Hypolipidemic and Antioxidative Effects of Glossogyne tenuifolia in Hamsters Fed an Atherogenic Diet

Yi-Ning Lee,Guoo-Shyng Wang Hsu,Wan-Teng Lin,Yi-Fa Lu 한국식품영양과학회 2016 Journal of medicinal food Vol.19 No.5

Glossogyne tenuifolia (GT) Cassini is a special herbal tea in the Penghu Islands, Taiwan, and has a long history of being used as an antipyretic, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory remedy in folk medicine among local residents. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hot water extracts from GT on oxidative stress and lipid metabolism in animals. Five- to 6-week-old male Syrian hamsters were divided into four groups (n = 14) for different treatments, that is: control group (C), high-fat/cholesterol (HF) group, HF diet containing 0.5% (GT0.5) and 1.5% (GT1.5) GT extracts for 4 weeks. Hamsters fed with 0.5% GT powder as well as 1.5% GT powder exhibited reduced serum total cholesterol (TC), conjugated diene of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and increased serum antioxidant capacity, but 1.5% GT powder was more potent at loweringserum LDL cholesterol and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance concentrations than 0.5% GT. GT extracts significantly lowered liver triacylglycerol (TG) concentration by diminishing activities of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH). In addition, fecal excretion of cholesterol and bile acids were increased in GT extract groups. In conclusion, GT extracts increase the antioxidative capacity, decrease serum TC, inhibit the activities of FAS and G-6-PDH, and further reduce liver TG accumulation in hamster fed on atherogenic diets.

Dynamic Protein Adsorption-Desorption Analysis of Contact Lenses in a Three-Dimensional-Printed Eye Model

Wan-Hsin Chang,Pei-Yi Liu,Dai-En Lin,Yuan-Ting Jiang,Chien-Ju Lu,Yuan-Hao Howard Hsu 한국고분자학회 2022 Macromolecular Research Vol.30 No.1

Adsorption of secreted protein on contact lenses is a dynamic and complex behavior. To understand this behavior, we used three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to create an eye model that simulated the anterior segment of the actual human eyeball. In this model, the fluid inlet was connected to a syringe pump to mimic the rate of human tear secretion and the outlet was connected to an ultraviolet- visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. The experimental results revealed that the symmetrical eye model with a 180° inlet-outlet angle was suitable for dynamic analysis of protein adsorption. In this model, protein adsorption was slow and desorption was rapid. The contact lens was soaked in poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine- co-butyl methacrylate) (PMB) to confirm the anti-protein adsorption property of this polymer through dynamic adsorption and desorption eye model analysis.

Does Spore Count Matter in Fungal Allergy?: The Role of Allergenic Fungal Species

Wan-Rou Lin,Yi-Hsing Chen,Mey-Fann Lee,Ling-Yi Hsu,Chih-Jen Tien,Feng-Ming Shih,Shih-Ching Hsiao,Pi-Han Wang 대한천식알레르기학회 2016 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.8 No.5

Purpose: Fungi have been known to be important aeroallergens for hundreds of years. Most studies have focused on total fungal concentration; however, the concentration of specific allergenic fungi may be more important on an individual basis. Methods: Ten fungal allergic patients and 2 non-fungal allergic patients were enrolled. The patients with a decrease in physician or patient global assessment by more than 50% of their personal best were considered to have an exacerbation of allergic symptoms and to be in the active stage. Those who maintained their physician and patient global assessment scores at their personal best for more than 3 months were considered to be in the inactive stage. The concentrations of dominant fungi in the patients’ houses and outdoors were measured by direct and viable counts at active and inactive stages. Results: The exacerbation of allergic symptoms was not correlated with total fungal spore concentration or the indoor/outdoor ratio (I/O). Specific fungi, such as Cladosporium oxysporum (C. oxyspurum), C. cladosporioides, and Aspergillus niger (A. niger), were found to be significantly higher concentrations in the active stage than in the inactive stage. Presumed allergenic spore concentration threshold levels were 100 CFU/m3 for C. oxysporum, and 10 CFU/m3 for A. niger, Penicillium brevicompactum and Penicillium oxalicum. Conclusions: The major factor causing exacerbation of allergic symptoms in established fungal allergic patients may be the spore concentration of specific allergenic fungi rather than the total fungal concentration. These results may be useful in making recommendations as regards environmental control for fungal allergic patients.

Reduction of Physical Strength and Enhancement of Anti-Protein and Anti-Lipid Adsorption Abilities of Contact Lenses by Adding 2-Methacryloyloxyethyl Phosphorylcholine

Wan-Hsin Chang,Pei-Yi Liu,Chien-Ju Lu,Dai-En Lin,Min-Hsuan Lin,Yuan-Ting Jiang,Yuan-Hao Howard Hsu 한국고분자학회 2020 Macromolecular Research Vol.28 No.12

Biocompatible 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) can enhance the adsorption of water molecules and is therefore used for manufacturing contact lenses. This study investigated the mechanical strength, anti-protein deposition, and anti-lipid adsorption effects of MPC addition to contact lenses. Experimental contact lenses produced by copolymerizing multiple ratios of MPC to 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were analyzed. Atomic force microscopy revealed that MPC addition increased surface roughness. The anti-protein deposition and anti-lipid adsorption effects on poly(HEMA-MPC) polymers of various phosphorylcholine quantities were experimentally confirmed. The water content of the contact lenses was proportional to the MPC content in the polymer. The hydrated PC moiety of MPC drastically altered the network of the poly-HEMA polymer by inserting water molecules, which were trapped in the concave region of the surface. MPC addition had negative effects on all examined strength factors because of structural destabilization of the copolymer through water insertion. The anti-deposition effects of MPC were verified by examining the lysozyme and lipid adsorption abilities of the prepared contact lenses. Our results revealed that MPC enhanced interactions of the poly(HEMA-MPC) copolymer with water molecules; these interactions weakened the mechanical strength of the copolymer but markedly improved the anti-adsorption property of the biomolecules. The optimal proportion of HEMA–MPC for contact lenses is in the range 14.9%-28.5%.

Improving Post Liver Transplantation Nursing instruction completion rate of nursing stuff by Applying Multimedia

Jing-Yi Hsieh,Li-Wan Hsu,Ya-Ling Chen,Yu-Ying Hsieh 한국간호과학회 2019 한국간호과학회 학술대회 Vol.2019 No.10

Optimal Timing of Purchasing Decisions for Airplane Tickets and Hotels. An Example in the UK.

Hao-Te LU,Wan-Yu,HSU,Chih-Yao,YI 세계문화관광학회 2012 International Journal of Culture and tourism Resea Vol.5 No.1

Customers usually like to make travel plans weeks or months ahead of the travel schedule. Therefore, they can take extra time to search information they need in order to purchase the products at the lowest possible price. Accordingly, this study bases on the revenue management (or yield management) to examine the prices of two categories, airplane tickets and hotels, over a period of eight weeks in order to observe how the prices cycle up and down over time. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is an optimal purchasing time for any of the products. A structured observation, often also called systematic observation was conducted by this study to investigate the two categories of travel products. The study reveals that prices for the products assume an increasing trend as the date of the product consumption approaches. The implication for consumers is that they could purchase the products as early as possible to take advantage of the early prices. Although prices sometimes drop, they rarely drop lower than those the first day consumers start their search for tourism products. At end of this study, we also discuss the price variation in Taiwan and an avenue for further research.

Ergostatrien-3β-ol (EK100) from Antrodia camphorata Attenuates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Liver Injury In Vitro and In Vivo

Ting-Yu Chao,Cheng-Chu Hsieh,Shih-Min Hsu,Cho-Hua Wan,Guan-Ting Lian,Yi-Han Tseng,Yueh-Hsiung Kuo,Shu-Chen Hsieh 한국식품영양과학회 2021 Preventive Nutrition and Food Science Vol.26 No.1

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is a complication that occurs during liver surgery, whereby hepatic tissue is injured by oxygen deficiency during ischemia, then further damaged by a cascade of inflammatory and oxidative insults when blood is resupplied during reperfusion. Antrodia camphorata is an indigenous fungus in Taiwan and an esteemed Chinese herbal medicine with various bioactivities. This study examined the effect of ergostatrien-3β-ol (EK100), an active compound found in both the fruiting body and mycelia of A. camphorata, on IR injury pathologies in rats and cell models of oxidative and inflammatory stress. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive a vehicle or 5 mg/kg EK100 prior to hepatic IR injury induced by 1 h ischemia followed by 24 h reperfusion, or a sham operation. RAW 264.7 murine macrophages and HepG2 hepatocytes were pretreated with EK100, then inflammation was induced with lipopolysaccharides in the former and oxidative stress was induced with hydrogen peroxide in the latter. EK100 decreased IR-induced elevation in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and lowered levels of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β. In addition, EK100 significantly reduced hepatic mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2, as well as nitrite production and iNOS gene expression in both hepatocyte and macrophage cell lines. We demonstrated that EK100 exhibits potent protection against hepatic IR injury, which may be used to design strategies to ameliorate liver damage during liver surgery.

Photocatalytic degradation of toluene in a staged fluidized bed reactor using TiO2/silica gel

Hsiu-Po Kuo,Shang-Wen Yao,An-Ni Huang,Wan-Yi Hsu 한국화학공학회 2017 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.34 No.1

Relatively high concentration toluene is photocatalytically degraded in a multi-stage fluidized bed reactor continuously. The fluidizing media are titanium dioxide deposited silica gel particles, which are prepared by the doping sol-gel method. The effects of the Ti/Si atomic ratio, the inlet gas flow rates, and the number of the stages on the toluene removal efficiency were evaluated. The highest toluene removal efficiency is obtained when the fluidizing media are with the Ti/Si atomic ratio of 1.25. The apparent reaction orders are 0.4-0.5 for the single-stage system and 0.7 for the two-stage system, respectively. With an inlet toluene concentration of 1,000 ppm, a relative humidity of 30% and a volumetric flow rate of 10 L/min, the removal efficiency of toluene at the steady state is as high as 80% and is maintained in the 6-hr experimental time.

Deubiquitination and Stabilization of PD-L1 by CSN5

Lim, Seung-Oe,Li, Chia-Wei,Xia, Weiya,Cha, Jong-Ho,Chan, Li-Chuan,Wu, Yun,Chang, Shih-Shin,Lin, Wan-Chi,Hsu, Jung-Mao,Hsu, Yi-Hsin,Kim, Taewan,Chang, Wei-Chao,Hsu, Jennifer L.,Yamaguchi, Hirohito,Ding Elsevier 2016 Cancer cell Vol.30 No.6

<P><B>Summary</B></P> <P>Pro-inflammatory cytokines produced in the tumor microenvironment lead to eradication of anti-tumor immunity and enhanced tumor cell survival. In the current study, we identified tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) as a major factor triggering cancer cell immunosuppression against T cell surveillance via stabilization of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). We demonstrated that COP9 signalosome 5 (CSN5), induced by NF-κB p65, is required for TNF-α-mediated PD-L1 stabilization in cancer cells. CSN5 inhibits the ubiquitination and degradation of PD-L1. Inhibition of CSN5 by curcumin diminished cancer cell PD-L1 expression and sensitized cancer cells to anti-CTLA4 therapy.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> TNF-α stabilizes cancer cell PD-L1 in response to chronic inflammation </LI> <LI> Activation of NF-κB by TNF-α induces CSN5 expression leading to PD-L1 stabilization </LI> <LI> CSN5 enzyme activity controls T cell suppression via PD-L1 deubiquitination </LI> <LI> Destabilization of PD-L1 by CSN5 inhibitor curcumin benefits anti-CTLA4 therapy </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical Abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>