Styrylpyrones from Phellinus linteus Mycelia Alleviate Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver by Modulating Lipid and Glucose Metabolic Homeostasis in High-Fat and High-Fructose Diet-Fed Mice.

Phellinus linteus (PL), an edible and medicinal mushroom containing a diversity of styrylpyrone-type polyphenols, has been shown to have a broad spectrum of bioactivities. In this study, the submerged liquid culture in a 1600-L working volume of fermentor was used for the large-scale production of PL mycelia. Whether PL mycelia extract is effective against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still unclear. In the high fat/high fructose diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD C57BL/6 mice study, the dietary supplementation of ethyl acetate fraction from PL mycelia (PL-EA) for four weeks significantly attenuated an increase in body weight, hepatic lipid accumulation and fasting glucose levels. Mechanistically, PL-EA markedly upregulated the pgc-1α, sirt1 genes and adiponectin, downregulated gck and srebp-1c; upregulated proteins PPARγ, pAMPK, and PGC-1α, and downregulated SREBP-1 and NF-κB in the liver of HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, the major purified compounds of hispidin and hypholomine B in PL-EA significantly reduced the level of oleic and palmitic acids (O/P)-induced lipid accumulation through the inhibition of up-regulated lipogenesis and the energy-metabolism related genes, ampk and pgc-1α, in the HepG2 cells. Consequently, these findings suggest that the application of PL-EA is deserving of further investigation for treating NAFLD.

Properties of High-Swelling Native Starch Treated by Heat-Moisture Treatment with Different Holding Times and Iterations.

Tapioca and potato starches were used to investigate the effect of heat-moisture treatment (HMT; 95-96 °C, 0-60 min, 1-6 iterations) on gelatinization properties, swelling power (SP), solubility and pasting properties. Tapioca starch had similar content and degree of polymerization of amylose, but a higher amylopectin short/long chain ratio, to potato starch. After HMT, the gelatinization temperature range was narrowed for tapioca starch, but was widened for potato starch. Decreases in SP and solubility were less for tapioca than potato starches, coinciding with a progressive shift to the moderate-swelling pasting profile for tapioca but a drastic change to the restricted-swelling profile for potato. Moreover, decreasing extents of SP and maximum viscosity for HMT tapioca starch were, respectively, in the range of 47-63% and 0-36%, and those of HMT potato starch were 89-92% and 63-94%. These findings indicate that the granule expansion and viscosity change of starch during gelatinization can be tailored stepwise by altering the HMT holding time and iteration.

Progressive alterations in crystalline structure of starches during heat-moisture treatment with varying iterations and holding times.

Corn, tapioca and potato starches after heat-moisture treatment (HMT) at 95-96 °C for 0-60 min with 1-6 iterations were characterized for their gelatinization properties to elucidate the HMT-generated differences in crystalline structure of the starches. The enthalpy changes (ΔH) of all HMT starches were decreased, and the decreases in ΔH of the whole and of the fraction corresponding to well-ordered region of crystalline structure were both in the order of corn < tapioca < potato. With increasing HMT iteration and holding time, the same order was also observed for the shifting extent of pasting properties of HMT starches to that of restricted-swelling granules. The findings demonstrate the crystalline structure of starch consists of less- and well-ordered regions, and suggest that the extent of intermingling of these regions might be in the order of corn < tapioca < potato starches.

A novel compact double pulse forming lines.

Novel double pulse forming lines (PFLs) are fabricated with two separate coaxial single PFLs with the same dimensions with each inner cylinder of the PFL negatively charged to improve the breakdown voltage of PFL and the energy storage density of de-ionized water. A spiral line is adopted for the single PFL to raise the impedance of the PFL and prolongs the pulse duration. Ethylene glycol is mixed with de-ionized water to raise the leakage resistance and the impedance of the single PFL. A double structure is adopted to reduce the breakdown voltage requirement of the transformer and the switch. At the same time, the double structure is an advantage to raise the impedance of the PFL.

[Effect of lysyl oxidase on migration and adhesion of human gastric cancer HGC-27 cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of lysyl oxidase (LOX) on the migration and adhesion of the human gastric cancer cell line HGC-27 cells in vitro. METHODS: The human gastric cancer cell line HGC-27 cells were cultured in vitro, and treated with different concentration of ß-aminopropionitrile (BAPN). The ability of migration was assessed by wound-healing assay. The ability of adhesion was detected by homogenous and heterogeneous adhesion experiments. RESULTS: Compared that with 0 mmol/L BAPN, the ability of migration of the cells after treatment with 0.2 mmol/L BAPN was descended at 8, 24, 32 and 48 h; the number of cells with homogeneous adhesion was increased from (6.97 ± 0.07) × 10(3)/ml to (7.78 ± 0.11) × 10(3)/ml; and the number of cells with heterogeneous adhesion was decreased from (8.98 ± 0.15) × 10(3)/ml to (8.35 ± 0.10) × 10(3)/ml, both < 0.05. Compared with that of cells treated with 0 mmol/L and 0.2 mmol/L BAPN, the migration ability of cells after treatment with 0.3 mmol/L BAPN was descended at 8, 24, 32 and 48 h; the number of cells with homogeneous adhesion was raised to (8.02 ± 0.11) × 10(3)/ml and the number of cells with heterogeneous adhesion was down to (7.93 ± 0.07) × 10(3)/ml (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LOX may promote the metastasis of cancer cells by enhancing invasion, increasing heterogeneous adhesion and decreasing homogeneous adhesion.

[Expression of LOX and MMP-2 in gastric cancer tissue and the effects of LOX and MMP-2 on tumor invasion and metastasis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the expressions of lysyl oxidase (LOX) and matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) in gastric cancer and pericancerous tissues, in gastric cancers with and without lymph node metastasis, and to analyze the effects of LOX and MMP-2 on tumor invasion and metastasis. METHODS: Gastric cancer and pericancerous tissues were collected from 46 patients who underwent surgery. Levels of LOX and MMP-2 mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. Protein abundance of LOX and MMP-2 was examined using Western blot. RESULTS: Expressions of LOX and MMP-2 mRNA, and protein in 46 gastric cancers were significantly higher than that in 46 pericancerous tissues. In gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis, the levels of LOX and MMP-2 mRNA and protein were higher than those in gastric cancers without lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). In the groups of gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis, expression of LOX was positively correlated with MMP-2 protein expression (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Expressions of LOX and MMP-2 in gastric cancer tissues are significantly higher than that in pericancerous tissues. The expressions of LOX and MMP-2 in gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis are higher than that in gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis. Expressions of LOX and MMP-2 are positively correlated. The results suggest that LOX and MMP-2 may promote the growth and metastasis of gastric cancer.