Echocardiographic evaluation of the right atrial size and function: Relevance for clinical practice.

Right atrial (RA) structural and functional evaluations have recently emerged as powerful biomarkers for adverse events in various cardiovascular conditions. Quantitative analysis of the right atrium, usually performed with volume changes or speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE), has markedly changed our understanding of RA function and remodeling. Knowledge of reference echocardiographic values and measurement methods of RA volumes and myocardial function is a prerequisite to introduce RA quantitation in the clinical routine. This review describes the methodology, benefits and pitfalls of measuring RA size and function by echocardiography based on the current understanding of right atrial anatomy and physiological function and provides the current knowledge of right atrial function in related cardiac diseases.

Recombinant Rice Quiescin Sulfhydryl Oxidase Strengthens the Gluten Structure through Thiol/Disulfide Exchange and Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidation.

Recombinant rice quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase (rQSOX) has the potential to improve the flour processing quality, but the mechanisms remain unclear. The effects of rQSOX on bread quality, dough rheology, and gluten structure and composition, with glucose oxidase as a positive control, were investigated. rQSOX addition could improve the dough processing quality, as proved by enhanced viscoelastic properties of dough as well as a softer crumb, higher specific volume, and lower moisture loss of bread. These beneficial effects were attributed to gluten protein polymerization and gluten network strengthening, evidenced by the improved concentration of SDS-insoluble gluten and formation of large gluten aggregates and the increased α-helix and ß-turn conformation. Furthermore, decreased free sulfhydryl and increased dityrosine in gluten as well as improved H2O2 content in dough suggested that the rQSOX dough strengthening mechanism was mainly based on the formation of disulfide bonds and dityrosine cross-links in gluten by both thiol/disulfide direct exchange and hydrogen peroxide indirect oxidation pathways.

Characterization of recombinant rice quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase and its improvement effect on wheat flour-processing quality.

In this study, recombinant rice quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase (rQSOX) was expressed and characterized, and its performance in flour-processing quality was further evaluated. The purified rQSOX exhibited the highest sulfhydryl oxidation activity (1.96 IU/mg) using dithiothreitol as a substrate, accompanying the production of H2O2. The optimal temperature and pH were 60 °C and pH 8.0 for rQSOX catalyzing oxidation of dithiothreitol. And rQSOX retained 50% of its maximum activity after incubation at 80 °C for 1 h. Moreover, rQSOX supplementation improved the farinograph properties of dough, indicated by the increased dough stability time and decreased degree of softening, and enhanced viscoelastic properties of the dough. Addition of rQSOX (10 IU/g flour) provided remarkable improvement in specific volume (37%) and springiness (17%) of the steamed bread, and significantly reduced the hardness by half, which was attributed to the strengthened gluten network. The results provide an understanding for rQSOX using in flour-processing industry.

Targeting CCL20 inhibits subarachnoid hemorrhage-related neuroinflammation in mice.

Recent evidence suggests that CC chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) is upregulated after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Here, we investigated the functions of CCL20 in SAH injury and its underlying mechanisms of action. We found that CCL20 is upregulated in an SAH mouse model and in cultured primary microglia and neurons. CCL20-neutralizing antibody alleviated SAH-induced neurological deficits, decreased brain water content and neuronal apoptosis, and repressed microglial activation. We observed increased levels of CCL20, CC chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), as well as of microglial activation in microglia treated with oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb). CCL20 or CCR6 knockdown reversed the effects of OxyHb on microglia. Conditioned medium from OxyHb-treated microglia induced neuronal apoptosis, while the percentage of apoptotic neurons in the conditioned medium from microglia transfected with CCL20 siRNA or CCR6 siRNA was decreased. We observed no decrease in OxyHb-induced apoptosis in CCL20-knockdown neurons. Conditioned medium from OxyHb-treated neurons led to microglial activation and induced CCR6, IL-1ß and TNF-α expression, while CCL20 knockdown in neurons or CCR6 knockdown in microglia reversed those effects. Our results thus suggest CCL20 may be targeted to elicit therapeutic benefits after SAH injury.

Comparison of the Effects of Different Food-Grade Emulsifiers on the Properties and Stability of a Casein-Maltodextrin-Soybean Oil Compound Emulsion.

The improvement of food-grade emulsifiers in the properties and stability of complex emulsion has attracted much interest. In this study, the effects of six food-grade emulsifiers with a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) range of 3.4-8.0 on a casein-maltodextrin-soybean oil compound emulsion were investigated by centrifugal precipitation rate (CPR), emulsifying activity index (EAI), microrheological properties, zeta potential, average particle size, and Turbiscan stability index (TSI). The optimal amounts of added succinylated monoglyceride (SMG) and polyglycerol fatty acid ester were 0.0025% and 0.1% (w/w), respectively, while that of the other four emulsifiers was 0.2% (w/w), according to the CPR. Thereinto, the SMG-stabilized emulsion exhibited the highest emulsifying activity and the lowest viscosity value and possessed the highest stability over 14 days of storage, which was indicated by the lowest TSI value and the smallest change in delta backscattering signal, relative to those of the other groups. Moreover, the emulsion stabilized by SMG displayed better emulsion stability than the control under a range of pH (6.0-8.0) and calcium ion concentrations (0-10 mM), which was attributed to the increased zeta potential value and the decreased average particle size of droplets with the addition of SMG. The present study provides a basic understanding for SMG improving the properties and stability of the complex emulsion.

Comparative study of laparoscopic versus open radical gastrectomy in advanced gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma: Analysis from a high-volume institution.

BACKGROUND: Gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas (G-NECs) are rare. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and clinical efficacy of laparoscopic surgery in patients with advanced G-NECs. METHODS: The clinicopathological data of 175 G-NECs patients who underwent radical gastrectomy in a high-volume centre were collected. One hundred fifty-one cases with advanced G-NECs (laparoscopic gastrectomy [LG] = 30, open gastrectomy [OG] = 121) were finally selected for comparison of the short-term outcomes and oncologic efficacy. RESULTS: In the postoperative recovery, when comparing the OG group, the time to ambulation (3.2 d vs. 2.6 d, respectively, p = 0.049), the time to first flatus (4.1 d vs. 3.6 d, respectively, p = 0.050), the time to first soft diet (7.9 d vs. 6.7 d, respectively, p = 0.007), and the postoperative hospital stay (13.1 d vs. 11.4 d, respectively, p = 0.047) of the LG group were shorter. There was no significant difference in the postoperative complication rates between the OG and LG groups (19.8% vs. 23.3%, p = 0.671). The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 57.0% in the OG group and 64.4% in the LG group (p = 0.349). The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 51.7% in the OG group and 57.4% in the LG group (p = 0.357). There was no significant difference in the 3-year OS and DFS rates between the LG and OG groups at each stage. The recurrence rate was 35.5% in the OG group and 33.0% in the LG group (p = 0.821). CONCLUSIONS: The short-term outcomes and oncologic efficacy of laparoscopic gastrectomy and open gastrectomy for advanced G-NECs are comparable.

Identification of bioactives from Astragalus chinensis L.f. and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects.

This work was designed to obtain the valuable compounds with antioxidant, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities from Astragalus chinensis. Ethyl acetate fraction obtained from A. chinensis L.f. had significant antioxidant, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities. Subsequently, five single compounds were separated and purified, which were identified as formononetin (1), rhamnocitrin (2), calycosin (3), ß-daucosterol (4), rhamnocitrin-3-O-ß-d-glucoside (5). The results displayed that formononetin and rhamnocitrin exhibited significant cytotoxicity actions against tumor cell lines. Calycosin exerted the strongest anti-inflammatory effect of inhibition effects on NO production in macrophages.

[Correlations Between Near Infrared Spectra and Molecular Structures of 20 Standard Amino Acids].

The objective of the research was to study the correlations between near infrared spectra and molecular structures of 20 standard amino acids. It was to establish the theoretical foundation for widely use of the amino acids near infrared spectra in animal science, food and medicine. Measurement of the near infrared spectra was performed using a Shimadzu Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer IRPrestige-21, with FlexIRTM Near-Infrared Fiber Optics module. The spectrometric data acquisitions were performed by Shimadzu IRsolution 1.50 system. The spectrometric room temperature was 25 ℃ and humidity was 38%. Spectra of 20 amino acid standard substances were collected by reflectance mode from 1 000 to 2 502 nm in 8 cm-1 increment. Each sample was scanned in three times, each scan was 50 cycles, and the average value of three times scan result was used for each sample. Based on the differences of amino acids side chains, the correlations between near infrared spectra and molecular structures were compared in the fat family amino acids, aromatic amino acids and heterocycle amino acids. The result shows that all 20 standard amino acids have very specific absorption line patterns. It is distinctly different in these absorption line patterns. Near-infrared spectra of high molecular weight fat family amino acids are affected by side chains. Near-infrared spectra of glycine are affected by carboxyl and amino. The differences of near-infrared spectra between two aromatic amino acids are in benzene ring. ­OH groups on benzene ring of tyrosine lower the symmetry of benzene molecule. It leads to the emergence of more vibration absorption. Near-infrared spectra of heterocycle amino acids are distinctly different in 1 000～2 502 nm because of side chains. In conclusion, there are four different characteristic spectral regions. The first one is 1 050～1 200 nm spectral region which is composed mainly of second-order frequency doubling of C­H group. The second is 1 300～1 500 nm spectral region which is composed mainly of combination tune of C­H group. Due to side chains of amino acid have different molecular structure, they yield a complete set of near infrared fingerprint spectra between 1 600～1 850 and 2 000～2 502 nm. In another words, these four characteristic regions of near infrared spectra can be used to build the model of qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis for amino acid, and improves the accuracy and reliability of model.

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Nitrogen accumulation, translocation and allocation were investigated in a field experiment to find out the difference between six semi-winterness wheat cultivars and nine springness wheat cultivars that are mainly grown in Jiangsu. Results indicated that the average nitrogen accumulation amount (NAA) in the semi-winterness wheat cultivars was lower from the beginning of wintering to jointing stage, but higher from booting to maturity stage, compared with the springness wheat cultivars tested under the same rate of nitrogen fertilization. The amount of nitrogen accumulated between the beginning of wintering and jointing stage showed no significant difference between the two types of wheat cultivars, but that accumulated between anthesis and maturity in the semi-winterness wheat cultivars was higher than that in the springness wheat cultivars. The total N translocation amount (TNTA) and N accumulation amount to grains after anthesis (NAAA) were significantly higher in the semi-winterness wheat cultivars than those in the springness wheat cultivars, but the total N translocation efficiency (NTE), the contribution proportion of accumulated N (ANCP), and the contribution proportion of translocated N (TNCP) did not show significant difference between the two types of wheat cultivars. In leaves, the semi-winterness wheat cultivars showed lower TNTA, NTE and TNCP than the springness wheat cultivars, but in stem and sheath these N indexes were higher in the semi-winterness wheat cultivars, with a significant level for TNTA. These were significant differences in NAA, NAAA, TNTA and TNCP among cultivars with the same spring type or semi-winter type. According to the differences in nitrogen absorption, utilization and translocation among different wheat cultivars, nitrogen utilization efficiency could be improved by using approp-riate amount and reasonable proportion of nitrogen fertilizers at different developmental stages of wheat.

Immunomodulatory activity and partial characterisation of polysaccharides from Momordica charantia.

Momordica charantia Linn. is used as an edible and medicinal vegetable in sub-tropical areas. Until now, studies on its composition and related activities have been confined to compounds of low molecular mass, and no data have been reported concerning the plant's polysaccharides. In this work, a crude polysaccharide of M. charantia (MCP) fruit was isolated by hot water extraction and then purified using DEAE-52 cellulose anion-exchange chromatography to produce two main fractions MCP1 and MCP2. The immunomodulatory effects and physicochemical characteristics of these fractions were investigated in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that intragastric administration of 150 or 300 mg·kg-·d⁻¹ of MCP significantly increased the carbolic particle clearance index, serum haemolysin production, spleen index, thymus index and NK cell cytotoxicity to normal control levels in cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced immunosuppressed mice. Both MCP1 and MCP2 effectively stimulated normal and concanavalin A-induced splenic lymphocyte proliferation in vitro at various doses. The average molecular weights of MCP1 and MCP2, which were measured using high-performance gel permeation chromatography, were 8.55×104 Da and 4.41×105 Da, respectively. Both fractions exhibited characteristic polysaccharide bands in their Fourier transform infrared spectrum. MCP1 is mainly composed of glucose and galactose, and MCP2 is mainly composed of glucose, mannose and galactose. The results indicate that MCP and its fractions have good potential as immunotherapeutic adjuvants.

Two new alkaloids from the edible macrofungus Ramaria madagascariensis.

Phytochemical investigation of the ethyl acetate extract of the edible macrofungus, Ramaria madagascariensis, has led to the isolation of two new alkaloids (1 and 2). Their structures were elucidated by HR-ESI-MS, IR, and 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments. The antimicrobial activity of 1 and 2 was also tested and evaluated.

[Clinical effect of modified Xuefuzhuyutang on senile chronic subdural hematoma after operation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the curative effect of modified Xuefuzhuyutang on chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH)after burr holes irrigation and drainage. METHODS: From January 2010 to April 2013,137 CSDH patients were randomly divided into two groups: 65 cases of control group and 72 cases of medicine group (modified Xuefuzhuyutang). RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the cases of total absorption of hematoma in medicine group increased significantly (P < 0.05). The cases of 50%-99%, 30%-49% and 0%-29% absorption in above two groups had no significant differences (P > 0.05). There were no significant side effects were observed in the two groups. Compared with the control group, the marked effective cases and total effective cases in medicine group were higher (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Modified Xuefuzhuyutang is effective in reducing the postoperative residual volume and recurrent CS-DH.

Solution properties and in vitro anti-tumor activities of polysaccharides from longan pulp.

The solution properties of four fractions (LPI-IV) from crude longan pulp polysaccharides (LP3) were analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography combined with laser light scattering, viscometry, complex formation with Congo red, and atomic force microscopy. Their radii of gyration (z)(½) were 43.3, 62.6, 43.2 and 77.3 nm, exponents of (z)(½) = k M(w)(v) were 0.04, 0.50, 0.52 and 0.02, and intrinsic viscosities ([η]) were 9.945, 25.38, 308.2 and 452.1 mL/g, respectively. Moreover, the dependence of [η] on M(w) was established to be [η] = 5.3 × 10⁻²M(w)°·6¹ (mL/g). LPI had both a sphere-like conformation and a triple-helix structure, and LPII-IV existed as flexible chains. LP3, LPI, LPII and LPIII all exhibited direct inhibitory effects on A549, HeLa and HepG2 cells in a positive dose-dependent manner in the range of 50-400 µg/mL. The activities of LPIII, especially the inhibition of HepG2 cell proliferation, were stronger than those of others, which may be partly related to its flexible conformation. The present results support the cancer therapeutic potential of longan polysaccharides.

Phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of litchi (Litchi Chinensis Sonn.) fruit pericarp from different commercially available cultivars.

Litchi fruit pericarp (LFP) contains significant amounts of phenolics which have been found to exhibit diverse biological activities. The purpose of this work was to determine the varietal differences in phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of LFP from nine commercially available cultivars. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents ranged from 9.39 to 30.16 mg gallic acid equivalents/g fresh weight (FW) and from 7.12 to 23.46 mg catechin equivalents/g FW, respectively. The total anthocyanin contents ranged from 1.77 to 20.94 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents/100 g FW. Three anthocyanins, including cyanidin-3-rutinoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, malvidin-3-glucoside, were detected, and cyanidin-3-rutinoside was the predominant constituent which contributes from 68.8% to 100% to total anthocyanins, The total procyanidin contents ranged from 4.35 to 11.82 mg epicatechin equivalents/g FW. Procyanidin B2, epicatechin, A-type procyanidin trimer, and procyanidin A2 were detected in all nine litchi varieties. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity activities and DPPH radical-scavenging activities ranged from 430.49 to 1752.30 µmol TE/100 g FW and from 4.70 to 11.82 mg/g (IC50), respectively. These results indicate that there are significant differences in phytochemical profiles and antioxidant activity among the tested varieties. Knowing the phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of LFP of different varieties gives the insights into its potential application to promote health.

Isolation and identification of compounds from Penthorum chinense Pursh with antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma properties.

Penthorum chinense Pursh, widely distributed in eastern Asia, has long been used in China for both food and medicine due to its various bioactivities. The aim of this study was to isolate its active compounds with antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma properties. P. chinense was extracted with 95% ethanol, 70% ethanol, and water, respectively, and then the 70% ethanol extract was re-extracted, resulting in petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water fractions, subsequently. Results showed that the antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma activities of ethanol extracts were stronger than those of aqueous extract, and the ethyl acetate fraction of 70% ethanol extract showed the highest activities. Four compounds, ß-sitosterol, quercetin, pinocembrin-7-O-[3-O-galloyl-4″,6″-hexahydroxydiphenoyl]-ß-glucose (PGHG), and thonningianins A (Th A), were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction and identified by UV, MS, and NMR spectroscopic analysis. Th A was isolated from P. chinense for the first time. PGHG and Th A exhibited higher antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma activities than did other isolated parts of P. chinense . The antihepatocarcinoma activity of Th A was much higher than that of positive control (5-fluorouracil). PGHG and Th A were suggested to be the active chemical compositions responsible for potent antioxidant and antihepatocarcinoma properties of P. chinense , which are worthy of further study.

Structural features and immunomodulatory activities of polysaccharides of longan pulp.

An aqueous extract of polysaccharides from longan pulp was chromatographed on a DEAE anion-exchange column to yield four fractions (LPI-IV). Immunomodulatory activities of these polysaccharides were also evaluated in vitro. The purified products, neutral polysaccharide LPI, polysaccharide-protein complex LPII and acidic polysaccharides LPIII and LPIV, exhibited conspicuous differences in their monosaccharide composition, molecular mass and glycosidic linkages. Except for LPI, the other three significantly stimulated lymphocyte proliferation in the dose range of 100-400µg/mL compared with the normal control (P<0.05), and might electively stimulate B cells, but not T cells. Furthermore, their stimulations on normal/lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation and depressions on concanavalin A-induced proliferation could be ordered as LPIII>LPIV>LPII>LPI. All the fractions had the optimal dose of 100µg/mL on enhancing macrophage phagocytosis. Among them, LPII had the considerable yield and activity for exploiting as a potential immunoadjuvant.

Immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharide-protein complex of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) pulp.

The immunomodulatory function of longan pulp polysaccharide-protein complex (LP3) was investigated in immunosuppressed mice models. Compared with the model control, peroral administration of 100 mgkg⁻¹d⁻¹ LP3 could significantly increase/enhance antibody production against chicken red blood cell (CRBC), concanavalin A (ConA)-induced splenocyte proliferation, macrophage phagocytosis, NK cell cytotoxicity against YAC-1 lymphoma cell, and interferon-gamma (INF-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion in serum (P < 0.05). The immunomodulatory effects, except for those on splenocytes and macrophages (P > 0.05), were also observed in mice administered with 50 or 200 mgkg⁻¹d⁻¹ LP3 (P < 0.05). The beneficial effects of 50-200 mgkg⁻¹d⁻¹ LP3 were comparable to those of 50 mgkg⁻¹d⁻¹ ganoderan. The strong immunomodulatory activity of LP3 confirmed its good potential as an immunotherapeutic adjuvant.

Physicochemical characteristics and immunomodulatory activities of three polysaccharide-protein complexes of longan pulp.

Three polysaccharide-protein complexes of longan pulp (LP1-3) were isolated in this work. Their physicochemical characteristics and immunomodulatory effects on splenocytes, natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages in vitro were investigated. The carbohydrate portions of LP1-3 were principally composed of glucose, arabinose and mannose. LP3 displayed the maximal moisture absorption, and the thermal stability of LP2 was obviously higher than that of LP1 and LP3. All of them showed the characteristic polysaccharide and protein bands in the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrum. For a certain dose, all the fractions could significantly stimulate splenocyte proliferation, macrophage phagocytosis against neutral red, and NK cell cytotoxicity against YAC-1 lymphoma cell (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the polysaccharide-protein complexes of longan pulp have medical potential as immunotherapeutic adjuvants due to their immunomodulatory activities.

Phenolic composition and antioxidant activity in seed coats of 60 Chinese black soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) varieties.

Phenolics in black soybean seed coat (BSSC) are considered to be responsible for the health benefits of black soybean. BSSCs of 60 Chinese varieties were examined for phenolic contents, anthocyanin profiles, and antioxidant activity. Total phenolic and condensed tannin contents ranged from 512.2 to 6057.9 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g and from 137.2 to 1741.1 mg (+)-catechin equivalents/100 g, respectively. Six anthocyanins (delphinidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-galactoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, petunidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, and malvidin-3-glucoside) were detected by HPLC. Total anthocyanin contents (TAC) were from 98.8 to 2132.5 mg/100 g, and cyanidin-3-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin in all varieties, with a distribution of 48.8-94.1% of TAC. Antioxidant properties detected by DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC methods all showed wide variations ranging from 4.8 to 65.3 µg/100 mL (expressed as EC(50)), from 17.5 to 105.8 units/g, and from 42.5 to 1834.6 µmol Trolox equivalent/g, respectively. Sixty varieties were classified into four groups by hierarchical clustering analysis, and group 4 consisting of nine varieties had the highest phytochemicals content and antioxidant activity.