The Protective Effects of Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Pupae Peptides on UV-Induced Skin Photoaging in Mice.

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) pupae are popular edible insects with high nutritional and therapeutic value. Currently, there is growing interest in the comprehensive application of silkworm pupae. In this study, peptides that exhibited anti-photoaging activity were obtained from silkworm pupae protein, aiming to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of silkworm pupae peptides (SPPs) on skin photoaging. The results showed that SPPs were composed of 900 short peptides and could effectively alleviate skin photoaging progression. They significantly eliminated excessive production of ROS and MDA; meanwhile, they also renovated the antioxidant enzyme activities. The biomarkers related to collagen synthesis and degradation, including hydroxyproline, interstitial collagenase, and gelatinase, demonstrated that SPPs could suppress collagen degradation. Histopathological results showed that SPPs could reduce the inflammatory infiltrate and the thickness of the dermis and epidermis, as well as increase the collagen bundles and muscle fibers. The histopathological and biochemical results confirmed that SPPs could alleviate photoaging by inhibiting abnormal skin changes, reducing oxidative stress, and immune suppression. Overall, these data prove the protective effects of SPPs against the photoaging process, suggesting their potential as an active ingredient in skin photoaging prevention and therapy.

Reducing the Allergenicity of ß-Lactoglobulin by Covalent Modification with Different Contents of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG): In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

ß-Lactoglobulin (ßLG) is a major allergen in bovine milk protein. This study was designed to investigate changes in ßLG structure, digestibility, and allergenicity induced by covalent binding modification with different contents of (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG). The reaction of EGCG conjugation with ßLG reached saturation at a molar ratio of 1:60 ßLG:EGCG. Conjugation with EGCG altered the ßLG structure, decreased IgE-binding capacity, and increased digestibility in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo studies showed that covalent conjugation with EGCG can reduce ßLG-induced allergic symptoms with reducing levels of IgE, histamine, and mast cell protease-1 (mMCP-1) and the percentage of sensitized mast cells. Allergenicity was reduced more effectively in saturated ßLG-EGCG conjugates compared to semisaturated conjugates. Observed changes in IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and TGF-ß levels suggested that ßLG-EGCG conjugates were able to promote Th1/Th2 immune balance. These findings further our understanding of the relationship between the degree of polyphenol conjugation and the allergenicity of food allergens.

Purification, Immunological Identification, and Characterization of the Novel Silkworm Pupae Allergen Bombyx mori Lipoprotein 3 (Bomb m 6).

Allergic reactions caused by silkworm pupae greatly limit their utilization, and studies suggest that silkworm pupae proteins of 25-30 kDa may be the principal allergens. To further understand these allergens, we attempted to purify a protein of about 30 kDa by ammonium sulfate salting, pH-graded precipitation, and ion-exchange chromatography. The protein was identified by mass spectrometry and characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy analyses. We identified the purified protein as Bombyx mori lipoprotein 3 (Bmlp3), which has high IgE reactivity and is a novel uncharacterized allergen that we named Bomb m 6 according to the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. This allergen is stable against heat, acids, bases, and digestion. In conclusion, we successfully purified and characterized a novel silkworm pupa allergen, which may inform the diagnosis and treatment of silkworm pupa allergies.

Aggravation of food allergy symptoms by treatment with acrylamide in a mouse model.

Acrylamide (AA) forms during the thermal processing of food, but adversely affects human health. As the consumption of heat-processed foods increases, the potentially harmful effect of AA on food allergies needs to be clarified. Here, we investigated how AA affects the allergenicity of OVA in vivo using a mouse model of orally induced OVA allergy. AA enhanced OVA-induced food allergic response by increasing IgE, IgG, IgG1, histamine, and MCP-1. AA promoted the Th2 cell response to modulate the imbalance in Th1/Th2. Furthermore, AA reduced the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins, and disrupted the permeability of the intestine, which impaired the intestinal epithelial barrier, resulting in more OVA crossing it. These actions aggravated the allergic reaction of OVA. In conclusion, this study confirmed the potentially harmful effect of AA on food allergy.

Comparison of overweight, weight perception, and weight-related practices among high school students in three large Chinese cities and two large U.S. cities.

PURPOSE: The study compared differences in overweight prevalence, weight perception, and weight-related practices among high school students in five large Chinese and U.S. cities, and informed interventions for childhood obesity in China and the U.S. METHODS: The data used was collected in 2003 from a representative sample of high school students in Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, New York and Los Angeles. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight high school students in New York City and Los Angeles was about twice as high as in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taipei; however, the proportion of Chinese students perceiving themselves to be overweight was 15% higher than their U.S. counterparts. Independent of actual weight status, perceived overweight was significantly associated with weight control practices (p < .05). U.S. students showed higher levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity, but more hours of watching television than their Chinese counterparts. CONCLUSION: The continuing pandemic of overweight among youth fosters weight dissatisfaction, which may increase unhealthy weight control practices. Interventions should be designed to prevent overweight without precipitating unhealthy weight control practices by emphasizing an increase in physical activity and a reduction in time watching television.

Spiritual health, clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing students.

AIM: This paper is a report of an exploration of the association of spiritual health with clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours among nursing students. BACKGROUND: Several studies in western countries have demonstrated an association between spirituality and health. Spirituality-related research in eastern countries, however, is still in its infancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was adopted and structured questionnaires were used for data collection. We adopted the Probability Proportional to Size cluster sampling method to recruit nursing students in senior grades. Data were collected in 2005 using the Spiritual Health Scale, Perceived Clinical Practice Stress Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II and Health Promotion Behaviours Scale. RESULTS: A total of 1276 nursing students with an average age of 20.1 years (sd = 1.6 years) participated in the study. Spiritual health was negatively associated with clinical practice stress (r = -0.211, P < 0.001) and depressive tendency (r = -0.324, P < 0.001) and positively associated with health-promoting behaviours (r = 0.611, P < 0.001). Using hierarchical regression analysis to control for demographic factors, spiritual health was found to be an important predictive factor for clinical practice stress, depressive tendency and health-promoting behaviours. CONCLUSION: These results are consistent with research findings from western countries. Educators should develop strategies to address nursing students' spiritual health. This may help nursing students to manage their stress, to reduce depressive symptoms and to enhance health-promoting behaviours.

Gender differences in predictors of drinking behavior in adolescents.

This study explored the differences in the risk factors associated with alcohol use, problem drinking, and related consequences between male and female high school students in eastern Taiwan. A total of 771 10th grade students, including 327 boys (42.4%) and 444 girls (57.6%), from four randomly selected high schools in eastern Taiwan were included in the survey. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. In conclusion, paternal drinking was found to be an important factor for the development of alcohol use in adolescent boys but had less impact on girls when compared with maternal drinking. Peer norms and peer relationships had greater effects on drinking behavior in female than in male adolescents. Alcohol use appeared to be much more closely related to family relationships in female than in male adolescents. In adolescent boys, deviant self-image was the real factor causing problem drinking. Therefore, preventive intervention for boys should focus on managing psychological distress and strengthening positive self-image, while correcting peer drinking norms, learning of drinking refusal self-efficacy, establishing friendships without drinking, and positive parent-child communication should be enhanced for girls.

Alcohol use and problem drinking in Taiwanese adolescents: comparison of the Han and indigenous populations.

The population of Taiwan is 98% Han and 2% indigenous. Taiwanese Hans are, ethnically, an immigrant Chinese population. Traditionally, indigenous families make wine and, just like tea to the Hans or coffee in Western social settings, wine is served to entertain the guests in the indigenous culture. Alcohol drinking is a way of delivering a message of their conviviality. It also has a central role in traditional harvest festivals, ancestor worship and wedding ceremonies (Historical Research Commission of Taiwan Province, 1996).

[From health promoting school perspectives to discuss the building of school-community partnership].

In the wake of the WHO's health promotion campaign health promotion schools have gained currency in Europe and the United States. The Department of Education in Taiwan has proposed a "school health promotion program" and the Department of Health a "program to build healthy schools" The goal of these programs was to create a holistic environment for school health and put the concepts of "school-family-community partnership" into practice. Although difficulties, such as school-centered perspectives, ambiguous definitions of "community" and shortage of funding, human resources and long-term planning impeded the program, this article, based on literature and practical experience, presents the "school-community model" and the strategies that it applied to organize the school-community health promotion committee to plan long-term programs and to assess the needs and resources of schools and communities on a collaborative basis. It contends, furthermore, that integrating community services into curriculums in order to enable students to appreciate the meaning of partnership, and involving the community in the planning process, can achieve the goal of effectively promoting the health of both the school and the community.