ABSTRACT
Tissue regeneration using adult stem cells (ASCs) has significant potential as a novel treatment for many degenerative diseases. Previous studies have established that age negatively affects the proliferation status and differentiation potential of ASCs, suggesting a possible limitation in their potential therapeutic use. Therefore, we hypothesized that apple extract might exert beneficial effects on ASCs. The specific objectives were to investigate the proliferative effect of apple ethanol extract on human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) and human cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (CB-MSCs), and identify the possible molecular mechanisms. Apple extract promoted proliferation of ADSCs and CB-MSCs as determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and Click-iT 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine flow cytometry assays. In addition, phosphorylation of p44/42 MAPK (ERK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p70 S6 kinase (p70S6K), S6 ribosomal protein (S6RP), eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4B and eIF4E was induced stepwise in ADSCs. Furthermore, apple extract significantly induced the production of vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-6 in both ADSCs and CB-MSCs. Similarly, apple extract-induced phosphorylation of the mTOR/p70S6K/S6RP/eIF4B/eIF4E pathway was blocked by pretreatment with PD98059, a specific ERK inhibitor. These results indicate that apple extract-induced proliferation of ADSCs under serum-free conditions is mediated by ERK-dependent cytokine production. Moreover, the beneficial effect of apple extract on proliferation of ASCs may overcome the limitation in therapeutic use of stem cells in tissue regeneration and maintenance of stem cell homeostasis.
Subject(s)
Adult Stem Cells/drug effects , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Malus , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/drug effects , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Adipose Tissue , Adult , Adult Stem Cells/physiology , Cell Differentiation , Deoxyuridine/analogs & derivatives , Deoxyuridine/metabolism , Eukaryotic Initiation Factors/metabolism , Fetal Blood , Humans , Interleukin-6/metabolism , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/physiology , Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/metabolism , Phosphorylation , Regeneration , Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa/metabolism , TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Tetrazolium Salts , Thiazoles , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolismABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although many Americans utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services and products, few medical school curricula consistently provide instruction in counseling patients on the use of CAM or strategies for identifying credible evidence on the safety and effectiveness of CAM therapies. METHODS: This is a mixed methods study. A sustainable, mandatory, half-day CAM immersion curriculum for graduating medical students is described. Student comfort talking with patients about CAM, their willingness to refer patients to a CAM provider, and adequacy of the CAM curriculum was assessed. RESULTS: Students who participated in this mandatory curriculum, rated the medical school curriculum in CAM as more adequate than students at other medical schools without a mandatory curriculum. Students' narrative comments indicate the curriculum impacts students knowledge about CAM, patient use of CAM, and personal practice with CAM in the future. CONCLUSIONS: The timing of the CAM curriculum near to graduation, students' personal exploration of several CAM modalities through immersion, and student interaction with community CAM providers are aspects of the curriculum that make the curriculum successful and memorable.
Subject(s)
Complementary Therapies , Curriculum , Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Integrative Medicine/education , Mandatory Programs , Schools, Medical , Students, Medical , Clinical Competence , Complementary Therapies/statistics & numerical data , Curriculum/standards , Humans , Physician-Patient Relations , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The crude ethyl acetate extract of the leaves of Cornus macrophylla showed antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a leading cause of illness in immunocompromised individuals. Bioactivity-guided separation led to the isolation of kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (afzelin). The structure was determined based on evaluation of its spectroscopic (UV, MS, and NMR) data. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of afzelin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be 31 µg/mL. In addition, the results indicated that a hydroxyl group at C3 of the C-ring of the flavone skeleton and the rhamnose group may act as a negative factor and an enhancing factor, respectively, in the antibacterial activities of afzelin.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Cornus/chemistry , Mannosides/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Proanthocyanidins/pharmacology , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/drug effects , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/isolation & purification , Humans , Immunocompromised Host , Mannosides/chemistry , Mannosides/isolation & purification , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Proanthocyanidins/chemistry , Proanthocyanidins/isolation & purification , Pseudomonas Infections/immunology , Pseudomonas Infections/microbiologyABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Social networking sites (SNSs) are increasingly being used for health-related purposes. Many patients now use sites such as Facebook to discuss symptoms, seek support, and search for advice on health conditions, including concussion. Innovative methods of delivering health information using these technologies are starting to emerge and it is important to seek the input of key stakeholder groups (including general practitioners) to establish their feasibility and to highlight areas of concern. AIM: This study aimed to seek the opinions of general practitioners towards the use of SNSs in concussion management. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were captured with a digital voice recorder and analysed using interpretative description methodology. Participants were general practitioners whose caseload included persons with a concussion between the ages of 16 and 30 years, and who had treated a patient with a concussion in the past 12 months. FINDINGS: The clinical experience of the participants ranged from 3 to 35 years and 50% of the participants had a Facebook account themselves. While all participants were positive towards the use of SNSs for this purpose, concerns were raised regarding the issues of privacy and moderation. CONCLUSION: SNSs, particularly Facebook, have the potential (if correctly utilised) to be a viable adjunct to traditional concussion management programmes. In order for SNSs to be successfully used in this manner, the quality of information shared needs to be accurate and patients using them need to ensure that they get adequate cognitive rest.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Brain Concussion/therapy , Consumer Health Information/standards , General Practitioners/psychology , Social Networking , Brain Concussion/psychology , Consumer Health Information/methods , Humans , Internet/standards , Internet/trends , Interviews as Topic , New Zealand , Physician-Patient Relations , Privacy , Qualitative Research , Rest/physiology , Rest/psychologyABSTRACT
In this study, a new crossover sine model (CSM) n was developed from a trigonometric model [M. E. Fisher, S. Zinn, and P. J. Upton, Phys. Rev. B 59, 14533 (1999)]. The trigonometric model is a parametric formulation model that is used to represent the thermodynamic variables near a critical point. Although there are other crossover models based on this trigonometric model, such as the CSM and the analytical sine model, which is an analytic formulation of the CSM, the new sine model (NSM) employs a different approach from these two models in terms of the connections between the parametric variables of the trigonometric model and thermodynamic variables. In order to test the performance of the NSM, the crossover lattice equation of state [M. S. Shin, Y. Lee, and H. Kim, J. Chem. Thermodyn. 40, 174 (2008)] was applied using the NSM for correlations of various pure fluids and fluid mixtures. The results showed that over a wide range of states, the crossover lattice fluid (xLF)/NSM yields the saturated properties of pure fluids and the phase behavior of binary mixtures more accurately than the original lattice equation of state. Moreover, a comparison with the crossover lattice equation of state using the CSM (xLF/CSM) showed that the new model presents good correlation results that are comparable to the xLF/CSM.
ABSTRACT
Vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms are prostate cancer risk candidates. We determined if SNPs in haplotype block sub-regions C2 (SNPs C2-1, G/C(3436), C2-2, A/G(3944)) or C1 (C1-1, C/T(20965), C1-2, C/T(30056)) are associated with risk in an ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-dependent manner. In men with very low exposure, SNPs in both sub-regions were associated with risk. Various haplotypes in haplotype block C including G(3436)-A(3944)-C(20965)-C(30056), (G or C)-A-C-C and G-A-(C or T)-C were significantly associated with increased risk (odds ratios between 1.95 and 2.37). These findings suggest various block C SNPs are associated with prostate cancer risk via a mechanism involving exposure to sunlight.
Subject(s)
Haplotypes , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics , Receptors, Calcitriol/genetics , Ultraviolet Rays , Base Sequence , DNA Primers , Genotype , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) may protect against prostate cancer via a mechanism involving vitamin D. Thus, the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is a susceptibility candidate, though published data are discrepant. We studied the association of prostate cancer risk with five VDR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): G/A(1229) (SNP 1), A/G(3944) (SNP 2), T/C(30875) (SNP 3), C/T(48200) (SNP 4) and C/T(65013) (SNP 5), in 430 cancer and 310 benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) patients. The SNP 2 GG genotype frequency was lower in cancer than BPH patients (odds ratio = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.41-0.98, p = 0.039). SNPs 1 and 2, and SNPs 4 and 5, were in linkage disequilibrium. Two copies of haplotypes comprising SNPs 1-2, G-G (odds ratio = 0.63, p = 0.039), SNPs 2-3 G-C (odds ratio = 0.45, p = 0.008) and SNPs 1-2-3 G-G-C (odds ratio = 0.44, p = 0.006), but not SNPs 1-3, G-C (odds ratio = 0.81, p = 0.34), were associated with reduced risk (reference, no copies of the haplotypes). These associations were observed after stratification of subjects by extent of UVR exposure. These data show that SNP 2 GG genotype mediates prostate cancer risk, complementing studies reporting this allele is protective in malignant melanoma pathogenesis. They further suggest that published associations of risk with SNP 1 may result from linkage disequilibrium with SNP 2.
Subject(s)
Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics , Receptors, Calcitriol/genetics , Ultraviolet Rays , Base Sequence , DNA Primers , Genotype , Haplotypes , Humans , Linkage Disequilibrium , MaleABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A causal link between stress and work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities (WRUEDs) has been established, but there is less evidence for a beneficial effect of stress reduction interventions on WRUED symptoms and incidence. METHODS: Searches of Medline, Ergonomics Abstracts, and Psychlit from 1990 to 2001 identified studies that either targeted stress and measured WRUED outcomes, or described other interventions with both stress and WRUED outcomes. RESULTS: Workplace interventions, including discrete improvements in technology, work organization and ergonomics, and more comprehensive approaches can reduce levels of stress. In a few studies, these interventions have been associated with decreases in WRUED symptoms. Similar effects are noted in stress-related interventions targeting individuals before WRUEDs have appeared, and at several stages of these conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers can recognize stress-WRUED interactions through careful, directed inquiry. Both individual as well as workplace-targeted interventions, delivered in the primary care setting or workplace, may be helpful. Future research priorities include prospective studies of well-defined interventions, with ample measures of subject, intervention and workplace characteristics that can impact outcomes, and adequate follow-up to determine sustained effects.
