net of SrMnBi2

We report the highly anisotropic Dirac fermions in a Bi square net of SrMnBi2, based on a first principle calculation, angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and quantum oscillations for high-quality single crystals. We found that the Dirac dispersion is generally induced in the (SrBi)+ layer containing a double-sized Bi square net. In contrast to the commonly observed isotropic Dirac cone, the Dirac cone in SrMnBi2 is highly anisotropic with a large momentum-dependent disparity of Fermi velocities of ~ 8. These findings demonstrate that a Bi square net, a common building block of various layered pnictides, provide a new platform that hosts highly anisotropic Dirac fermions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Prediction and identification of synergistic compound combinations against pancreatic cancer cells.

Resistance to current therapies is common for pancreatic cancer and hence novel treatment options are urgently needed. In this work, we developed and validated a computational method to select synergistic compound combinations based on transcriptomic profiles from both the disease and compound side, combined with a pathway scoring system, which was then validated prospectively by testing 30 compounds (and their combinations) on PANC-1 cells. Some compounds selected as single agents showed lower GI50 values than the standard of care, gemcitabine. Compounds suggested as combination agents with standard therapy gemcitabine based on the best performing scoring system showed on average 2.82-5.18 times higher synergies compared to compounds that were predicted to be active as single agents. Examples of highly synergistic in vitro validated compound pairs include gemcitabine combined with Entinostat, thioridazine, loperamide, scriptaid and Saracatinib. Hence, the computational approach presented here was able to identify synergistic compound combinations against pancreatic cancer cells

Noncommutative field gas driven inflation

We investigate early time inflationary scenarios in an Universe filled with a dilute noncommutative bosonic gas at high temperature. A noncommutative bosonic gas is a gas composed of bosonic scalar field with noncommutative field space on a commutative spacetime. Such noncommutative field theories was recently introduced as a generalization of quantum mechanics on a noncommutative spacetime. As key features of these theories are Lorentz invariance violation and CPT violation. In the present study we use a noncommutative bosonic field theory that besides the noncommutative parameter $\theta$ shows up a further parameter $\sigma$. This parameter $\sigma$ controls the range of the noncommutativity and acts as a regulator for the theory. Both parameters play a key role in the modified dispersion relations of the noncommutative bosonic field, leading to possible striking consequences for phenomenology. In this work we obtain an equation of state $p=\omega(\sigma,\theta;\beta)\rho$ for the noncommutative bosonic gas relating pressure $p$ and energy density $\rho$, in the limit of high temperature. We analyse possible behaviours for this gas parameters $\sigma$, $\theta$ and $\beta$, so that $-1\leq\omega<-1/3$, which is the region where the Universe enters an accelerated phase.Comment: Reference added. Version to appear in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics - JCA