Polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity in organic and conventional plant foods

Fruit and vegetable intake is associated with lower risk of chronic diseases as a result of consumption of antioxidant substances. Organic foods are thought to have higher antioxidant capacity, because this form of agricultural management could induce synthesis of secondary compounds such as polyphenols. The objective of this work is to evaluate polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity in organically (OG) and conventionally (CV) grown fruits and vegetables, as well as in different parts of the plants. Soluble and hydrolysable polyphenols were quantified by Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, and the antioxidant capacity was measured by the DPPH radical method. The results showed that organic fruits tend to have higher hydrolysable polyphenol contents than conventional ones, with values being 11.5% in orange peels, to 72.6% in papaya peels, higher for hydrolysable polyphenols. Fruit peels also showed higher concentration of polyphenols than pulp, reaching, for bananas and tangerines, twice the amount found in pulps, which reflected in higher antioxidant capacity. Polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity varied among organic and conventional vegetables with no prevalence from either agricultural type. This study suggests that the effect of organic practices results in different effect patterns according to the plant species analysed, with fruits being more susceptible to the induction of polyphenol synthesis, and the greatest accumulation of polyphenols in external plant tissues. In general, organic agriculture results in food products with similar or slightly higher polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity.     

Butyrate infusions in the ovine fetus delay the biologic clock for globin gene switching.

The switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin expression is regulated in many mammalian species by a developmental clock-like mechanism and determined by the gestational age of the fetus. Prolonging fetal globin gene expression is of considerable interest for therapeutic potential in diseases caused by abnormal beta-globin genes. Butyric acid, which is found in increased plasma concentrations in infants of diabetic mothers who have delayed globin gene switching, was infused into catheterized fetal lambs in utero during the time of the normal globin gene switch period. The globin gene switch was significantly delayed in three of four butyrate-treated fetuses compared with controls and was entirely prevented in one fetus in whom the infusion was begun before the globin switch was under way. These data provide a model for investigating and arresting the biologic clock of hemoglobin switching.     

Complications of abdominal surgery in patients with liver cirrhosis

The morbidity and mortality of major abdominal surgical interventions in 34 histologically proven cirrhotic patients are analysed by the authors. The surgical interventions were carried out by urgent, absolute and elective indications. 37 general and surgical complications could have been observed following the major abdominal surgery of 34 cirrhotics. 7 out of 34 patients died. Suture-line insufficiency, peritonitis, sepsis and other inflammatory processes turned out most frequently among the complications. The Child criteria, the prothrombin level and white blood cell count proved to be useful prognostic factors by statistical analysis.     

Intraoperative estimation of liver blood flow in man.

The intraoperative measurement of the afferent circulation of the liver, namely the hepatic artery flow and portal venous flow was carried out upon 14 anaesthetized patients having carcinoma of the splanchnic area, mainly in the head of the pancreas, by means of transit time ultrasonic volume flowmeter. The hepatic artery flow, portal venous flow and total hepatic flow were 0.377 +/- 0.10; 0.614 +/- 0.21; 0.992 +/- 0.276 l/min, respectively. The ratio of hepatic arterial flow to portal venous flow was 0.66 +/- 0.259. There was a sharp, significant increase in hepatic arterial flow (29.8 +/- 6.1%, p < 0.01) after the temporary occlusion of portal vein, while the temporary occlusion of hepatic artery did not have any significant effect on portal venous circulation. The interaction between hepatic arterial flow and portal venous flow is a much disputed question, but according to the presented data here, it is unquestionable, that the decrease of portal venous flow immediately results a significant increase in hepatic artery circulation.     

Abrogation of IL-3 Requirements and Stimulation of Hematopoietic Cell Proliferationin Vitroandin Vivoby Carboxylic Acids

ABSTRACT: Short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate and propionate, induce fetal globin gene expression and are under clinical investigation in the β-hemoglobinopathies. Limitations of the short-chain fatty acids as therapeutics include their rapid metabolism and a tendency to induce cell growth arrest if administered for prolonged periods. In studies described here, the cellular effects of other inducers of fetal globin, phenoxyacetic acid and derivatives of short-chain fatty acids and cinnamic acids, were investigated in the human erythroid cell line K562, the IL-3 dependent multi-lineage cell line (32D), and in mice and primates. Several test compounds supported 32D cell proliferation despite a 50-fold depletion of IL-3, which resulted in growth arrest and apoptotic death in control cells. The degree of proliferation induced by certain test compounds was similar to the degree of proliferation induced by Erythropoietin and G-CSF in the cells. Eight of ten compounds induced γ globin mRNA in K562 cells. A 2.5 to 6-fold increase in reticulocytosis was observedin vivoin mice treated with two prototype compounds. Pharmacokinetic studies of three prototype compounds demonstrated millimolar plasma concentrations after single oral doses for many hours in primates. These findings identify orally bioavailable compounds which induce γ globin gene expression and hematopoietic cell proliferation through an activity which partially abrogates requirements for IL-3. Such compounds provide potential for oral therapeutics which stimulate proliferation of hematopoietic cells of multiple lineages, as well as inducing fetal globin.     

Mapping the Von Hippel -- Lindau disease tumour suppressor gene: identification of germline deletions by pulsed field gel electrophoresis

Von Hlppel—Lindau (VHL) disease is a dominantly Inheritedfamillal cancer syndrome In which affected individuals havea greatly increased predisposition to the development of haemangloblastomasof the central nervous system and retina, renal cell carcinomaand phaeochromocytoma. The VHL gene has been mapped to chromosome3p25 -p26 by genetic linkage studies and we have previouslydemonstrated that the VHL gene is tightly linked to the D3S601locus (Zmax = 18.86 at     

An association between variants in the IGF2 gene and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome: interaction between genotype and epigenotype

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a fetal overgrowth disorder involving the deregulation of a number of genes, including IGF2 and CDKN1C, in the imprinted gene cluster on chromosome 11p15.5. In sporadic BWS cases the majority of patients have epimutations in this region. Loss of imprinting of the IGF2 gene is frequently observed in BWS, as is reduced CDKN1C expression related to loss of maternal allele-specific methylation (LOM) of the differentially methylated region KvDMR1. The causes of epimutations are unknown, although recently an association with assisted reproductive technologies has been described. To date the only genetic mutations described in BWS are in the CDKN1C gene. In order to screen for other genetic predispositions to BWS, the conserved sequences between human and mouse differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of the IGF2 gene were analyzed for variants. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in DMR0 (T123C, G358A, T382G and A402G) which occurred in three out of 16 possible haplotypes: TGTA, CATG and CAGA. DNA samples from a cohort of sporadic BWS patients and healthy controls were genotyped for the DMR0 SNPs. There was a significant increase in the frequency of the CAGA haplotype and a significant decrease in the frequency of the CATG haplotype in the patient cohort compared to controls. These associations were still significant in a BWS subgroup with KvDMR1 LOM, suggesting that the G allele at T382G SNP (CAGA haplotype) is associated with LOM at KvDMR1. This indicates either a genetic predisposition to LOM or interactions between genotype and epigenotype that impinge on the disease phenotype.     

The regulation of exogenous and endogenous class I MHC genes in a human tumor cell line, K562

Previous studies have implied the existence of a trans-dominant intracellular repressor able to down-regulate the expression of the entire family of class I MHC genes in the genome of the K562 erythroleukemia cell line. This study demonstrates, however, that the transfection of human or murine class I genes into K562 cells leads to the cell surface expression of the transfected MHC gene product in all situations, even when several kilobases of 5' flanking sequence were included in the transfected genes. The endogenous cellular class I MHC genes remained repressed in the transfected cells. These findings suggest that repression of class I MHC gene expression in K562 may not be mediated predominantly by a trans-dominant repressor of MHC gene expression; rather, other more complex regulatory influences might exist.     

Histopathological diagnosis of Barrett's mucosa and associated neoplasias. Results of a consensus conference of the Working Group for "Gastroenterological Pathology of the German Society for Pathology" on 22 September 2001

There are a number of difficulties regarding the diagnosis of Barrett's mucosa and the varying grades of neoplasia that may be associated with it. It was therefore the aim of a consensus conference of the "Working Group for Gastroenterological Pathology within the German Society of Pathology" to achieve standardization regarding the following issues: definition and diagnostic criteria for Barrett's mucosa and its discrimination from intestinal metaplasia of the cardia, diagnostic criteria for intraepithelial neoplasia, number of biopsies necessary to establish the diagnosis, significance of additional immunohistochemical and/or molecular biological methods as well as importance of a second opinion in the diagnosis of intraepithelial neoplasia.