Antioxidative and Antimutagenic Activities of 70% Ethanolic Extracts from Four Fungal Mycelia-Fermented Specialty Rices

The health-promoting potential of 70% ethanolic extracts of 4 rice varieties fermented with Monascus ruber, Phellinus linteus, Cordyceps sinensis and Agaricus blazei was evaluated mainly focusing on their antioxidative and antimutagenic capacities based on the following parameters: phenolic compound and phytic acid content; inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation; scavenging activity on DPPH radical; suppressing ability on mitomycin C-induced mutagenesis in E. coli cells; and protective effect on 4-nitroquinoline oxide-triggered DNA lesion in V79 hamster cells. The fermented rice extracts were superior in overall health-promoting parameters compared to the source material. The higher antimutagenic activity of the fermented rice extracts might be in part caused by a larger amount of antioxidant constituents such as phenolic compounds or phytic acid. Of the fungal species, Monascus ruber was found to impart a marked increase in both the antioxidative and antimutagenic abilities to the source material. The current study suggests a possibility that such fermented rice may contribute to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer through a daily intake of rice-based diets

Dual quadratic differentials and entire minimal graphs in Heisenberg space

We define holomorphic quadratic differentials for spacelike surfaces with constant mean curvature in the Lorentzian homogeneous spaces $\mathbb{L}(\kappa,\tau)$ with isometry group of dimension 4, which are dual to the Abresch-Rosenberg differentials in the Riemannian counterparts $\mathbb{E}(\kappa,\tau)$, and obtain some consequences. On the one hand, we give a very short proof of the Bernstein problem in Heisenberg space, and provide a geometric description of the family of entire graphs sharing the same differential in terms of a 2-parameter conformal deformation. On the other hand, we prove that entire minimal graphs in Heisenberg space have negative Gauss curvature.Comment: 19 page

Identification of Novel Reference Genes Using Multiplatform Expression Data and Their Validation for Quantitative Gene Expression Analysis

Normalization of mRNA levels using endogenous reference genes (ERGs) is critical for an accurate comparison of gene expression between different samples. Despite the popularity of traditional ERGs (tERGs) such as GAPDH and ACTB, their expression variability in different tissues or disease status has been reported. Here, we first selected candidate housekeeping genes (HKGs) using human gene expression data from different platforms including EST, SAGE, and microarray, and 13 novel ERGs (nERGs) (ARL8B, CTBP1, CUL1, DIMT1L, FBXW2, GPBP1, LUC7L2, OAZ1, PAPOLA, SPG21, TRIM27, UBQLN1, ZNF207) were further identified from these HKGs. The mean coefficient variation (CV) values of nERGs were significantly lower than those of tERGs and the expression level of most nERGs was relatively lower than high expressing tERGs in all dataset. The higher expression stability and lower expression levels of most nERGs were validated in 108 human samples including formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues, frozen tissues and cell lines, through quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, the optimal number of nERGs required for accurate normalization was as few as two, while four genes were required when using tERGs in FFPE tissues. Most nERGs identified in this study should be better reference genes than tERGs, based on their higher expression stability and fewer numbers needed for normalization when multiple ERGs are required

Mesenteric Pseudocyst of the Small Bowel in Gastric Cancer Patient: A Case Report

Mesenteric pseudocyst is rare. This term is used to describe the abdominal cystic mass, without the origin of abdominal organ. We presented a case of mesenteric pseudocyst of the small bowel in a 70-year-old man. Esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy showed a 3.5 cm sized excavated lesion on the posterior wall of angle. Endocopic biopsy confirmed a histologic diagnosis of the poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, which includes the signet ring cell component. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed a focal mucosal enhancement in the posterior wall of angle of the stomach, a 2.4 cm sized enhancing mass on the distal small bowel loop, without distant metastases or ascites in rectal shelf, and multiple gallbladder stones. The patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy with gastroduodenostomy, segmental resection of the small bowel, and cholecystectomy. The final pathological diagnosis was mesenteric pseudocyst. This is the first case report describing incidentally detected mesenteric pseudocyst of the small bowel in gastric cancer patients

Alternative Therapy and Abnormal Liver Function During Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients

Although hepatotoxicity has been rarely reported during adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, we observed a high frequency in our patients who were also taking alternative agents. We therefore sought to determine the association between hepatotoxicity and alternative agents during adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. All breast cancer patients were treated with the same chemotherapeutic regimen and had normal baseline liver function test (LFT). LFT was checked repeatedly during each cycle of chemotherapy. Patients showing LFT abnormalities were asked about use of alternative agents, and, after the end of chemotherapy, a questionnaire was administered to each patient on their use of alternative agents. Of 178 patients, 65 (36.5%) admitted using alternative therapy, and significantly more patients in this group developed LFT abnormalities (37/65, 56.9%) than those who denied taking alternative therapy (25/113, 22.1%, p=0.001). Although LFT abnormalities were mild to moderate and normalized in most patients after cessation of alternative agents, it remained a serious problem in one patient. In conclusion, alternative therapy may be one of the etiologies for abnormal LFT in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy

Immunohistochemical identification and quantitative analysis of cytoplasmic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in mouse organogenesis

Cytoplasmic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is an antioxidant enzyme that converts superoxide to hydrogen peroxide in cells. Its spatial distribution matches that of superoxide production, allowing it to protect cells from oxidative stress. SOD1 deficiencies result in embryonic lethality and a wide range of pathologies in mice, but little is known about normal SOD1 protein expression in developing embryos. In this study, the expression pattern of SOD1 was investigated in post-implantation mouse embryos and extraembryonic tissues, including placenta, using Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses. SOD1 was detected in embryos and extraembryonic tissues from embryonic day (ED) 8.5 to 18.5. The signal in embryos was observed at the lowest level on ED 9.5-11.5, and the highest level on ED 17.5-18.5, while levels remained constant in the surrounding extraembryonic tissues during all developmental stages examined. Immunohistochemical analysis of SOD1 expression on ED 13.5-18.5 revealed its ubiquitous distribution throughout developing organs. In particular, high levels of SOD1 expression were observed in the ependymal epithelium of the choroid plexus, ganglia, sensory cells of the olfactory and vestibulocochlear epithelia, blood cells and vessels, hepatocytes and hematopoietic cells of the liver, lymph nodes, osteogenic tissues, and skin. Thus, SOD1 is highly expressed at late stages of embryonic development in a cell- and tissue-specific manner, and can function as an important antioxidant enzyme during organogenesis in mouse embryos

Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on expression of phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase mRNA in rat testes

Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx), an antioxidative selenoprotein, is modulated by estrogen in the testis and oviduct. To examine whether potential endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) affect the microenvironment of the testes, the expression patterns of PHGPx mRNA and histological changes were analyzed in 5-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats exposed to several EDCs such as an androgenic compound [testosterone (50, 200, and 1,000 µg/kg)], anti-androgenic compounds [flutamide (1, 5, and 25 mg/kg), ketoconazole (0.2 and 1 mg/kg), and diethylhexyl phthalate (10, 50, and 250 mg/kg)], and estrogenic compounds [nonylphenol (10, 50, 100, and 250 mg/kg), octylphenol (10, 50, and 250 mg/kg), and diethylstilbestrol (10, 20, and 40 µg/kg)] daily for 3 weeks via oral administration. Mild proliferation of germ cells and hyperplasia of interstitial cells were observed in the testes of the flutamide-treated group and deletion of the germinal epithelium and sloughing of germ cells were observed in testes of the diethylstilbestrol-treated group. Treatment with testosterone was shown to slightly decrease PHGPx mRNA levels in testes by the reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction. However, anti-androgenic compounds (flutamide, ketoconazole, and diethylhexyl phthalate) and estrogenic compounds (nonylphenol, octylphenol, and diethylstilbestrol) significantly upregulated PHGPx mRNA in the testes (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that the EDCs might have a detrimental effect on spermatogenesis via abnormal enhancement of PHGPx expression in testes and that PHGPx is useful as a biomarker for toxicity screening of estrogenic or antiandrogenic EDCs in testes

Assessment of Cardiovascular Fibrosis Using Novel Fluorescent Probes

Cardiovascular fibrosis resulted from pressure overload or ischemia could alter myocardial stiffness and lead to ventricular dysfunction. Fluorescently labeled collagen-binding protein CNA 35, derived from the surface component of Staphylococcus aureus, and a novel synthetic biphenylalanine containing peptide are applied to stain fibrosis associated collagen and myocytes, respectively. Detailed pathological characteristics of cardiovascular fibrosis could be identified clearly in 2 hours. This staining pair requires only simple staining and brief washing, generating less than 10 ml of waste. The image information collected by this novel fluorescent staining pair is compatible with it collected by the traditional Masson's Trichrome and Picrosirius Red staining which are widely used to stain cardiovascular fibrosis and isolated cells