An oral delivery system based on ApxIIA#5-expressed on Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied for its potential to induce immune responses in mice. Murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) stimulated in vitro with ApxIIA#5-expressed on S. cerevisiae upregulated the expression of maturation and activation markers, leading to production of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-12p70 and IL-10. Presentation of these activated DCs to cluster of differentiation CD4+ T cells collected from mice that had been orally immunized with the ApxIIA#5-expressed on S. cerevisiae elicited specific T-cell proliferation. In addition, the orally immunized mice had stronger antigen-specific serum IgG and IgA antibody responses and larger numbers of antigen-specific IgG and IgA antibody-secreting cells in their spleens, Peyer's patches and lamina propria than did those immunized with vector-only S. cerevisiae or those not immunized. Furthermore, oral immunization induced T helper 1-type immune responses mediated via increased serum concentrations of IgG2a and an increase predominantly of IFN-γ-producing cells in their spleens and lamina propria. Our findings suggest that surface-displayed ApxIIA#5-expressed on S. cerevisiae may be a promising candidate for an oral vaccine delivery system for eliciting systemic and mucosal immunity.
Objectives: This analysis seeks to evaluate the impact of environmental health factors (EHF; e.g. hospital beds per capita, employees of medical institutions) on extreme-heat vulnerability assessment in Busan Metropolitan City during 2006-2010. Methods: According to the vulnerability concept suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), extreme-heat vulnerability is comprised of the categories of Exposure, Sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity (including EHF). The indexes of the Exposure and Sensitivity categories indicate positive effects, while the Adaptive capacity index indicates a negative effect on extreme-heat vulnerability. Variables of each category were standardized by the re-scaling method, and then each regional relative vulnerability was computed with the vulnerability index calculation formula. Results: The extreme-heat vulnerability index (EVI) excepting EHF was much higher in urban areas than in suburban areas within the metropolitan area. When EHF was considered, the difference in the EVI between the two areas was reduced due to the increase of the Adaptive capacity index in urban areas. The low EVI in suburban areas was induced by a dominant effect of natural environmental factors (e.g. green area) within the Adaptive capacity category. Conclusions: To reduce the vulnerability to extreme heat in urban areas, which were more frequently exposed to extreme heat than others areas, public health and natural environments need to be improved in sensitive areas.
Catechins, components of green tea, reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is highly implicated in the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), resulting in atherosclerosis. The acting mechanisms of the catechins remain to be defined in the proliferation of VSMC induced by Ang II. Here we report that catechin, epicatechin (EC), epicatechingallate (ECG) or epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) significantly inhibits the Ang II-induced [3H]thymidine incorporation into the primary cultured rat aortic VSMC. Ang II increases the phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2), c-jun-N-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK 1/2), or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and mRNA expression of c-jun and c-fos. The EGCG pretreatment inhibits the Ang II-induced phosphorylation of ERK 1/2, JNK 1/2, or p38 MAPK, and the expression of c-jun or c-fos mRNA. U0126, a MEK inhibitor, SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, or SB203580, a p38 inhibitor, attenuates the Ang II-induced [3H]thymidine incorporation into the VSMC. In conclusion, catechins inhibit the Ang II-stimulated VSMC proliferation via the inhibition of the Ang II-stimulated activation of MAPK and activator protein-1 signaling pathways. The antiproliferative effect of catechins may be associated with the reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases by the intake of green tea. Catechins may be useful in the development of prevention and therapeutics of vascular diseases.
Six polyphenolic compounds were isolated from ethylacetate extract second-ary to 80% ethanol extraction of defatted safflower seeds. They were categorized into three types: lignans, flavones and serotonin derivatives. Female Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 163.4±6.3g were ovariectomized (Ovx) and fed either ethylacetate extract at a level of 1% (w/w) or three types of safflower polyphenolic compounds at a level of 200 mg/leg in a diet containing 0.5% (w/w) cholesterol for four wk. The sham and Ovx control groups were fed the same diet without safflower components. Plasma GOT and GPT levels did not differ among the six experimental groups. The plasma levels of total cholesterol were reduced in the four safflower groups by 20-30% as compared to the Ovx control. The plasma level of HDL-cholesterol was higher in the Ovx+ethylacetate extract group or appeared to be in the three Ovx+safflower polyphenolic groups than in the Ovx control. The level of plasma triglyceride was also significantly lower in the Ovx+lignan group than in the Ovx control. The liver level of cholesterol was significantly reduced in the Ovx+ethylacetate extract group. Fecal excretion of cholesterol increased by the safflower lignans and flavones, whereas that of bile acid was not significantly changed by the safflower polyphenols. Matairesinol and acacetin isolated from safflower seeds reduced the cholesterol content in cultured HepG2 cells at a concentration of 0.01-0.1μM and all three safflower polyphenolics decreased tri-glyceride content at the concentration of 0.1μM. These results suggest that safflower polyphenols have the effect of improving blood lipid status via increasing HDL-cholesterol formation and cholesterol excretion without significant uterotropic action in estrogen-deficient animals.
To investigate interaction of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor with local tissue renin- angiotensin system (RAS), changes in gene expression of the RAS components in various tissues in response to chronic administration of an ACE inhibitor, enalapril, were examined in Sprague-Dawley male rats. Enalapril was administered in their drinking water over 8 wk. Plasma and renal ACE activity increased significantly after 4 and 8 wk of enalapril treatment. Renin levels of the plasma and kidney of the enalapril-treated rats markedly increased after 4 wk and decreased thereafter, but still remained significantly higher than those of control rats. Kidney mRNA levels of renin markedly increased after 4 and 8 wk of enalapril treatment, but those of angiotensinogen and ANG II-receptor subtypes, and , did not change significantly. The liver expressed genes for renin, angiotensinogen and receptor subtype, but receptor subtype mRNA was not detectable by RT-PCR. None of mRNA for these RAS components in the liver changed significantly by enalapril treatment. The hypothalamus showed mRNA expressions of renin, angiotensinogen, and receptor subtypes. receptor subtype mRNA was more abundant than receptor subtype in the hypothalamus as shown in the kidney. However, gene expression of the RAS components remained unchanged during 8-wk treatment of enalapril. In the present study, chronic ACE inhibition increased plasma and renal levels of ACE and renin, but did not affect mRNA levels of other RAS components such as angiotensinogen, ANG II receptor subtypes in the kidney. Gene levels of the RAS components in the liver and hypothalamus were not altered by chronic treatment of enalapril. These results suggest the differential expression of the RAS components in response to enalapril, and localized action and some degree of tissue specificity of enalapril.
Nowadays, in accordance with increasing expectations of multimedia stream service on the internet, a lot of distributed applications are being required and developed. But the models of the existing systems have the problems that cannot support the extensibility and the reusability, when the QoS relating functions are being developed as an integrated modules which are suited on the centralized controlled specific-purpose application services. To cope with these problems, it is suggested in this paper to a distributed QoS management system on CORBA, an object-oriented middleware compliance. This systems we suggested can provides not only for efficient control of resources, various service QoS, and QoS control functions as the existing functions, but also QoS control real-time negotiation and dynamic adaptation in addition. This system consists of QoS Control Management Module(QoS CMM) in client side and QoS Management Module(QoS MM) in server side, respectively. These distributed modules are interfacing with each other via CORBA on different systems for distributed QoS management while serving distributed streaming applications. In phase of design of our system, we use UML(Unified Modeling Language) for designing each component in modules, their method calls and various detailed functions for controlling QoS of stream services. For implementation of our system, we used OrbixWeb 3.1c following CORBA specification on Solaris 2.5/2.7, Java language, Java Media Framework API 2.0 beta2, Mini-SQL 1.0.16 and the multimedia equipments, such as SunVideoPlus/Sun Video capture board and Sun Camera. Finally, we showed a numerical data controlled by real-time negotiation and adaptation procedures based on QoS map information to GUIs on client and server dynamically, while our distributed QoS management system is executing a given streaming service.
Various by-product composts are applied in alpine farmland, and some of them generate many problems especially when they are not completely composted. The objective of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and spectroscopic properties of by-product composts used in Gangweon alpine uplands. Average organic matter content, C/N ratio and NaCl content in 3 species of registered composts were 33%, 13 and 0.8%, respectively, and the general quality were better than the guideline of by-product compost. Odor and contents of and in the registered composts were relatively lower than those in the unregistered composts. Among the 13 unregistered composts tested in this experiment, 3 species contained organic matter content less than 25%, 5 species had C/N ratio less than 10, and 8 species contained NaCl exceeded the acceptable level. Eight species in the unregistered composts contained more than 50% of water. Contents of heavy metals in both the registered and unregistered composts were lower than the acceptable level. In spectroscopic property analysis, registered composts were Band P types, and unregistered composts were Rp and P types.
Defatted methanol extracts of the medicinal plants, Rubus coreanus Miq. (RC) and Atractylodes japonica Koidzumi (AJ) were added at the levels of 0.1, 0.5, or 2% (w/w) to high cholesterol diets and fed to ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley female rats, weighing 212.6±1.8 g for four weeks. Weight gains were lower in RC and AJ groups than the control group, but there were no changes in uterus weights. Serum levels of triglyceride decreased by 20～27% in the experimental groups fed 0.1% of each extract (0.1RC and 0.1AJ), compared with that of control (Ovx). Serum cholesterol levels were not changed in the RC groups but increased in the group fed 2% of the AJ extract. Liver levels of cholesterol and triglyceride were reduced in both the RC and AJ groups. Microscopic observation revealed that there were no morphological alterations in liver, lung, heart, spleen and kidney tissues of the experimental groups. Plasma levels of albumin, BUN, creatinine, sodium, potassium and phosphate in the RC and AJ groups were in normal ranges. Serum GOT and GPT activities were, however, higher in the 2.0AJ than Ovx group. These results suggest that the extracts of the Rubus coreanus Miq. and Atractylodes japonica Koidzumi at dietary levels as low as 0.1% may be utilized as hypotriglyceridemic ingredients for functional foods.
2,5-Di-(2′-hydroxyethoxy)-4′-nitrostilbene(2)was prepared and condensed with 2,4-toluenediisocyanate, 3,3′-dimethoxy-4,4′-biphenylenediisocyanate and 1,6-hexamethylenediisocyanate to yield novel T-type polyurethanes3–5containing the NLO-chromophore 2,5-dioxynitrostilbenyl group, which constitutes a part of the polymer backbone. Polymers3–5were soluble in common organic solvents such as acetone and DMSO. Polymers3–5showed a thermal stability up to 280°C in TGA thermograms withTgs of 79–159°C in DSC thermograms. The SHG coefficients(d33)of poled polymer films were around 5.4 × 10−9esu, and they exhibited greater thermal stabilities of dipole alignments even at 10°C higher thanTgdue to the partial main chain character of the polymer structure.
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