Polyphenols in lahpet-so and two new catechin metabolites produced by anaerobic microbial fermentation of green tea

The phenolic constituents of lahpet-so, a traditional postfermented tea of Myanmar produced under anaerobic conditions, were examined. The major polyphenols were identified to be pyrogallol and 4′-hydroxyphenyl-3-(2′′,4′′,6′′-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol, 3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl-3-(2′′,4′′,6′′-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol, and 3′,4′,5′-trihydroxyphenyl-3-(2′′,4′′,6′′-trihydroxyphenyl)-propan-2-ol. The hydroxydiphenylpropan-2-ols were identical to the initial metabolites produced from green tea catechins by mammalian intestinal bacteria. In addition, an anaerobic mixed-fermentation experiment using lahpet-so and Japanese commercial green tea afforded two new catechin degradation products together with known compound bruguierol B and the above-mentioned catechin metabolites. Based on spectroscopic evidence, the structures of the new compounds were concluded to be 4-(2,5-dihydroxyhexyl)benzene-1,2-diol and (5S,8R)-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5-methyl-5·8-epoxy-5H-benzocycloheptene-2,3,4-triol. Interestingly, the production mechanism was deduced to be the inverse of the biosynthesis of the flavan-3-ol A ring.     

Elastography for hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery

Palpation is a subjective and non-sharable diagnostic method. Recently, palpation has been supported and replaced by elastography, which provides a novel parameter of “stiffness” as a visual representation or quantified value. Today, elastography is performed using two major modalities: strain elastography and shear wave elastography. Strain elastography converts the extent of deformation during external compression into colors, displaying these colors as a strain map in a motion picture representing the relative elasticity inside the region of interest. Shear wave elastography can quantify the elasticity of a target by calculating the velocity of shear waves generated by a probe. In addition to superficial organs, elastography has also been applied to upper abdominal organs, including the liver, pancreas and spleen. The visualization of the stiffness of focal lesions in the liver or the pancreas has enabled a more sensitive and specific depiction of small, non-palpable nodules, which are difficult to depict using B-mode ultrasonography. The quantification of stiffness also enables non-invasive estimates of liver fibrosis, the risk of postoperative liver insufficiency and the risk of recurrence of viral hepatitis after transplantation. In this article, we review the major reports that have recently been published describing the effective application of elastography to solid upper abdominal organs in a clinical setting.     

Comparison of prognosis and safety of pacemaker implantation in patients aged less than or 85 years and older

Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology - Cardiac conduction disturbance necessitating pacemaker implantation is common among elderly patients. However, patients often have...     

Intra-procedural anticoagulation and post-procedural hemoglobin fall in atrial fibrillation ablation with minimally interrupted direct oral anticoagulants: comparisons across 4 drugs

Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology - Thromboembolic or hemorrhagic complications related to atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation are rare, and thus, it is difficult to compare their...     

Repeated talaporfin sodium photodynamic therapy for esophageal cancer: safety and efficacy

Esophagus - Talaporfin sodium photodynamic therapy (tPDT) is an effective salvage treatment for local failure after chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer. Repeated tPDT could also be indicated...