Arsenic removal from the popular edible seaweed Sargassum fusiforme by sequential processing involving hot water, citric acid, and fermentation.

Higher quantities of arsenic (As) in Sargassum fusiforme limit its use as a food ingredient. The present study aimed to reduce As in S. fusiforme using sequential processing involving hot water, citric acid, and fermentation. The As content in S. fusiforme of 76.18 mg/kg was reduced to 30.47 mg/kg and 24.45 mg/kg using hot water and citric acid processing, respectively. However, the As content in S. fusiforme was reduced to 9.09 mg/kg by sequential processing with hot water and citric acid. Using response surface methodology, optimal processing conditions for S. fusiforme were determined to be treatment with hot water at 60 °C for 120 min followed by treatment with 0.4% citric acid. To further reduce the As content, the processed S. fusiforme was fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and the As content was further reduced to 1.64 mg/kg. In addition, the levels of organic acids and amino acids in S. fusiforme pre- and post-fermentation were significantly altered. These results indicated that the As content in S. fusiforme could be effectively reduced using the sequential processing with hot water, citric acid, and L. rhamnosus fermentation, and the organic acid and amino acid levels were significantly altered by L. rhamnosus fermentation.

Alginic Acid from Padina boryana Abate Particulate Matter-Induced Inflammatory Responses in Keratinocytes and Dermal Fibroblasts.

Particulate matter (PM) is a significant participant in air pollution and is hence an inducer of serious health issues. This study aimed to evaluate the dust protective effects of alginate from Padina boryana (PBA) via inflammatory-associated pathways to develop anti-fine dust skincare products. In between the external and internal environments, the skin is considered to be more than a physical barrier. It was observed that PM stimulates inflammation in the skin via activating NF-κB and MAPK pathways. The potential of PBA to inhibit the studied pathways were evident. The metal ion content of PM was considerably reduced by PBA and thus attributed to its chelation ability. Current research demonstrated the potential of P. boryana alginates to be implemented as a protective barrier against inflammation imposed with heavy metal and bacterial-derived endotoxin bound to the surface of the PM. Concisely, the results suggest that the bioactive components derived from the brown algae Padina boryana increased the cellular resistance to PM-stimulated inflammation-driven skin damage.

Pig tracheal patchy xenotransplantation in the dog.

BACKGROUND: A long-segmental tracheal lesion is difficult to repair by tracheal allotransplantation due to the lack of a well-defined blood supply for blood vessel anastomosis. The donor trachea needs to be revascularized within a well-vascularized soft tissue flap for several months to allow successful trachea allotransplantation. To date, xenotransplantation using the wild-type or genetically modified pig has been widely studied. The object of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a small-sized (2 × 2 cm) wild-type pig tracheal patchy in a dog tracheal defect model before trying a long-segment tracheal defect model and using a genetically modified pig as a donor in dog xenotransplantation. METHOD: Three healthy beagle dogs (8-9 kg) were used as recipients, and one pig (20 kg) was used as the donor. A pig cartilaginous tracheal patchy (2 × 2 cm half tube) was sutured to the tracheal resected site in each dog. Antithymocyte globulin (2.5 mg/kg infusion, D0 and 1), tacrolimus (4.5 mg/kg, twice a day for 2 months), and methylprednisolone sodium succinate (1 mg/kg, IV, for 2 days and tapering) were administered for immunosuppression. The levels IL-2 and IFN-γ in the serum were measured at D0, 7, and 28. Tracheoscopy was performed at D28, 60, and 90. The recipients were sacrificed at D90, and the expression of dog and pig genes in the graft was evaluated by PCR. Histopathological examination of the graft was conducted. RESULTS: All of the dogs survived without complications during the experimental period. Their IL-2 and IFN-γ levels were significantly increased at D7 after transplantation compared to D0 and D28 (P < 0.05). The pig tracheal patchy site was open, and no stenosis was observed until D90 on tracheoscopy, when pale mucosa erosion was observed; there was also remnant suture material at D28. However, the tracheal patchy sites gradually became similar to normal mucosa at D60 and 90. The expression of pig genes was detected in the graft by PCR. Normal epithelium and CD3 cells were observed in the histological examination at D90. CONCLUSION: In this study, our data suggest that the pig tracheal patchy can be successfully engrafted into the trachea of dog, although erosion of mucosa on the graft was seen at D30, in spite of the discordant species.

Healing Effect of Platelet-rich Plasma on Decellularized Tracheal Allotransplantation in Rabbits.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on enhancing healing of trachea allotransplantation and confirm the effect via parallel histological and tracheoscopic examinations in seven adult New Zealand White rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Harvested trachea was inserted into recipients with end-to-end anastomosis by a simple interrupted suture. PRP-treated rabbits were treated with 0.5 ml of PRP at the trachea grafts, while control rabbit allografts were treated with 0.5 ml of saline. RESULTS: Tracheoscopy of tracheal allografts treated with PRP revealed that the trachea was well healed with no stenosis. The healing effect in the PRP-treated rabbits increased tracheal activity and produced faster trachea regeneration compared to that in control rabbits. There was a good correlation between the subjective symptom of noisy breathing and the objective grading of tracheal stenosis. The tracheal allografts with suture materials appeared slightly pale and looked more like mucosa erosion than normal mucosa at four weeks post-surgery. Contact of trachea-to-transplanted grafts in PRP-treated rabbits was intimate with the surface of the transplanted region and showed high-density epithelialization. After 8 weeks, blood vessels were observed in the transplanted graft in PRP-treated rabbits. Normal epithelium was present in grafts at 8 weeks after allotransplantation. No CD20+ cells were detected in grafts but a few CD3+ cells were observed under the epithelium. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that it is possible to perform tracheal reconstruction in rabbits treated with PRP after tracheal transplantation.

Immunohistochemical study of cathepsin D in the spinal cords of rats with clip compression injury.

This study examined the temporal expression of cathepsin D protein and its cellular localization in the spinal cords of rats after a clip compression injury to determine the involvement of cathepsin D in spinal cord injury (SCI). Western blot analysis showed a significant increase in the approximately 31-kDa active form of cathepsin D on days 4 and 7 after the SCI, while the level of the approximately 44-kDa inactive form remained relatively unchanged. Immunohistochemistry revealed cathepsin D with constitutive localization in most neurons and some gliocytes in the normal spinal cord to be intensely immuno-detected primarily in CD68-positive activated macrophages/microglia in the SCI lesions. Overall, these findings suggest that cathepsin D plays an important role in the phagocytosis and lysosomal activation of macrophages/microglia during the central nervous system inflammation caused by trauma.