Occurrence and health risk assessment of antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead in fresh fruits consumed in South Korea

Abstract Although various fruits are consumed as fresh produce in South Korea, information on the concentrations of heavy metals in such fruits remains lacking despite the known toxic effects of the metals. Moreover, the health risks posed by seven potentially toxic metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Sb) ingested through fruit consumption have not been assessed using recent dietary data and occurrence data. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to quantify these metals in 207 samples of fresh fruits mainly consumed in South Korea. The mean concentrations (mg kg−1 fresh weight) of the metals in all fruit samples were as follows: As  As (0.0086) > Ni (0.0081) > Sb (0.0080) > Ba (0.0031) > Cd (0.0027) > Cr (0.0001), and the hazard index, which is the sum of the hazard quotients, was 0.0275 (less than 1). The carcinogenic risks of As and Pb were 4.62E − 07 and 5.05E − 07, respectively (below 1E − 04). The hazard index of seven metals and carcinogenic risks of As and Pb indicated that no health risks were associated with fruit consumption in the Korean population. However, the hazard quotient and carcinogenic risk of Pb in apples were the highest for children aged 1–2years, indicating that continuous targeted risk monitoring in this age group is required

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal attainment rates in high-risk patients with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus in Korea: a retrospective cohort study

Background Real-world evidence of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal attainment rates for Asian patients is deficient. The objective of this study was to assess the status of dyslipidemia management, especially in high-risk patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) including stroke and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of 514,866 subjects from the National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort database in Korea. Participants were followed up from 2002 to 2015. Subjects with a high-risk of CVD prior to LDL-C measurement and subjects who were newly-diagnosed for high-risk of CVD following LDL-C measurement were defined as known high-risk patients (n = 224,837) and newly defined high-risk patients (n = 127,559), respectively. Data were analyzed by disease status: stroke, ACS, coronary heart disease (CHD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), diabetes mellitus (DM) and atherosclerotic artery disease (AAD). Results Overall, less than 50% of patients in each disease category achieved LDL-C goals (LDL-C < 70 mg/dL in patients with stroke, ACS, CHD and PAD; and LDL-C < 100 mg/dL in patients with DM and AAD). Statin use was observed in relatively low proportions of subjects (21.5% [known high-risk], 34.4% [newly defined high-risk]). LDL-C goal attainment from 2009 to 2015 steadily increased but the goal-achiever proportion of newly defined high-risk patients with ACS remained reasonably constant (38.7% in 2009; 38.1% in 2015). Conclusions LDL-C goal attainment rates in high-risk patients with CVD and DM in Korea demonstrate unmet medical needs. Proactive management is necessary to bridge the gap between the recommendations of clinical guidelines and actual clinical practice.This study was supported by a research grant from Amgen, Inc

Phaseolin Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in RAW 264.7 Cells and Zebrafish

Kushen (Radix Sophorae flavescentis) is used to treat ulcerative colitis, tumors, and pruritus. Recently, phaseolin, formononetin, matrine, luteolin, and quercetin, through a network pharmacology approach, were tentatively identified as five bioactive constituents responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of S. flavescentis. However, the role of phaseolin (one of the primary components of S. flavescentis) in the direct regulation of inflammation and inflammatory processes is not well known. In this study, the beneficial role of phaseolin against inflammation was explored in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation models of RAW 264.7 macrophages and zebrafish larvae. Phaseolin inhibited LPS-mediated production of nitric oxide (NO) and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), without affecting cell viability. In addition, phaseolin suppressed pro-inflammatory mediators such as cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, phaseolin reduced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity as well as macrophage adhesion in vitro and the recruitment of leukocytes in vivo by downregulating Ninjurin 1 (Ninj1), an adhesion molecule. Finally, phaseolin inhibited the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). In view of the above, our results suggest that phaseolin could be a potential therapeutic candidate for the management of inflammation

Commonality and Specificity of Acupuncture Point Selections

Objective. Because individual acupoints have a wide variety of indications, it is difficult to accurately identify the associations between acupoints and specific diseases. Thus, the present study aimed at revealing the commonality and specificity of acupoint selections using virtual medical diagnoses based on several cases. Methods. Eighty currently practicing Korean Medicine doctors were asked to prescribe acupoints for virtual acupuncture treatment after being presented with medical information extracted from 10 case reports. The acupoints prescribed for each case were quantified; the data were normalised and compared among the 10 cases using z-scores. A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to categorise diseases treated based on the acupoint prescription patterns. Additionally, network analyses were performed on the acupoint prescriptions, at the individual case and cluster level. Results. Acupoints ST36, LI4, and LR3 were most commonly prescribed across all diseases. Regarding the specific acupoints prescribed in each cluster, acupoints around the disease site (knee and lower back) were frequently used in cluster A (musculoskeletal symptoms), acupoints LI4, LR3, PC6, and KI3 were frequently used in cluster B (psychiatric symptoms), and acupoints ST36, LI4, LR3, PC6, CV12, and SP6 were frequently used in cluster C (several symptoms of diseases of internal medicine). Conclusions. The present study identified the commonality and specificity of acupoint selections based on virtual acupuncture treatments prescribed by practicing clinicians. Acupoint selection patterns, which were defined using a top-down approach in previous studies and classical medical texts, may be further elucidated using a bottom-up approach based on patient medical records

Novel Role of Endogenous Catalase in Macrophage Polarization in Adipose Tissue

Macrophages are important components of adipose tissue inflammation, which results in metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance. Notably, obesity induces a proinflammatory phenotypic switch in adipose tissue macrophages, and oxidative stress facilitates this switch. Thus, we examined the role of endogenous catalase, a key regulator of oxidative stress, in the activity of adipose tissue macrophages in obese mice. Catalase knockout (CKO) exacerbated insulin resistance, amplified oxidative stress, and accelerated macrophage infiltration into epididymal white adipose tissue in mice on normal or high-fat diet. Interestingly, catalase deficiency also enhanced classical macrophage activation (M1) and inflammation but suppressed alternative activation (M2) regardless of diet. Similarly, pharmacological inhibition of catalase activity using 3-aminotriazole induced the same phenotypic switch and inflammatory response in RAW264.7 macrophages. Finally, the same phenotypic switch and inflammatory responses were observed in primary bone marrow-derived macrophages from CKO mice. Taken together, the data indicate that endogenous catalase regulates the polarization of adipose tissue macrophages and thereby inhibits inflammation and insulin resistance

Utilization patterns of traditional medicine in Taiwan and South Korea by using national health insurance data in 2011.

BackgroundThe growing popularity of traditional medicine (TM) is reflected in the increasing trend for its use worldwide. Many people are turning to use TM as a complementary or integrative treatment. The aim of this study is to present the first nationwide report describing the use of TM in two countries (South Korea and Taiwan).Materials and methodsTo present the TM utilization patterns between South Korea and Taiwan, we analyzed data from the National Health Insurance cohorts in each country, each of which has approximately one million inhabitants.ResultsIn total, 261,478 (25.5%) of 1,025,340 people in South Korea and 260,529 (26.8%) of 970,866 people in Taiwan used TM services at least once under the National Health Insurance in 2011. Using multivariable logistic regression, TM users in South Korea were significantly more likely to be female, 61-80 years of age and individuals with a high income, and those in Taiwan were significantly more likely to be female, 21-40 years of age and individuals with a middle income. The two countries showed similar utilization patterns in visit seasons. People visited TM clinics more frequently than TM hospitals in both countries. The most common TM treatment in South Korea was acupuncture, whereas in Taiwan, various powdered Chinese herbal preparations were the most commonly used treatment. The most common diseases for people seeking TM services were musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases in South Korea and Symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions in Taiwan.ConclusionAccording to the National Health Insurance database, about one fourth of the NHI beneficiaries of South Korea and Taiwan had TM use in 2011. Different TM utilization patterns existed between South Korea and Taiwan, which might be due to the differences in insurance coverage between the two countries

miR-125a-5p attenuates macrophage-mediated vascular dysfunction by targeting Ninjurin1

© 2021, The Author(s).Ninjurin1 (Ninj1), an adhesion molecule, regulates macrophage function in hyaloid regression, multiple sclerosis, and atherosclerosis. However, its biological relevance and the mechanism underlying its function in vascular network integrity have not been studied. In this study, we investigated the role of Ninj1 in physiological (postnatal vessel formation) and pathological (endotoxin-mediated inflammation and diabetes) conditions and developed a strategy to regulate Ninj1 using specific micro (mi)RNAs under pathological conditions. Ninj1-deficient mice exhibited decreased hyaloid regression, tip cell formation, retinal vascularized area, recruitment of macrophages, and endothelial apoptosis during postnatal development, resulting in delayed formation of the vascular network. Five putative miRNAs targeting Ninj1 were selected using the miRanda algorithm and comparison of expression patterns. Among them, miR-125a-5p showed a profound inhibitory effect on Ninj1 expression, and miR-125a-5p mimic suppressed the cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix adhesion of macrophages and expression of pro-inflammatory factors mediated by Ninj1. Furthermore, miR-125a-5p mimic inhibited the recruitment of macrophages into inflamed retinas in endotoxin-induced inflammation and streptozotocin-induced diabetes in vivo. In particular, miR-125a-5p mimic significantly attenuated vascular leakage in diabetic retinopathy. Taken together, these findings suggest that Ninj1 plays a pivotal role in macrophage-mediated vascular integrity and that miR-125a-5p acts as a novel regulator of Ninj1 in the management of inflammatory diseases and diabetic retinopathy.N