Administration of isoferulic acid improved the survival rate of lethal influenza virus pneumonia in mice.

BACKGROUND: Isoferulic acid (IFA) is a main active ingredient of the rhizoma of Cimicifuga beracleifolia, which is used frequently in Japanese traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory drug. It has been revealed that IFA inhibits the production of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), which is a murine counterpart of the chemokine family that may contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases through the chemotactic activity for inflammatory and immune effector cells. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of IFA on the progression of lethal influenza virus pneumonia in mice by comparison with that of dexamethasone (DX), a potent inhibitor for various inflammatory cytokines including MIP-2. METHODS: Mice were infected by intranasal inoculation of influenza virus under ether anesthesia. The IFA or DX was given by oral administration once daily for 4 days after infection. After infection, the survival rate and the change in body weight were daily monitored. RESULTS: IFA administration markedly improved the survival rate and body weight loss of influenza virus-infected mice in a suitable dose range (0.5 mg/day). However, DX administration did not show a beneficial effect at any dose. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that IFA is a novel tool not only for the intervention therapy, but also for the studies on the pathogenesis of influenza virus-induced pneumonia

Inhibitory effect of ferulic acid and isoferulic acid on the production of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 in response to respiratory syncytial virus infection in RAW264.7 cells.

We investigated the effect of ferulic acid (FA) and isoferulic acid (IFA), which are the main active components of the rhizoma of Cimicifuga heracleifolia (CH), an anti-inflammatory drug used frequently in Japanese traditional medicine, on the production of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIR-2) in a murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7, in response to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Following the exposure of cells to RSV for 20h, the MIP-2 level in condition medium was increased to about 20 ng/ml, although this level in mock-infected cells was negligible. In the presence of either FA or IFA, RSV-infected cells reduced MIP-2 production in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that FA and IFA might be responsible, at least in part, for the anti-inflammatory drug effect of CH extract through the inhibition of MIP-2 production

Effects of Green Tea Catechins and Theanine on Preventing Influenza Infection among Healthcare Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Experimental studies have revealed that green tea catechins and theanine prevent influenza infection, while the clinical evidence has been inconclusive. This study was conducted to determine whether taking green tea catechins and theanine can clinically prevent influenza infection.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><b>Design, Setting, and Participants</b>: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 200 healthcare workers conducted for 5 months from November 9, 2009 to April 8, 2010 in three healthcare facilities for the elderly in Higashimurayama, Japan.</p> <p><b>Interventions</b>: The catechin/theanine group received capsules including green tea catechins (378 mg/day) and theanine (210 mg/day). The control group received placebo.</p> <p><b>Main Outcome Measures</b>: The primary outcome was the incidence of clinically defined influenza infection. Secondary outcomes were (1) laboratory-confirmed influenza with viral antigen measured by immunochromatographic assay and (2) the time for which the patient was free from clinically defined influenza infection, i.e., the period between the start of intervention and the first diagnosis of influenza infection, based on clinically defined influenza infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eligible healthcare workers (n = 197) were enrolled and randomly assigned to an intervention; 98 were allocated to receive catechin/theanine capsules and 99 to placebo. The incidence of clinically defined influenza infection was significantly lower in the catechin/theanine group (4 participants; 4.1%) compared with the placebo group (13 participants; 13.1%) (adjusted OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.76, <it>P </it>= 0.022). The incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza infection was also lower in the catechin/theanine group (1 participant; 1.0%) than in the placebo group (5 participants; 5.1%), but this difference was not significant (adjusted OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.01 to 1.10; <it>P </it>= 0.112). The time for which the patient was free from clinically defined influenza infection was significantly different between the two groups (adjusted HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.84; <it>P </it>= 0.023).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Among healthcare workers for the elderly, taking green tea catechins and theanine may be effective prophylaxis for influenza infection.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials (NCT): <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01008020">NCT01008020</a></p

Vector boson scattering processes: Status and prospects

Insight into the electroweak (EW) and Higgs sectors can be achieved through measurements of vector boson scattering (VBS) processes. The scattering of EW bosons are rare processes that are precisely predicted in the Standard Model (SM) and are closely related to the Higgs mechanism. Modifications to VBS processes are also predicted in models of physics beyond the SM (BSM), for example through changes to the Higgs boson couplings to gauge bosons and the resonant production of new particles. In this review, experimental results and theoretical developments of VBS at the Large Hadron Collider, its high luminosity upgrade, and future colliders are presented

Risk of Liver Injury Associated with Chinese Herbal Products Containing Radix bupleuri in 639,779 Patients with Hepatitis B Virus Infection

and the risk of hospitalisation related to liver injury among HBV-infected patients in Taiwan. were assessed for any dose-response relationship. was 2.19 (95% CI: 1.66 to 2.89). The results using the case-crossover design remained similar. in HBV-infected patients might increase their risks of liver injury. Further studies are indicated to corroborate the above findings

Hearing Feelings: Affective Categorization of Music and Speech in Alexithymia, an ERP Study

Background: Alexithymia, a condition characterized by deficits in interpreting and regulating feelings, is a risk factor for a variety of psychiatric conditions. Little is known about how alexithymia influences the processing of emotions in music and speech. Appreciation of such emotional qualities in auditory material is fundamental to human experience and has profound consequences for functioning in daily life. We investigated the neural signature of such emotional processing in alexithymia by means of event-related potentials. Methodology: Affective music and speech prosody were presented as targets following affectively congruent or incongruent visual word primes in two conditions. In two further conditions, affective music and speech prosody served as primes and visually presented words with affective connotations were presented as targets. Thirty-two participants (16 male) judged the affective valence of the targets. We tested the influence of alexithymia on cross-modal affective priming and on N400 amplitudes, indicative of individual sensitivity to an affective mismatch between words, prosody, and music. Our results indicate that the affective priming effect for prosody targets tended to be reduced with increasing scores on alexithymia, while no behavioral differences were observed for music and word targets. At the electrophysiological level, alexithymia was associated with significantly smaller N400 amplitudes in response to affectively incongruent music and speech targets, but not to incongruent word targets. Conclusions: Our results suggest a reduced sensitivity for the emotional qualities of speech and music in alexithymia during affective categorization. This deficit becomes evident primarily in situations in which a verbalization of emotional information is required

Factors associated with quality of life of outpatients with breast cancer and gynecologic cancers and their family caregivers: a controlled study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Quality of life (QOL) issues are of interest in cancer because effective methods of treatment and detection have led to an increase in the number of long-term survivors. The objectives of the study were: to assess the subjective QOL of stable Sudanese women cancer outpatients and their family caregivers, using the WHO 26-item QOL Instrument; compare with matched general population groups, as well as diabetic and psychiatric patient groups; examine patient-caregiver concordance in ratings; and assess the variables associated with their QOL, with a view to identifying factors that can enhance quality of care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Responses of oncology outpatients with breast cancer (117), cervical cancer (46) and ovarian cancer (18) (aged 44.6, SD 11.5) were compared with those of their family caregivers and matched general population groups. Data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate statistics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The cancer groups had similar QOL domain scores, which were significantly lower than those of their caregivers, but higher than the control group as well as those of psychiatric and diabetic patients studied previously. Patients who were married, with higher education, better employment, and with longer duration of illness had higher QOL. Patients on radiotherapy and their caregivers had higher QOL scores. Correlations between patient's ratings and caregiver impression of patient's QOL were high. Caregiver impression was a significant predictor of patient's and caregiver's QOL. Other predictors for the patient were: currently feeling sick and duration of illness; for the caregiver: feeling sick, relationship to patient, and age.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cancer patients in stable condition and with psychosocial support can hope to enjoy good QOL with treatment. The findings constitute an evidence base for the country's cancer care program, to boost national health education about prognosis in cancer. Families living with women cancer patients are vulnerable and need support if the patient is recently diagnosed, less educated, single, not formally employed; and the caregiver is female, parent, younger, less educated, unemployed and feels sick. Clinicians need to invest in the education and support of family caregivers. The patient-caregiver dyad should be regarded as a unit for treatment in cancer care.</p

The physics case of a 3 TeV muon collider stage

In the path towards a muon collider with center of mass energy of 10 TeV ormore, a stage at 3 TeV emerges as an appealing option. Reviewing the physicspotential of such muon collider is the main purpose of this document. In orderto outline the progression of the physics performances across the stages, a fewsensitivity projections for higher energy are also presented. There are manyopportunities for probing new physics at a 3 TeV muon collider. Some of themare in common with the extensively documented physics case of the CLIC 3 TeVenergy stage, and include measuring the Higgs trilinear coupling and testingthe possible composite nature of the Higgs boson and of the top quark at the 20TeV scale. Other opportunities are unique of a 3 TeV muon collider, and stemfrom the fact that muons are collided rather than electrons. This isexemplified by studying the potential to explore the microscopic origin of thecurrent $g$-2 and $B$-physics anomalies, which are both related with muons.<br

The physics case of a 3 TeV muon collider stage

In the path towards a muon collider with center of mass energy of 10 TeV ormore, a stage at 3 TeV emerges as an appealing option. Reviewing the physicspotential of such muon collider is the main purpose of this document. In orderto outline the progression of the physics performances across the stages, a fewsensitivity projections for higher energy are also presented. There are manyopportunities for probing new physics at a 3 TeV muon collider. Some of themare in common with the extensively documented physics case of the CLIC 3 TeVenergy stage, and include measuring the Higgs trilinear coupling and testingthe possible composite nature of the Higgs boson and of the top quark at the 20TeV scale. Other opportunities are unique of a 3 TeV muon collider, and stemfrom the fact that muons are collided rather than electrons. This isexemplified by studying the potential to explore the microscopic origin of thecurrent $g$-2 and $B$-physics anomalies, which are both related with muons.<br