Carnosol and Related Substances Modulate Chemokine and Cytokine Production in Macrophages and Chondrocytes.

Phenolic diterpenes present in Rosmarinus officinalis and Salvia officinalis have anti-inflammatory and chemoprotective effects. We investigated the in vitro effects of carnosol (CL), carnosic acid (CA), carnosic acid-12-methylether (CAME), 20-deoxocarnosol and abieta-8,11,13-triene-11,12,20-triol (ABTT) in murine macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) and human chondrocytes. The substances concentration-dependently reduced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in LPS-stimulated macrophages (i.e., acute inflammation). They significantly blunted gene expression levels of iNOS, cytokines/interleukins (IL-1α, IL-6) and chemokines including CCL5/RANTES, CXCL10/IP-10. The substances modulated the expression of catabolic and anabolic genes in chondrosarcoma cell line SW1353 and in primary human chondrocytes that were stimulated by IL-1ß (i.e., chronic inflammation In SW1353, catabolic genes like MMP-13 and ADAMTS-4 that contribute to cartilage erosion were down-regulated, while expression of anabolic genes including Col2A1 and aggrecan were shifted towards pre-pathophysiological homeostasis. CL had the strongest overall effect on inflammatory mediators, as well as on macrophage and chondrocyte gene expression. Conversely, CAME mainly affected catabolic gene expression, whereas ABTT had a more selectively altered interleukin and chemokine gene exprssion. CL inhibited the IL-1ß induced nuclear translocation of NF-κBp65, suggesting that it primarily regulated via the NF-κB signalling pathway. Collectively, CL had the strongest effects on inflammatory mediators and chondrocyte gene expression. The data show that the phenolic diterpenes altered activity pattern of genes that regulate acute and chronic inflammatory processes. Since the substances affected catabolic and anabolic gene expression in cartilage cells in vitro, they may beneficially act on the aetiology of osteoarthritis.

Absorption studies show that phytase from Aspergillus niger significantly increases iron and zinc bioavailability from phytate-rich foods.

BACKGROUND: Iron and zinc deficiency are major public health problems affecting many parts of the world, including Southeast Asia. Infants, young children, and women of reproductive age are particularly vulnerable due to their high requirements. Even though iron and zinc are present in significant amounts in the plant-based diets typically consumed in developing countries, their bioavailability is low due to high levels of absorption inhibitors such as phytate. Phytase has been used in animal nutrition for decades to improve the bioavailability of certain minerals in feed. OBJECTIVE: To show the effect of phytase in human nutrition based on evidence from human studies. Phytase can be used either during processing or as an active food ingredient degrading dietary phytate during stomach transit time. METHODS: Evidence from human studies testing the effect of phytase on iron and zinc bioavailability using stable isotopes was reviewed. RESULTS: Twelve studies tested the effect of phytase on iron and five tested its effect on zinc bioavailability. Most of these studies used a phytase derived from Aspergillus niger. They found a beneficial effect unless phytate concentrations were too low or levels of inhibitors or enhancers of iron absorption were too high. Twenty to 320 phytase units per 100 g of flour significantly improved iron absorption, even though higher levels might further increase iron bioavailability. For zinc, not enough information is available to determine optimal activities. CONCLUSIONS: Phytase clearly has a beneficial effect on iron and zinc absorption from phytate-rich foods. It also has the potential to increase the absorption of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus in areas such as Southeast Asia where mineral deficiencies are widespread.

Monoamine reuptake inhibition and mood-enhancing potential of a specified oregano extract.

A healthy, balanced diet is essential for both physical and mental well-being. Such a diet must include an adequate intake of micronutrients, essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants. The monoamine neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, are derived from dietary amino acids and are involved in the modulation of mood, anxiety, cognition, sleep regulation and appetite. The capacity of nutritional interventions to elevate brain monoamine concentrations and, as a consequence, with the potential for mood enhancement, has not been extensively evaluated. The present study investigated an extract from oregano leaves, with a specified range of active constituents, identified via an unbiased, high-throughput screening programme. The oregano extract was demonstrated to inhibit the reuptake and degradation of the monoamine neurotransmitters in a dose-dependent manner, and microdialysis experiments in rats revealed an elevation of extracellular serotonin levels in the brain. Furthermore, following administration of oregano extract, behavioural responses were observed in mice that parallel the beneficial effects exhibited by monoamine-enhancing compounds when used in human subjects. In conclusion, these data show that an extract prepared from leaves of oregano, a major constituent of the Mediterranean diet, is brain-active, with moderate triple reuptake inhibitory activity, and exhibits positive behavioural effects in animal models. We postulate that such an extract may be effective in enhancing mental well-being in humans.

Challenges in discovering bioactives for the food industry.

Nutritional interventions are associated with transient deviations of homeostasis within the human body. The role of a balanced nutrition is, firstly, to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients to efficiently enable all metabolic processes and, secondly, to contribute to sustained human health. This is a new challenge for the food industry because consumers demand taste and convenience in addition to healthy food. The attempts of the food industry to omit health-adverse compounds, and incorporate constituents with identified beneficial health effects has coined the term 'functional food', encompassing fresh or processed food with health-promoting and/or disease-preventing properties. The active ingredients of these products are known as 'nutraceuticals'. This paper outlines scientific concepts applied to the identification of novel bioactive food ingredients.

A nonradioactive high-throughput/high-content assay for measurement of the human serotonin reuptake transporter function in vitro.

Both the tricyclic and specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor classes of antidepressants act primarily by inhibiting the reuptake of released serotonin by the human serotonin reuptake transporter (hSERT). In this article, the authors describe the use of a fluorescent substrate of the transporter (4-(4-(dimethylamino)-styrl)-N-methylpyridinium, ASP) to develop a microplate-based high-throughput screen for hSERT function. The assay is sensitive to known inhibitors of serotonin uptake, including fluoxetine (Prozac), with the correct rank order of potency and IC(50) values close to those reported in the literature for tritiated serotonin uptake. The authors also describe the validation of the assay for natural product screening using a test set of 2400 pure phyto-chemicals and 80 plant extracts. The mean Z of the screened plates was 0.53. Hit rates, confirmation rates, and validation of the hits in a "classical" assay for serotonin uptake are all reported. The assay can also be read in "high-content" mode using a subcellular imaging device, which allows direct detection of possible assay interference by acutely cytotoxic compounds. Among the compounds identified were several previously reported inhibitors of the hSERT, as well as compounds having structural similarity to the tricyclic antidepressant drugs.

The assessment and classification of non-complex burns injuries.

A burn or scald, however minor, is painful and distressing. Patients with non-complex injuries may find that their quality of life is affected by pain, wound dressings and fear of disfigurement, as is the case, albeit for a shorter period of time, with more complex injuries.

The management of non-complex burns within the community.

Superficial burns and superficial partial-thickness burns can be managed at home or on an outpatient basis. More severe injuries should be referred for specialist treatment at a burns unit. If a superficial partial-thickness burn does not show signs of healing after 10 days, the patient should be referred to the local burns and plastic surgery service as the injury may be infected or deeper than had originally been suspected.

An evaluation of fluorescence polarization and lifetime discriminated polarization for high throughput screening of serine/threonine kinases.

We used two kinases, c-jun N terminal kinase (JNK-1) and protein kinase C (PKC), as model enzymes to evaluate the potential of fluorescence polarization (FP) for high-throughput screening and the susceptibility of these assays to compound interference. For JNK-1 the enzyme kinetics in the FP assay were consistent with those found in a [gamma-33P]ATP filter wash assay. Determined pIC(50)s for nonfluorescent JNK-1 inhibitors were also consistent with those found in the filter wash assay. In contrast, fluorescent compounds were found to interfere with the JNK-1 FP assay, appearing as false positives, defined by their lack of activity in the filter wash assay. We also developed a second assay using a different kinase, protein kinase C, which was used to test a 5000 compound diversity set. As for JNK-1, interference from fluorescent compounds caused a high false positive rate. The Molecular Devices Corporation 'FLARe' instrument is capable of discriminating between fluorophores on the basis of their fluorescence (excited state) lifetime, and may assist in reducing compound interference in fluorescent assays. In both model FP kinase assays described here some, although not complete, reduction in interference from fluorescent compounds was achieved by the use of FLARe.

Tratamento de feridas: gerenciamento de enfermagem nos locais doadores e receptores de enxertos de pele / Wound healing: nursing procedures

O enxerto de pele é uma das técnicas mais comuns usadas na cirurgia plástica e reconstrutora. O paciente que se submete a um enxerto de pele de espessura-dividida pode apresentar uma série de problemas ao enfermeiro, no que se refere aos cuidados com os ferimentos. Os tópicos que poderiam ser abordados incluem: motivos para o enxerto; tipos de enxerto usado; cuidados pré-operatórios e pós-operatórios com os locais doadores e receptores; e os procedimentos gerais necessários para promover a cicatrizaçäo do ferimento e uma aquisiçäo bem-sucedida do enxerto pelo paciente.