Enzymatic hydrolysis of waste sugarcane bagasse in water media.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of natural cellulose such as sugarcane bagasse is usually carried out in a buffer medium. In this paper, the enzymatic hydrolysis of a waste sugarcane bagasse in water media was carried out.The bagasse was pre-treated with heating explosion and pure (ion exchange), reverse-osmosis and tap water media were used in place of a buffer solution in the hydrolysis process. The yields for reducing sugars and the changes in solution pH and electric conductivity during the hydrolysis under various conditions were studied. The results were also compared with those obtained in buffer solutions. Similar levels of sugar yields were obtained in water and buffer solution media. The pH of the hydrolyzate was in the range of 4.5 - 5.0, which coincided with the optimum pH for the enzyme reaction. It was considered that the enzyme and the substrate formed a transitional complex in the hydrolysis process. The transitional complex provided the buffering capacity pH 5. The results indicate of the hydrolyzate solution at around that industrialization of the enzymatic hydrolysis in a water medium is feasible.

Serum cholesteryl ester transfer protein concentrations in healthy Chinese subjects and cardio-cerebrovascular disease patients.

Serum cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) concentration was measured in 1128 healthy Chinese subjects using a "sandwich" enzyme immunoassay and was 1.84 +/- 1.55 mg/l (mean +/- S.D.). The frequency distribution of CETP in healthy subjects was markedly skewed towards low concentrations. The CETP concentration in females was significantly higher than that in males (2.40 +/- 1.65 mg/l vs. 1.49 +/- 1.37 mg/l, P < 0.001). There was a weak inverse correlation between the CETP concentration and age (r = -0.19, P < 0.001). The CETP concentrations were significantly higher in 117 myocardial infarction (MI) survivors and 110 stroke patients than that in 335 healthy, age-matched males (1.98 +/- 1.68 173 +/- 1.45, and 1.40 +/- 1.37 mg/l respectively, P < 0.01), while no relation was found between CETP concentration and lipids concentration in MI, stroke and healthy group.

Evidence that a metabolite of equine estrogens, 4-hydroxyequilenin, induces cellular transformation in vitro.

Estrogen replacement therapy has been correlated with an increased risk of developing hormone-dependent cancers. 4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) is a catechol metabolite of equilenin and equilin which are components of the estrogen replacement formulation marketed under the name of Premarin (Wyeth-Ayerst). Previously, we showed that 4-OHEN autoxidizes to potent cytotoxic quinoids which can consume reducing equivalents and molecular oxygen, and cause a variety of DNA lesions, including formation of bulky stable adducts, apurinic sites, and oxidation of the phosphate-sugar backbone and purine/pyrimidine bases [Bolton, J. L., Pisha, E., Zhang, F., and Qiu, S. (1998) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 11, 1113-1127]. All of these deleterious effects could contribute to the cytotoxic/genotoxic effects of equine estrogens in vivo. In the study presented here, we studied the oxidative and carcinogenic potential of 4-OHEN and the catechol metabolite of the endogenous estrogen, 4-hydroxyestrone (4-OHE), in the JB6 clone 41 5a and C3H 10T(1/2) murine fibroblast cells. The relative ability of 4-OHEN and 4-OHE to induce oxidative stress was measured in these cells by oxidative cleavage of 2',7'-dichlorodiacylfluorosceindiacetate to dichlorofluoroscein. 4-OHEN (1 microM) displayed an increase in the level of reactive oxygen species comparable to that observed with 100 microM H(2)O(2). In contrast, 4-OHE demonstrated antioxidant capabilities in the 5-50 microM range. With both cell lines, we assessed single-strand DNA cleavage using the comet assay and the formation of oxidized DNA bases, such as 8-oxodeoxyguanosine, utilizing the Trevigen Fpg comet assay. 4-OHEN caused single-strand breaks and oxidized bases in a dose-dependent manner in both cell lines, whereas 4-OHE did not induce DNA damage. Since oxidative stress has been implicated in cellular transformation, we used the JB6 clone 41 5a anchorage independence assay to ascertain the relative ability of 4-OHEN and 4-OHE to act as tumor promoters. 4-OHEN caused a slight but significant increase in the extent of cellular transformation at the 100 nM dose; however, in the presence of NADH, which catalyzes redox cycling of 4-OHEN, the transformation ability of 4-OHEN was dramatically increased. 4-OHE did not induce transformation of the JB6 clone 41 5a in the 0.1-10 microM range. The initiation, promotion, and complete carcinogenic transformation potentials of both metabolites were measured in the C3H 10T(1/2) cells. 4-OHEN demonstrated activity in all stages of transformation at doses of 10 nM to 1 microM, whereas 4-OHE only demonstrated promotional capabilities at the 10 microM dose. These data suggest that oxidative stress could be partially responsible for the carcinogenic effects caused by 4-OHEN and that 4-OHEN is a more potent transforming agent than 4-OHE in vitro.

Dietary intakes and leisure-time physical activity in West Virginians.

Poor diet and physical inactivity contribute to many chronic diseases in the United States each year. Diets low in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol and high in plant foods, i.e., fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole cereals, are protective. Physically active lifestyles are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and some cancers. To access diet and physical activity levels in West Virginians, we conducted a study which was supported by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health and the West Virginia University Prevention Research Center (CDC Cooperative Agreement). The purposes of this study were to estimate the proportion of the sample meeting recommendations for chronic disease prevention, and to examine if the individuals who were meeting the Surgeon General's physical activity recommendation for health are also consuming healthier diets. Our results showed that reducing saturated fatty acids and increasing consumption of folate, Vitamin E, calcium and fiber are of prime public health importance in West Virginia. Diet and activity levels were modestly related, suggesting that those who adopt a healthy diet also become more active and vice versa. Due to the cross-sectional nature of this data, it is unknown if single-strategy or dual interventions work best. Prospective studies are needed to determine optimal strategies.

The effect of superoxide dismutase on the recovery of human bone marrow hemopoietic stem cells stored at 4 degreesC.

The effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD) on the recovery of human hemopoietic stem cells stored at 4 degreesC has been studied. Human bone marrow cells from cancer patients without hemopoietic diseases were stored at 4 degreesC for 1-7 days in RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% human AB serum with or without 6 U/ml of SOD. The recovery of colony-forming units of the following types were counted: granulocyte and macrophage type; megakaryocyte type; mixed granulocyte, erythrocyte, megakaryocyte, and macrophage type; and burst-forming units of erythrocytic type. The SOD groups recovered, respectively, 5.6, 5.3, 4.6, and 4.4 times as many colonies as the control group. This study demonstrates that the addition of SOD to hypothermic storage media may increase the recovery of hemopoietic stem cells.

Damaging effects of anal stretching on the external anal sphincter.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of anal stretching on anal pressures and damage to the external anal sphincter. METHODS: This study was performed on 37 guinea pigs. Animals were divided into three groups: control group, quick stretching group, and continuous overstretching group. Anal stretching was conducted by an 8-F Foley catheter balloon. RESULTS: It was found that if the muscle was stretched from 100 to 300 percent of its original length, anal resting pressure (ARP) kept relatively steady, but anal contracting pressure (ACP) gradually increased; from 300 to 370 percent, a sharp ARP increase was developed, but ACP gradually decreased to zero; beyond 370 percent, ARP remained unchanged (plateau phase). By histologic examination, it was revealed that when the muscle was stretched at the ARP plateau phase, an ischemic zone of necrosis and an edematous zone of necrosis could be clearly identified in the muscle. CONCLUSION: This study shows that length of the external anal sphincter definitively influences muscle strengths, and severe anal stretching will result in muscle damage. These results imply that the sphincteric muscle complex in high or intermediate anorectal anomalies may be injured during present conventional surgical approaches.