Effects of fatty acid hydroperoxides produced by lipoxygenase in wheat cultivars during dough preparation on volatile compound formation.

The formation of volatile compounds affects the flavor of processed wheat flour products. Herein, the effects of the composition of fatty acid hydroperoxides and the differences in the antioxidant contents among wheat cultivars on the flavor of wheat flour products were clarified. For this purpose, the volatile compounds in wheat flour doughs, LOX activity, fatty acid hydroperoxide composition from fractionated LOX, and antioxidant content were analyzed. Norin61 exhibited a high LOX activity and 9-fatty acid hydroperoxide production. Unsaturated aldehydes derived from 9-fatty acid hydroperoxides contributed significantly to the volatile compound profile of Norin61. Moreover, the lowest lutein content was observed in Norin61 among the analyzed cultivars. The LOX activity and composition of the fatty acid hydroperoxides produced by LOX affected the production of volatile compounds, whereas carotenoids had a suppressive effect. This study provides useful information for product design with the desired flavor for developing various processed wheat flour products.

Long-lasting adverse effects of short-term stress during the suckling-mastication transition period on masticatory function and intraoral sensation in rats.

Early-life stress affects brain development, eventually resulting in adverse behavioral and physical health consequences in adulthood. The present study assessed the hypothesis that short-term early-life stress during infancy before weaning, a period for the maturation of mastication and sleep, poses long-lasting adverse effects on masticatory function and intraoral sensations later in life.Rat pups were exposed to either maternal separation (MS) or intermittent hypoxia (IH-Infancy) for 6 h/day in the light/sleep phase from postnatal day (P)17 to P20 to generate "neglect" and "pediatric obstructive sleep apnea" models, respectively. The remaining rats were exposed to IH during P45-P48 (IH-Adult). Masticatory ability was evaluated based on the rats' ability to chew pellets and bite pasta throughout the growth period (P21-P70). Intraoral chemical and mechanical sensitivities were assessed using two-bottle preference drinking tests, and hind paw pain thresholds were measured in adulthood (after P60).No differences were found in body weight, grip force, and hind paw sensitivity in MS, IH-Infancy, and IH-Adult rats compared with naïve rats. Masticatory ability was lower in MS and IH-Infancy rats from P28 to P70 than in naïve rats. MS and IH-Infancy rats exhibited intraoral hypersensitivity to capsaicin and mechanical stimulations in adulthood. The IH-Adult rats did not display inferior masticatory ability or intraoral hypersensitivity.In conclusion, short-term early-life stress during the suckling-mastication transition period potentially causes a persistent decrease in masticatory ability and intraoral hypersensitivity in adulthood. The period is a "critical window" for the maturation of oral motor and sensory functions.

Effect of chronic intermittent hypoxia on ocular and intraoral mechanical allodynia mediated via the calcitonin gene-related peptide in a rat.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea, a significant hypoxic condition, may exacerbate several orofacial pain conditions. The study aims to define the involvement of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in peripheral and central sensitization and in evoking orofacial mechanical allodynia under chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). METHODS: Male rats were exposed to CIH. Orofacial mechanical allodynia was assessed using the eyeblink test and the two-bottle preference drinking test. The CGRP-immunoreactive neurons in the trigeminal ganglion (TG), CGRP-positive primary afferents projecting to laminae I-II of the trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis (Vc), and neural responses in the second-order neurons of the Vc were determined by immunohistochemistry. CGRP receptor antagonist was administrated in the TG. RESULTS: CIH-induced ocular and intraoral mechanical allodynia. CGRP-immunoreactive neurons and activated satellite glial cells (SGCs) were significantly increased in the TG and the number of cFos-immunoreactive cells in laminae I-II of the Vc were significantly higher in CIH rats compared to normoxic rats. Local administration of the CGRP receptor antagonist in the TG of CIH rats attenuated orofacial mechanical allodynia; the number of CGRP-immunoreactive neurons and activated SGCs in the TG, and the density of CGRP-positive primary afferent terminals and the number of cFos-immunoreactive cells in laminae I-II of the Vc were significantly lower compared to vehicle-administrated CIH rats. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in CGRP in the TG induced by CIH, as well as orofacial mechanical allodynia and central sensitization of second-order neurons in the Vc, supported the notion that CGRP plays a critical role in CIH-induced orofacial mechanical allodynia.

Sleep architecture as a candidate for phenotyping sleep bruxism: A narrative physiological review.

BACKGROUND: Sleep bruxism (SB), an oral behaviour in otherwise healthy individuals, is characterised by frequent rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) during sleep. RMMA/SB episodes occur over various sleep stages (N1-N3 and rapid eye movement (REM)), sleep cycles (non-REM to REM), and frequently with microarousals. It currently remains unclear whether these characteristics of sleep architecture are phenotype candidates for the genesis of RMMA/SB. OBJECTIVES: This narrative review investigated the relationship between sleep architecture and the occurrence of RMMA as a SB phenotype candidate. METHODS: PubMed research was performed using keywords related to RMMA/SB and sleep architecture. RESULTS: In non-SB and SB healthy individuals, RMMA episodes were most frequent in the light non-REM sleep stages N1 and N2, particularly during the ascending phase of sleep cycles. The onset of RMMA/SB episodes in healthy individuals was preceded by a physiological arousal sequence of autonomic cardiovascular to cortical activation. It was not possible to extract a consistent sleep architecture pattern in the presence of sleep comorbidities. The lack of standardisation and variability between subject complexified the search for specific sleep architecture phenotype(s). CONCLUSION: In otherwise healthy individuals, the genesis of RMMA/SB episodes is largely affected by oscillations in the sleep stage and cycle as well as the occurrence of microarousal. Furthermore, a specific sleep architecture pattern cannot be confirmed in the presence of sleep comorbidity. Further studies are needed to delineate sleep architecture phenotype candidate(s) that contribute to the more accurate diagnosis of SB and treatment approaches using standardised and innovative methodologies.

Understanding the pathophysiology of sleep bruxism based on human and animal studies: A narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Sleep bruxism (SB) is a common sleep disorder that affects approximately 20% of children and 10% of adults. It may cause orodental problems, such as tooth wear, jaw pain, and temporal headaches. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying SB remain largely unknown, and a definitive treatment has not yet been established. HIGHLIGHT: Human studies involving polysomnography have shown that rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) is more frequent in otherwise healthy individuals with SB than in normal individuals. RMMA occurs during light non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep in association with transient arousals and cyclic sleep processes. To further elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms of SB, jaw motor activities have been investigated in naturally sleeping animals. These animals exhibit various contractions of masticatory muscles, including episodes of rhythmic and repetitive masticatory muscle bursts that occurred during non-REM sleep in association with cortical and cardiac activation, similar to those found in humans. Electrical microstimulation of corticobulbar tracts may also induce rhythmic masticatory muscle contractions during non-REM sleep, suggesting that the masticatory motor system is activated during non-REM sleep by excitatory inputs to the masticatory central pattern generator. CONCLUSION: This review article summarizes the pathophysiology of SB based on the findings from human and animal studies. Physiological factors contributing to RMMA in SB have been identified in human studies and may also be present in animal models. Further research is required to integrate the findings between human and animal studies to better understand the mechanisms underlying SB.

Longitudinal electromyographic analysis of jaw-closing muscle activities during ingestive behaviors from pre-weaning to juvenile periods in rats.

This longitudinal study investigated developmental changes in jaw-closing muscle activities during ingestive behaviors in rats. On postnatal day (P) 10, electromyography (EMG) electrodes were inserted into the masseter and temporalis muscles of rat pups. EMG activities were recorded for the following ingestive behaviors between P14 and P49: for suckling, including nipple attachment and rhythmic sucking on P14 and for pasta biting, pellet chewing, and milk licking between P21 and P49. Burst rhythms and muscle coordination (i.e., the correlation and time lag) between masseter and temporalis activities were assessed for each behavior. The burst rhythms of nipple attachment and rhythmic sucking on P14 were significantly slower than those of pasta biting, pellet chewing, and milk licking on P21. Muscle coordination differed between suckling on P14 and mastication and licking on P21. Between P21 and P49, increases were observed in burst rhythms for pasta biting and pellet chewing. The rate of increases in burst rhythms was higher for pasta biting than for pellet chewing. Muscle coordination between the two muscle activities for pasta biting did not significantly change between P21 and P49, whereas that for pellet chewing significantly changed between P21 and P24 and stabilized after P24. Burst rhythms for milk licking did not significantly change over time, while muscle coordination between the two muscle activities changed from agonist to antagonist muscle-like activity on approximately P35. The present results demonstrate that distinct patterns of rhythmic jaw-closing muscle activities emerge before weaning, they continue to change over time, and they exhibit unique developmental dynamics for each behavior after weaning.

Long-term changes in oral feeding behaviors of growing rats.

Oral feeding is critical for survival in both humans and animals. However, few studies have reported quantitative behavioral measures associated with the development of oral feeding behaviors. Therefore, the present study investigated developmental changes in the oral feeding behaviors of rats by quantitatively assessing pasta eating and licking behaviors. In the pasta eating test, the time to finish pasta sticks of three different thicknesses (Φ = 0.9, 1.4, and 1.9 mm, 4 cm long) was recorded between postnatal day 29 (P29) and P49, because all rats were able to finish eating these pasta sticks on P29. A developmental decrease in the time to finish pasta sticks of all thicknesses was observed during the initial period of recordings and plateaued before P35. The extent of this decrease was dependent on the thickness of pasta sticks. In the licking test, the number of licks per 10 s and the total intake volume during the test were recorded between P19 and P49, because all rats were able to access and lick the solution on P19. The time courses of developmental increases in the number of licks and the total intake volume were similar to the results obtained in the pasta eating test. Collectively, these results suggest that developmental changes in pasta eating and licking behaviors markedly differed between the weanling and periadolescent periods. The present study also demonstrated the applicability of the pasta eating and licking tests to the quantification of developmental changes in the oral feeding behaviors of rats.

Anesthetic Management Using a Laryngeal Mask Airway for a Patient With Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case Report.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of chronic spondyloarthritis, significantly increases patients' risk of cervical spine fracture. We describe the anesthetic management of a 32-year-old male with AS who was scheduled to have bilateral mandibular third molar extractions under general anesthesia. To minimize the potential for cervical spine damage, a laryngeal mask airway was used for airway management while the patient's head was held firmly during surgery. Additionally, he developed a postoperative surgical infection that was attributed to his continued immunotherapy with infliximab. In patients with AS, postoperative infection control as well as cervical spine protection throughout the perioperative period is important.

Development of Gluten-Free Rice Flour Noodles That Suit the Tastes of Japanese People.

Gluten-free rice flour noodles with a flavor and texture profile preferred by the Japanese people were developed. The rice noodles contained potato starch (PS) as a binder. "Koshihikari" was selected from several candidate varieties based on its pasting properties. Since the Japanese people prefer the chewy texture of wheat flour "Udon" noodles, first, the stress-strain characteristics of "Udon" noodles in Japan were quantified, using a mechanical test. Next, different formulations of rice noodles were prepared by changing the amount of PS blended into the noodles. The mechanical tests on wheat and rice noodles show that rice noodles made from 85% rice flour and 15% PS have a texture similar to that of "Udon" noodles. Brown rice noodles containing roasted brown rice flour were also developed. Since brown rice flour hinders the binding of the dough, it was necessary to increase the amount of PS to increase the binding of roasted brown rice flour. Finally, noodles with 70% white rice flour, 10% brown rice flour, and 20% PS were produced. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the volatile compounds contained in white rice noodles and brown rice noodles identified the volatile compounds characteristic each of type.

Oxygenic Phototrophs Need ζ-Carotene Isomerase (Z-ISO) for Carotene Synthesis: Functional Analysis in Arthrospira and Euglena.

For carotenogenesis, two biosynthetic pathways from phytoene to lycopene are known. Most bacteria and fungi require only phytoene desaturase (PDS, CrtI), whereas land plants require four enzymes: PDS (CrtP), ζ-carotene desaturase (ZDS, CrtQ), ζ-carotene isomerase (Z-ISO) and cis-carotene isomerase (CrtISO, CrtH). The gene encoding Z-ISO has been functionally identified in only two species, Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays, and has been little studied in other organisms. In this study, we found that the deduced amino acid sequences of Arthrospira Z-ISO and Euglena Z-ISO have 58% and 62% identity, respectively, with functional Z-ISO from Arabidopsis. We studied the function of Z-ISO genes from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis and eukaryotic microalga Euglena gracilis. The Z-ISO genes of Arthrospira and Euglena were transformed into Escherichia coli strains that produced mainly 9,15,9'-tri-cis-ζ-carotene in darkness. In the resulting E. coli transformants cultured under darkness, 9,9'-di-cis-ζ-carotene was accumulated predominantly as Z-ISO in Arabidopsis. This indicates that the Z-ISO genes were involved in the isomerization of 9,15,9'-tri-cis-ζ-carotene to 9,9'-di-cis-ζ-carotene in darkness. This is the first functional analysis of Z-ISO as a ζ-carotene isomerase in cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae. Green sulfur bacteria and Chloracidobacterium also use CrtP, CrtQ and CrtH for lycopene synthesis as cyanobacteria, but their genomes did not comprise Z-ISO genes. Consequently, Z-ISO is needed in oxygenic phototrophs, whereas it is not found in anoxygenic species.

Functional Lycopene Cyclase (CruA) in Cyanobacterium, Arthrospira platensis NIES-39, and its Role in Carotenoid Synthesis.

The genus Arthrospira is filamentous, non-nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria that is commercially important. We identified the molecular structures of carotenoids in Arthrospira platensis NIES-39. The major carotenoid identified was ß-carotene. In addition, the hydroxyl derivatives of ß-cryptoxanthin and (3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin were also found to be present. The carotenoid glycosides were identified as (3R,2'S)-myxol 2'-methylpentoside and oscillol 2,2'-dimethylpentoside. The methylpentoside moiety was a mixture of fucoside and chinovoside in an approximate ratio of 1 : 4. Trace amounts of the ketocarotenoid 3'-hydroxyechinenone were also found. Three types of lycopene cyclases have been functionally confirmed in carotenogenesis organisms. In cyanobacteria, the functional lycopene cyclases (CrtL, CruA and CruP) have only been found in four species. In this study, we found that CruA exhibited lycopene cyclase activity in transformed Escherichia coli, which contains lycopene, but CruP exhibited no lycopene cyclase activity and crtL was absent. This is the third cyanobacterial species in which CruA activity has been confirmed. Neurosporene was not a substrate of CruA in E. coli, whereas lycopene cyclases of CrtY (bacteria), CrtL (plants) and CrtYB (fungi) have been reported to convert neurosporene to 7,8-dihydro-ß-carotene. ß-Carotene hydroxylase (CrtR) was found to convert ß-carotene to zeaxanthin in transformed E. coli, which contains ß-carotene. Among the ß-carotene hydroxylases, bacterial CrtZ and eukaryotic CrtR and BCH have similarities, whereas cyanobacterial CrtR appears to belong to another clade. Based on the identification of the carotenoids and the completion of the entire nucleotide sequence of the A. platensis NIES-39 genome, we propose a biosynthetic pathway for the carotenoids as well as the corresponding genes and enzymes.

[Case report of infected pseudo-aneurysm after intra-arterial chemotherapy].

A 63-year-old man admitted to emergency center of our hospital with fever and obstructive jaundice. Computed tomography (CT) showed a mass in the head of the pancreas and a dilated bile duct. After performing preoperative biliary drainage, we conducted pancreatico-duodenectomy (PD-II: T3, N1, stage III). As adjuvant chemotherapy, the patient received a hepatic arterial infusion with 5-FU to prevent liver metastasis. A catheter was placed in the right femoral artery and intra-arterial chemotherapy was carried out for one week. After the completion of chemotherapy, swelling and redness of the right inguinal region was observed. CT revealed an infected pseudo-aneurysm of the femoral artery. Despite intravenous antibiotic therapy for 2 days, bleeding and pus discharge at the catheter root were observed. He immediately underwent drainage and primary suture to stop the bleeding. Two weeks after surgery for the infected pseudo-aneurysm, a right external iliac-femoral bypass operation was performed. Five weeks after surgery, he was discharged without further incident. In such cases, it is advisable to drain the infected pseudo-aneurysm following a prompt diagnosis, and perform a secondary bypass operation.

[A new method of short-term high volume (6 g of 5-FU in a week) intermittent hepatic arterial infusion using repeated transient catheter insertion].

We report a case of liver metastases, which had hepatectomy twice and a partial lung resection after sigmoidectomy with partial bladder resection for advanced sigmoid colon cancer. The patient could not be tolerated the systemic chemotherapy, and percutaneous implantation of a catheter also could not have done with subcutaneous reservoir for hepatic arterial infusion because of an anomaly of hepatic artery branched-out from super mesenteric artery. Therefore, we tried an intermittent hepatic arterial infusion using a transient insertion of catheter to control the liver metastases' growth. A total amount of 6 g of 5-FU was continuously injected in a week by one insertion of catheter at the hepatic artery taking one day rest at day 4. During the next 21 months, a total of 11 courses have been done. CEA and CA19-9 were changed from 15 ng/mL, 48 U/ mL to 18, 30, respectively. The patient was able to keep working except for the duration of this treatment. This procedure could be one of the hepatic arterial infusion options.

Visualization and quantification of three-dimensional distribution of yeast in bread dough.

A three-dimensional (3-D) bio-imaging technique was developed for visualizing and quantifying the 3-D distribution of yeast in frozen bread dough samples in accordance with the progress of the mixing process of the samples, applying cell-surface engineering to the surfaces of the yeast cells. The fluorescent yeast was recognized as bright spots at the wavelength of 520 nm. Frozen dough samples were sliced at intervals of 1 microm by an micro-slicer image processing system (MSIPS) equipped with a fluorescence microscope for acquiring cross-sectional images of the samples. A set of successive two-dimensional images was reconstructed to analyze the 3-D distribution of the yeast. The average shortest distance between centroids of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) yeasts was 10.7 microm at the pick-up stage, 9.7 microm at the clean-up stage, 9.0 microm at the final stage, and 10.2 microm at the over-mixing stage. The results indicated that the distribution of the yeast cells was the most uniform in the dough of white bread at the final stage, while the heterogeneous distribution at the over-mixing stage was possibly due to the destruction of the gluten network structure within the samples.

Application of cell-surface engineering for visualization of yeast in bread dough: development of a fluorescent bio-imaging technique in the mixing process of dough.

Cell-surface engineering (Ueda et al., 2000) has been applied to develop a novel technique to visualize yeast in bread dough. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was bonded to the surface of yeast cells, and 0.5% EGFP yeasts were mixed into the dough samples at four different mixing stages. The samples were placed on a cryostat at -30 degrees C and sliced at 10 microm. The sliced samples were observed at an excitation wavelength of 480 nm and a fluorescent wavelength of 520 nm. The results indicated that the combination of the EGFP-displayed yeasts, rapid freezing, and cryo-sectioning made it possible to visualize 2-D distribution of yeast in bread dough to the extent that the EGFP yeasts could be clearly distinguished from the auto-fluorescent background of bread dough.

[A case report-advanced pancreas cancer with liver and lung metastases well controlled over one year by combination therapy with systemic chemotherapy, radiation and hepatic arterial infusion in an outpatient setting].

We report a case of advanced pancreatic cancer with liver and lung metastases that was well controlled over one year by combination therapy with systemic chemotherapy, radiation and hepatic arterial infusion in an outpatient setting. The patient was a 74-year-old woman. Chief complaints were back pain and anorexia. She was diagnosed with pancreas cancer with liver and lung metastases at the time of first visit. We started systemic chemotherapy with gemcitabine 1 g/body and 5-FU 1 g/body alternately every other week on an outpatient basis. At 1.5 months (M) after initiation of chemotherapy, we started radiation therapy to the main tumor at a total dose of 40 Gy. After radiation, chemotherapy was resumed. As a result, the size of the main tumor decreased but metastatic liver tumors got larger. Then we changed to combination therapy with systemic chemotherapy (gemcitabine and 5-FU) and hepatic arterial infusion (5-FU weekly). Liver metastases almost disappeared after 7.5 M. Despite all these treatments, however, the number of metastatic lung tumors increased. The patient was hospitalized for 15 M and died after 17 M. We focused on and succeeded in the prolongation of lifetime and maintenance of QOL by combination therapy with systemic chemotherapy, radiation and hepatic arterial infusion therapy.

Electrolyzed hydrogen-saturated water for drinking use elicits an antioxidative effect: a feeding test with rats.

A new type of electrolyzed hydrogen-saturated (EHS) water was produced using a water-electrolyzing device equipped with a special cation exchanger. Use of the EHS water for drinking in a feeding test with rats elicited an antioxidative effect. After intraperitoneal injection of 2,2-azobis-amidinopropane dihydrochloride, urinary secretion of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and hepatic formation of peroxidized lipid were significantly lessened in rats which had received the EHS water for one week. These results suggest the possibility that this drinking water shows an effect in reduction of oxidative stress in the body.

Inhibition of RL male 1 tumor growth in BALB/c mice by introduction of the RLakt gene coding for antigen recognized by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and the GM-CSF gene by in vivo electroporation.

A DNA vaccine for inducing a tumor immune response was investigated using a well-characterized murine model tumor antigen. We demonstrated that in vivo electroporation augmented the induction of IFNgamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) generation against pRL1a peptide in BALB/c spleen cells upon immunization with RLakt plasmid. Immunization without in vivo electroporation resulted in only a marginal induction of IFNgamma ELISPOT and CTL generation. Furthermore, co-injection of GM-CSF and RLakt plasmids significantly enhanced the induction of IFNgamma ELISPOT and CTL generation compared to the injection of RLakt plasmid alone. Inhibition of RL male 1 tumor growth was observed by injecting BALB/c mice with GM-CSF and RLakt plasmids using in vivo electroporation, although no effect was observed against an established tumor using the same treatment. No growth inhibition was observed without in vivo electroporation. Immunization with either RLakt plasmid alone, or GM-CSF and pCIneo control plasmids using in vivo electroporation did not inhibit RL male 1 tumor growth.

[Analysis using positron emission topography (PET) in hemiparetic patients with chronic subdural hematoma].

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) is a disease caused by minor head trauma and can be cured by surgical treatment. It remains unclear why CSH can cause neurologic dysfunction such as hemiparesis, although some reports describe the contribution of impaired cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen metabolism of patients with CSH. We studied five hemiparetic patients with unilateral CSH using positron emission tomography (PET). Before the operation, both the regional CBF (rCBF) and regional cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (rCMRO2) were observed to have decreased slightly in the motor cortex and the lentiform nucleus on the bilateral side. However, regional oxygen extraction fraction (rOEF), regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and cerebral vascular response (CVR) in the same regions were normal. In the thalamus, no significant findings were observed. Although rCBF and rCMRO2 recovered to within normal range in the motor cortex and lentiform nucleus on the bilateral side by four weeks after the the operation, hemiparesis improved in all the patients within 3 days after the operation. In conclusion, this study suggests that a circulatory disturbance in the motor cortex under the hematoma was not indicated as a definite cause that induced hemiparesis with CSH.