Comparison of Rapid Diagnostic Tests for the Detection of Plasmodium vivax Malaria in South Korea

South Korea is one of many countries with endemic Plasmodium vivax malaria. Here we report the evaluation of four rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for diagnosis of this disease. A total of 253 subjects were enrolled in the study. The sensitivities, specificities and agreement frequencies were estimated by comparing the four RDTs against the standard of nested-PCR and microscopic examination. The CareStartTM and SD Bioline had higher test sensitivities (99.4 and 98.8%, respectively) compared with the NanoSign and Asan Easy tests (93.0 and 94.7%, respectively). The CareStartTM and SD Bioline tests could detect P. vivax in samples with parasite densities <150/μl, which was a slightly better performance than the other two RDTs. The quantitative accuracy of the four RDTs was also estimated by comparing results with P. vivax counts from blood samples. Lower test price would result in increased use of these RDTs in the field. The results of this study contribute valuable information that will aid in the selection of a diagnostic method for the detection of malaria

Doinseunggitang Ameliorates Endothelial Dysfunction in Diabetic Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis, a chronic and progressive disease characterized by vascular inflammation, is a leading cause of death in diabetes patients. Doinseunggitang (DYSGT), traditional prescription, has been used for promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of DYSGT on endothelial dysfunction in diabetic atherosclerosis animal model. Apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE KO) mice fed on a Western diet were treated with DYSGT (200 mg/kg/day). DYSGT significantly lowered blood glucose level and glucose tolerance as well as systolic blood pressure. Metabolic parameter showed that DYSGT markedly decreased triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels. In the thoracic aorta, the impairment of vasorelaxation response to acetylcholine and atherosclerotic lesion was attenuated by DYSGT. Furthermore, DYSGT restored the reduction of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, leading to the inhibition of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression. In conclusion, DYSGT improved the development of diabetic atherosclerosis via attenuation of the endothelial dysfunction, possibly by inhibiting ET-1, cell adhesion molecules, and lesion formation. Therefore, these results suggest that Korean traditional prescription Doinseunggitang may be useful in the treatment and prevention of diabetic vascular complications

Transparent actuator made with few layer graphene electrode and dielectric elastomer, for variable focus lens

A transparent dielectric elastomer actuator driven by few-layer-graphene (FLG) electrode was experimentally investigated. The electrodes were made of graphene, which was dispersed inN-methyl-pyrrolidone. The transparent actuator was fabricated from developed FLG electrodes.The FLG electrode with its sheet resistance of 0.45 kΩ/sq (80 nm thick) was implemented to mask silicone elastomer. The developed FLG-driven actuator exhibited an optical transparency of over 57% at a wavenumber of 600 nm and produced bending displacement performance ranging from 29 to 946 μm as functions of frequency and voltage. The focus variation was clearly demonstrated under actuation to study its application-feasibility in variable focus lens and various opto-electro-mechanical devices

Curative Effects of Thiacremonone against Acetaminophen-Induced Acute Hepatic Failure via Inhibition of Proinflammatory Cytokines Production and Infiltration of Cytotoxic Immune Cells and Kupffer Cells

High doses of acetaminophen (APAP; N-acetyl-p-aminophenol) cause severe hepatotoxicity after metabolic activation by cytochrome P450 2E1. This study was undertaken to examine the preventive effects of thiacremonone, a compound extracted from garlic, on APAP-induced acute hepatic failure in male C57BL/6J. Mice received with 500 mg/kg APAP after a 7-day pretreatment with thiacremonone (10–50 mg/kg). Thiacremonone inhibited the APAP-induced serum ALT and AST levels in a dose-dependent manner, and markedly reduced the restricted area of necrosis and inflammation by administration of APAP. Thiacremonone also inhibited the APAP-induced depletion of intracellular GSH, induction of nitric oxide, and lipid peroxidation as well as expression of P450 2E1. After APAP injection, the numbers of Kupffer cells, natural killer cells, and cytotoxic T cells were elevated, but the elevated cell numbers in the liver were reduced in thiacremonone pretreated mice. The expression levels of I-309, M-CSF, MIG, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, IL-7, and IL-17 were increased by APAP treatment, which were inhibited in thiacremonone pretreated mice. These data indicate that thiacremonone could be a useful agent for the treatment of drug-induced hepatic failure and that the reduction of cytotoxic immune cells as well as proinflammatory cytokine production may be critical for the prevention of APAP-induced acute liver toxicity

An Electrophilic Deguelin Analogue Inhibits STAT3 Signaling in H-Ras-Transformed Human Mammary Epithelial Cells: The Cysteine 259 Residue as a Potential Target

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a point of convergence for numerous oncogenic signals that are often constitutively activated in many cancerous or transformed cells and some stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. Persistent STAT3 activation in malignant cells stimulates proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, invasion, and tumor-promoting inflammation. STAT3 undergoes activation through phosphorylation on tyrosine 705, which facilitates its dimerization. Dimeric STAT3 translocates to the nucleus, where it regulates the transcription of genes involved in cell proliferation, survival, etc. In the present study, a synthetic deguelin analogue SH48, discovered by virtual screening, inhibited the phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and transcriptional activity of STAT3 in H-ras transformed human mammary epithelial MCF-10A cells (MCF10A-ras). We speculated that SH48 bearing an alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl group could interact with a thiol residue of STAT3, thereby inactivating this transcription factor. Non-electrophilic analogues of SH48 failed to inhibit STAT3 activation, lending support to the above supposition. By utilizing a biotinylated SH48, we were able to demonstrate the complex formation between SH48 and STAT3. SH48 treatment to MCF10A-ras cells induced autophagy, which was verified by staining with a fluorescent acidotropic probe, LysoTracker Red, as well as upregulating the expression of LC3II and p62. In conclusion, the electrophilic analogue of deguelin interacts with STAT3 and inhibits its activation in MCF10A-ras cells, which may account for its induction of autophagic death.

Anti-inflammatory effect of supercritical extract and its constituents from Ishige okamurae

The anti-inflammatory properties of the supercritical fluid extract of Ishige okamurae (SFEIO) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine RAW 264.7 macrophages. The lipid profile of the SFEIO, reviled the presence of palmitic acid (220.2 mg/g), linoleic acid (168.0 mg/g), and oleic acid (123.0 mg/g). SFEIO was found to exert it’s anti-inflammatory effects through inhibiting nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, without inducing cytotoxicity. SFEIO did not effect on the LPS-induced p38 kinase phosphorylation, whereas it attenuated the extracellular-related signaling kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation. Furthermore, SFEIO inhibited the LPS-induced IκB-α degradation and p50 NF-κB activation. These results suggest that SFEIO exerts its anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells by down-regulating the activation of ERK, JNK, and NF-κB

The Effect of Environmental Enrichment on Glutathione-Mediated Xenobiotic Metabolism and Antioxidation in Normal Adult Mice

Olfactory bulb (OB) plays an important role in protecting against harmful substances via the secretion of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes. Environmental enrichment (EE) is a common rehabilitation method and known to have beneficial effects in the central nervous system. However, the effects of EE in the OB still remain unclear. At 6 weeks of age, CD-1® (ICR) mice were assigned to standard cages or EE cages. After 2 months, we performed proteomic analysis. Forty-four up-regulated proteins were identified in EE mice compared to the control mice. Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway demonstrated that the upregulated proteins were mainly involved in metabolic pathways against xenobiotics. Among those upregulated proteins, 9 proteins, which participate in phase I or II of the xenobiotic metabolizing process and are known to be responsible for ROS detoxification, were validated by qRT-PCR. To explore the effect of ROS detoxification mediated by EE, glutathione activity was measured by an ELISA assay. The ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione was significantly increased in EE mice. Based on a linear regression analysis, GSTM2 and UGT2A1 were found to be the most influential genes in ROS detoxification. For further analysis of neuroprotection, the level of iNOS and the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 were significantly decreased in EE mice. While TUNEL+ cells were significantly decreased, Ki67+ cells were significantly increased in EE mice, implicating that EE creates an optimal state for xenobiotic metabolism and antioxidant activity. Taken together, our results suggested that EE protects olfactory layers via the upregulation of glutathione-related antioxidant and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, eventually lowering ROS-mediated inflammation and apoptosis and increasing neurogenesis. This study may provide an opportunity for a better understanding of the beneficial effects of EE in the OB

Optimizing Semi-Analytical Algorithms for Estimating Chlorophyll-a and Phycocyanin Concentrations in Inland Waters in Korea

Several semi-analytical algorithms have been developed to estimate the chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and phycocyanin (PC) concentrations in inland waters. This study aimed at identifying the influence of algorithm parameters on the output variables and searching optimal parameter values. The optimal parameters of seven semi-analytical algorithms were applied to estimate the Chl-a and PC concentrations. The absorption coefficient measurements were coupled with pigment measurements to calibrate the algorithm parameters. For sensitivity analysis, the elementary effect test was conducted to analyze the influence of the algorithm parameters. The sensitivity analysis results showed that the parameters in the Y function and specific absorption coefficient were the most sensitive parameters. Then, the parameters were optimized via a single-objective optimization that involved one objective function being minimized and a multi-objective optimization that contained more than one objective function. The single-objective optimization led to substantial errors in absorption coefficients. In contrast, the multi-objective optimization improved the algorithm performance with respect to both the absorption coefficient estimates and pigment concentration estimates. The optimized parameters of the absorption coefficient reflected the high-particulate content in waters of the Baekje reservoir using an infrared backscattering wavelength and relatively high value of Y. Moreover, the results indicate the value of measuring the site-specific absorption if site-specific optimization of semi-analyical algorithm parameters was envisioned

Effect of steroids and relevant cytokine analysis in acute tubulointerstitial nephritis

Background Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN) is an important cause of acute kidney injury and often a potentially reversible disease. However, the role of steroids in ATIN remains controversial and the underlying mechanisms remain unresolved. Methods A total of 113 adult patients with biopsy-proven ATIN were recruited from three tertiary referral centers. Of 102 patients with idiopathic or drug-induced ATIN, outcomes such as renal recovery, end-stage renal disease, and all-cause mortality were compared between the steroid-treated and non-treated groups. Plasma and urine inflammatory cytokine levels at the time of biopsy were analyzed in patients (n = 33) using a bead-based multiplex assay and compared with those of healthy individuals (n = 40). Results Steroids were used in 92 (81.4%) of the total patients and in 82 (80.3%) patients with idiopathic or drug-induced ATIN. The rate of renal recovery and the risks of end-stage renal disease and mortality were not different between the steroid-treated and non-treated groups. Despite using a propensity score matching method (n = 20 in each group), none of the outcomes were different between the two groups. Several cytokines, such as monocyte chemotactic protein-1, interferon-α, and interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 levels, were markedly elevated in plasma and urine of patients compared with those in healthy individuals. However, cytokines related to Th2 response, such as IL-10, IL-33, were not different between the two groups. Conclusions Steroid use does not affect the overall outcome of ATIN. Based on the fact that targeting therapy should be investigated to improve outcomes, the present cytokine results will be helpful for developing a novel therapy for ATIN.This work was supported by a grant from the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), which is funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2017R1D1A1B03031642)

Reversible Pulmonary Hypertension in Adolescent with Left Atrial Myxoma

We report a patient of left atrial huge myxoma presenting with severe pulmonary hypertension in adolescents. A patient was a 14-year-old boy presented with sudden onset dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiographic study revealed the presence of a nodular, 4.34 × 8.11 cm sized, mobile, hyperechoic mass in the left atrium and severe pulmonary hypertension with tricuspid insufficiency. After surgical therapy, tricuspid regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension was decreased and the patient was stabilized and had an uneventful clinical course