Inhibition of lens-aldose reductase activity by brazilin and haematoxylin

Brazilin and haematoxylin, plant pigments, were examined for their effects on the Bovine-Lens aldose reductase (LAR)-activity. About 50% inhibition was observed in a concentration of 10 (-4) M-brazilin and 10 (-4) M-haematoxylin, and above 95% inhibition was observed in a concentration of 10 (-3) M-brazilin and 10 (-3)M-haematoxylin. In order to determine the type of inhibition, kinetic studies were also conducted with brazilin and haematoxylin, in which both were found to be noncompetitive inhibitors.     

Studies on the development of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) by monoclonal antibodies of different affinity constants

Mouse monoclonal antibodies to Hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) were prepared and their functional capabilities tested by the method of solid phase enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay(ELISA). HBsAg binding studies indicated that one monoclonal antibody 6E-1-1 bound more HBsAg at a faster rate than the other monoclonal antibodies. Also, for the binding inhibition studies with the selected monoclonal antibody 6E-1-1, one monoclonal antibody 8D-3-6 didn’t exhibit binding inhibition for HBsAg. Then, a simultaneous ELISA method was developed for the immunodiagnosis of HBsAg. Different combinations of two monoclonal antibodies as solid phase and horseradish peroxidase(HRPO) labeled phase were studied. The combination of monoclonal antibody of higher affinity constant (6E-1-1) immobilized in a solid phase and monoclonal antibody of lower affinity constant (8D-3-6) as a HRPO labeled phase was more sensitive when two monoclonal antibodies of different affinity constants for HBsAg were prepared.     

Associations Between Thyroid Hormone Levels and Urinary Concentrations of Bisphenol A,F, and S in 6-Year-old Children in Korea

ObjectivesBisphenol A (BPA) is used in the electrical, mechanical, medical, and food industries. Previous studies have suggested that BPA is an endocrine disruptor. Regulation of BPA has led to increased use of bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS). However, few studies have investigated the associations of BPF and BPS with thyroid dysfunction in children. Our study investigated the associations of prenatal BPA and early childhood BPA, BPF, and BPS exposure with thyroid function in 6-year-old children.MethodsPrenatal BPA concentrations were measured during the second trimester of pregnancy in an established prospective birth cohort. We measured urinary BPA, BPF, and BPS concentrations and thyroid hormone levels (thyroid-stimulating hormone, total T₃, and free T₄) in 6-year-old children (n=574). We examined the associations between urinary bisphenol concentrations and percentage change of thyroid hormone concentrations using multivariate linear regression. We also compared thyroid hormone levels by dividing the cohort according to BPA, BPF, and BPS concentrations.ResultsThe associations between prenatal BPA and total T₃ levels were statistically significant in all models, except for girls when using a crude model. The associations between urinary BPA and BPS concentrations and levels of all thyroid hormones were not statistically significant. However, we observed that lower free T₄ levels (−1.94%; 95% confidence interval, −3.82 to −0.03) were associated with higher urinary BPF concentrations in girls only.ConclusionsOur findings identified significant associations between prenatal BPA exposure and total T₃ levels in all children and between BPF exposure and free T₄ levels in girls only.     

Characteristics affecting cervical sagittal alignment in patients with chronic low back pain

BackgroundSagittal spino-pelvic malalignment in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have been reported in the past, which may also affect cervical spine lesions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cervical alignment in patients with CLBP.MethodOf the patients who visited an orthopedic specialist due to low back pain lasting more than three months, 121 cases (average 71.5-years-old, 46 male and 75 female) with whole standing spinal screening radiographs were reviewed (CLBP group). Cervical parameters included cervical lordosis (CL), C2–C7 sagittal vertical axis (C2-7 SVA), and the T1 slope minus CL (T1S-CL). Cervical spine deformity was defined as C2-7 SVA >4 cm, CL <0°, or T1S-CL ≧20°. We compared the cervical alignment of these patients with 121 age and gender matched volunteers (control group).ResultsThe prevalence of cervical spine deformity was significantly higher in the CLBP group than in the control group (20.7% vs. 10.7%, P = 0.034). The mean CL was smaller in the CLBP group than in the control group (16.1° vs. 21.4°, P = 0.002). The mean C2-7 SVA was 17.6 mm vs. 18.7 mm in the CLBP group and in the control group, respectively (P = 0.817). The mean T1S-CL was larger in the CLBP group than in the control group (9.1° vs. 3.5°, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that people with CLBP were more likely to have cervical deformities than people without CLBP (odds ratio 2.16, 95% confidence interval 1.006 to 4.637).ConclusionsThis study results suggest that people with CLBP present with worse cervical sagittal alignment and higher prevalence of cervical spine deformities than age and gender matched volunteers with no CLBP. This means CLBP impacts cervical spine lesions negatively.Level of evidenceⅣ     

Central Regulation of Branched-Chain Amino Acids Is Mediated by AgRP Neurons

Circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are elevated in obesity and diabetes, and recent studies support a causal role for BCAAs in insulin resistance and defective glycemic control. The physiological mechanisms underlying BCAA regulation are poorly understood. Here we show that insulin signaling in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) of rats is mandatory for lowering plasma BCAAs, most probably by inducing hepatic BCAA catabolism. Insulin receptor deletion only in agouti-related protein (AgRP)–expressing neurons (AgRP neurons) in the MBH impaired hepatic BCAA breakdown and suppression of plasma BCAAs during hyperinsulinemic clamps in mice. In support of this, chemogenetic stimulation of AgRP neurons in the absence of food significantly raised plasma BCAAs and impaired hepatic BCAA degradation. A prolonged fasting or ghrelin treatment recapitulated designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs–induced activation of AgRP neurons and increased plasma BCAAs. Acute stimulation of vagal motor neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus was sufficient to decrease plasma BCAAs. Notably, elevated plasma BCAAs were associated with impaired glucose homeostasis. These findings suggest a critical role of insulin signaling in AgRP neurons for BCAA regulation and raise the possibility that this control may be mediated primarily via vagal outflow. Furthermore, our results provide an opportunity to closely examine the potential mechanistic link between central nervous system–driven BCAA control and glucose homeostasis.     

Sex differences in clinical characteristics and their influence on clinical outcomes in an observational cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

ObjectiveRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is more prevalent in women, but sex differences remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to elucidate sex differences in clinical characteristics and their potential impact on clinical outcomes in a large Korean cohort of patients with RA.MethodsIn total, 5376 RA patients from the KORean Observational study Network for Arthritis (KORONA) database were examined at baseline and for 3 consecutive years using the disease activity score 28 (DAS28), health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Within a subgroup with active disease (DAS28 ≥ 3.2) at baseline, sex impacts on clinical outcome during follow-up were analyzed using generalized estimating equation (GEE) models. The factors related to achieving clinical remission were analyzed using Cox-proportional hazard regression.ResultsAt baseline, women (n = 4574) were younger and had more erosive disease and longer disease duration than men (n = 802) with higher scores in DAS28, HAQ, and PROs. The prevalence of interstitial lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in men was higher than that of women. In a RA subgroup with active disease at baseline, GEE analyses demonstrated that women RA significantly influenced the rate of change of DAS28 over time. In that group, men are associated with achieving DAS28 sustained remission and point remission.ConclusionsWomen with RA in Korea report higher levels of disease activity and PROs compared to men, whereas most comorbidities were more prevalent in men. The longitudinal change in disease activity and the rate of achieving clinical remission were found to be worse in women with RA.     

Mapping the effects of motor cortex stimulation on somatosensory relay neurons in the rat thalamus: Direct responses and afferent modulation

Single unit recordings were used to map the spatial distribution of motor (MI) cortical influences on thalamic somatosensory relay nuclei in the rat. A total of 215 microelectrode penetrations were made to record single neurons in tracks through the medial and lateral ventroposterior (VPM and VPL), ventrolateral (VL), reticular (nRt), and posterior (Po) thalamic nuclei. Single units were classified according to their: 1) location within the nuclei, 2) receptive fields, and 3) response to standardized microstimulation in deep layers of the forepaw-forelimb areas of MI cortex. For mapping purposes, only short latency (1-7 msec) excitatory neuronal responses to the MI cortex stimulation were considered. Percentages of recorded thalamic neurons responsive to the MI stimulation varied considerably across nuclei: VL: 42.6%, nRt: 23.0%, VPL: 15.7%, VPM: 9.3%, and Po: 3.9%. Within the VPL, most responsive neurons were found in "border" regions, i.e., areas adjacent to the VL, and (to a lesser extent) the nRt and Po thalamic nuclei. The same parameters of MI cortical stimulation were used in studies of corticofugal modulation of afferent transmission through the VPL thalamus. A condition-test (C-T) paradigm was implemented in which the cortical stimulation (C) was delivered at a range of time intervals before test (T) mechanical vibratory stimulation was applied to digit No. 4 of the contralateral forepaw. The time course of MI cortical effects was analyzed by measuring the averaged evoked unit responses of the thalamic neurons to the T stimuli, and plotting them as a function of C-T intervals from 5-50 msec. Of the 30 VPL neurons tested during MI stimulation, the average response to T stimulation was decreased a mean 43%, with the suppression peaking at about 30 msec after the C stimulus. This suppression was more pronounced in the VPL border areas (-52% in areas adjacent to VL and nRt) than in the VPL center (-25%).     

Chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant principle from the aerial parts ofArtemisia iwayomogi that acts on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical

The antioxidant activity ofArtemisia iwayomogi was determined by measuring the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical The methanol extract ofA. iwayomogi showed strong antioxidant activity, and thus fractionated with several solvents. The antioxidant activity potential of the individual fraction was in the order of ethyl acetate>n-butanol>water>chloroform>n-hexane fraction. The ethyl acetate andn-butanol soluble fractions exhibiting strong antioxidant activity were further purified by repeated silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Antioxidant chlorogenic acid was isolated as one of the active principles from then-butanol fraction, together with the inactive components, 1-octacosanol, scopoletin, scopolin, apigenin 7,4′-di-O-methylether luteolin 6,3′-di-O-methylether (jaceosidin), apigenin 7-methylether (genkwanin), 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methoxyacetophenone 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and quebrachitol. The antioxidant activity of chlorogenic acid was comparable to that of L-ascorbic acid, which is a well known antioxidant.     

Ginsenoside Rs3, a genuine dammarane-glycoside from Korean red ginseng

A genuine dammarane-glycoside, named as ginsenoside Rs₃, was isolated from the MeOH extracts of Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) through repeated silica gel column chromatographies and its chemical structure was determined as (20S)-protopanaxadiol 3-O-[6″-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside on the basis of several spectral and physical evidences including HMBC and FAB-MS.