Effects of poly-gamma-glutamic acid and vitamin B6 supplements on sleep status: a randomized intervention study

García-García Carolina,백인경 한국영양학회 2021 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol.15 No.3

BACKGROUD/OBJECTIVES: Data regarding the effects of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) on sleep status are limited. This study aimed to test whether γ-PGA and vitamin B6 (VitB6) supplements improve sleep duration and quality. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A factorial randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study included 47 adults (25 men and 22 women) who were free of chronic disease. Stratified randomized allocation considered age and gender for three interventions, group A (supplementation with γ-PGA 600 mg; n = 16), group B (supplementation with VitB6 100 mg; n = 14), and group C (dual supplementation of both γ-PGA 600 mg and VitB6 100 mg; n = 17). Participants underwent a 1-mon intervention period, followed by a 1-mon washout period, and then a second 1-mon intervention period. Differences (mean ± SD) in nighttime sleep status before and after supplementation were compared between the placebo and intervention groups using nonparametric tests. RESULTS: Significant changes in sleep duration (0.27 ± 0.98 h, P < 0.05) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score (−0.52 ± 1.58, P < 0.05) indicating improved sleep status were observed in the intervention compared with the placebo of group C while no significant changes were observed in groups A and B. No statistical significance was detected between the intervention and the placebo; however, there was a greater increase in the group C intervention (4.59 ± 38.5 ng/mL) in serum serotonin concentrations than the groups A and B interventions. No side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these findings, the dual supplementation of γ-PGA and VitB6 may be effective as functional food components to improve nighttime sleep status. Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0005083

Association between body temperature and leukocyte telomere length in Korean middle-aged and older adults

Carolina Garcí,a-Garcí,a,Chol Shin,Inkyung Baik 한국역학회 2021 Epidemiology and Health Vol.43 No.-

OBJECTIVES: Data on associations between body temperature (BT) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL), which has been widely used as a biomarker of cellular senescence in recent epidemiological studies, are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the associations between a normal BT range (35.0-37.5°C) and LTL via 6-year longitudinal observations of 2,004 male and female adults aged 50 or older. METHODS: BT was obtained by measuring the tympanic temperature, and relative LTL was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Robust regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the baseline and follow-up LTL values and their differences. RESULTS: A significant inverse association was found between BT and LTL at baseline. The regression coefficient estimate was -0.03 (95% confidence interval, -0.07 to -0.001; p<0.05). This association was stronger in participants with a body mass index >25 kg/m2 and males (p<0.01). However, there were no associations between BT and LTL at follow-up or BT and 6-year longitudinal differences in LTL. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that having a high BT between 35°C and 37.5°C (95°F and 99°F) may be detrimental for obese individuals in terms of biological aging.

Associations of dietary vitamin A and C intake with asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic respiratory diseases

García-García Carolina,Kim Minju,Baik Inkyung 한국영양학회 2023 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol.17 No.5

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) are closely related and considered as allergic respirator y diseases (ARD), and their prevalence has recently increased. Data on the association of dietar y antioxidant vitamin intake with asthma and AR in adults are limited. The present study aimed to investigate the associations of vitamin A and C intake with asthma, AR, and all cases of both diseases in young adults who participated in a cross-sectional national sur vey, with the use of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level as an effect modifier. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study included 6,293 male and female adults aged 20–49 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Sur vey (KNHANES) conducted between 2016 and 2018. The questionnaire-based reports on asthma and AR diagnosis were used to determine outcome variables. Further, 24-h recall data on dietar y vitamin A and C, carotene, and retinol intake were acquired. Logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence inter val (CI). RESULTS: Dietar y vitamin C intake was inversely associated with asthma prevalence among participants with hs-CRP levels (≥ 1 mg/L); the OR of asthma prevalence was 0.27 (95% CI, 0.08–0.84) for participants with vitamin C consumption ≥ 75 mg/day compared with those consuming < 20 mg/day. Similar association analyses limiting to non-users of dietar y supplements were performed to rule out the potential effects of supplement intake on the outcomes; results showed a stronger association. However, the association between vitamin C and asthma was not significant in participants with hs-CRP levels < 1 mg/L; the OR of asthma was 1.44 (95% CI, 0.66–3.16) for participants with vitamin C consumption ≥ 75 mg/day compared with those consuming < 20 mg/day. Vitamin C intake was not associated with AR. Moreover, there was no association between vitamin A intake and neither asthma nor AR. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that higher vitamin C intake may play a potential role in reducing asthma prevalence. Nevertheless, further studies should be conducted to evaluate whether this association is causal.

Gemini lipopeptides as vaccine adjuvants: a new role for these versatile carriers

Lucía Daniela Grippo,Ivana Gabriela Reidel,María Inés García,Alexis Streu,Diana María Müller,Carolina Melania Veaute 대한백신학회 2020 Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research Vol.9 No.2

The design of subunit vaccines requires new adjuvant systems. We designed and synthesized new lipopeptides (cysteine-based) of low molecular weight with different hydrophobic chains that dimerize becoming gemini lipopeptides. They were characterized and their adjuvant capacity was tested in mice by the inoculation of a protein antigen formulated with the lipopeptides, with and without the addition of CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides. Formulations were able to induce an immune response and produced no adverse effects. An adjuvant ability is described for the first time for this type of molecules.

Sorafenib resistance in hepatocarcinoma: role of hypoxia-inducible factors

Carolina Méndez-Blanco,Flavia Fondevila,Andrés García-Palom,Javier González-Gallego,José L. Mauriz 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor with antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, and proapoptotic properties, constitutes the only effective first-line drug approved for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite its capacity to increase survival in HCC patients, its success is quite low in the long term owing to the development of resistant cells through several mechanisms. Among these mechanisms, the antiangiogenic effects of sustained sorafenib treatment induce a reduction of microvessel density, promoting intratumoral hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs)-mediated cellular responses that favor the selection of resistant cells adapted to the hypoxic microenvironment. Clinical data have demonstrated that overexpressed HIF-1α and HIF-2α in HCC patients are reliable markers of a poor prognosis. Thus, the combination of current sorafenib treatment with gene therapy or inhibitors against HIFs have been documented as promising approaches to overcome sorafenib resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Because the depletion of one HIF-α subunit elevates the expression of the other HIF-α isoform through a compensatory loop, targeting both HIF-1α and HIF-2α would be a more interesting strategy than therapies that discriminate among HIF-α isoforms. In conclusion, there is a marked correlation between the hypoxic microenvironment and so

Hyperbaric oxygenation applied before or after mild or hard stress: effects on the redox state in the muscle tissue

Claudia Carolina Pérez-Castro,Alexandre Kormanovski,Gustavo Guevara-Balcázar,María del Carmen Castillo-Hernández,José Rubén García-Sánchez,Ivonne María Olivares-Corichi,Pedro López-Sánchez,Iván Rubio- 대한약리학회 2023 The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology Vol.27 No.1

The mechanism is unclear for the reported protective effect of hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning against oxidative stress in tissues, and the distinct effects of hyperbaric oxygen applied after stress. The trained mice were divided into three groups: the control, hyperbaric oxygenation preconditioning, and hyperbaric oxygenation applied after mild (fasting) or hard (prolonged exercise) stress. After preconditioning, we observed a decrease in basal levels of nitric oxide, tetrahydrobiopterin, and catalase despite the drastic increase in inducible and endothelial nitric oxide synthases. Moreover, the basal levels of glutathione, related enzymes, and nitrosative stress only increased in the preconditioning group. The control and preconditioning groups showed a similar mild stress response of the endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthases. At the same time, the activity of all nitric oxide synthase, glutathione (GSH) in muscle, declined in the experimental groups but increased in control during hard stress. The results suggested that hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning provoked uncoupling of nitric oxide synthases and the elevated levels of GSH in muscle during this study, while hyperbaric oxygen applied after stress showed a lower level of GSH but higher recovery post-exercise levels in the majority of antioxidant enzymes. We discuss the possible mechanisms of the redox response and the role of the nitric oxide in this process

Computed tomography-guided Gasserian ganglion interventions for cancer-related facial pain in patients with complex anatomy: Insights and recommendations

Ale Ismael González-Casarez1,Santamaría-Montaño Germán Gerardo,Plancarte-Sánchez Ricardo,Guillén-Núñez María Rocío,Juárez-Lemus Ángel Manuel,Hernández-Porras Berenice Carolina,Samano-García Marcela,Ro 대한마취통증의학회 2023 Anesthesia and pain medicine Vol.18 No.2

Background: The Gasserian ganglion is a well-known target for facial pain management, and patients with cancer present an anatomical challenge owing to tumor progression or treatment itself. Computed tomography (CT) is an alternative method for guiding these procedures.Methods: This was an observational retrospective analysis of patients with cancer-related facial pain who underwent CT-guided Gasserian ganglion interventions using local anesthetics, local anesthetics with steroids, phenol, and radiofrequency. Demographic, clinical, and procedure-related variables were collected from January 1, 2015, to December 30, 2018, at the National Cancer Institute. Data distribution was determined using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. A paired sample t-test (with a cut-off of P < 0.05 for statistical significance) was used for comparing outcome.Results: We observed a significant reduction in numerical rating scale (NRS) and douleur neuropathique 4 (DN4) scores from 7.6 ± 1.4 and 4.4 ± 1.4 to 3.2 ± 2.0 and 2.2 ± 1.4 points, respectively (P < 0.001). After the procedure, 70.8% of the patients were satisfied; 16.7% were very satisfied, and 12.5% were unsatisfied. No intra- or postoperative complications were observed. The most common neoplasms were head and neck tumors (83.3%).Conclusions: Our data suggest that CT guidance is an effective and safe option for managing cancer-related facial pain in patients with complex anatomy, resulting in a significant reduction in pain, high satisfaction rates, and no mechanical complications. Future research should aim to refine the role of CT guidance in multimodal pain management in this population.

Meralgia paresthetica after pelvic fixation in a polytrauma patient

Kot Pablo,Rubio-Haro Ruben,Bordes-García Clara,Ferrer-Gómez Carolina,De Andrés Jose 대한마취통증의학회 2021 Korean Journal of Anesthesiology Vol.74 No.6

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Prolonged intensive care: muscular functional, and nutritional insights from the COVID-19 pandemic

Miguel Ángel Martínez-Camacho,Robert Alexander Jones-Baro,Alberto Gómez-González,Dalia Sahian Lugo-García,Pía Carolina Gallardo Astorga,Andrea Melo-Villalobos,Bárbara Kassandra Gonzalez-Rodriguez,Ánge 대한중환자의학회 2024 Acute and Critical Care Vol.39 No.1

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, clinical staff learned how to manage patients enduring extended stays in an intensive care unit (ICU). COVID-19 patients requiring critical care in an ICU face a high risk of experiencing prolonged intensive care (PIC). The use of invasive mechanical ventilation in individuals with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome can cause numerous complications that influence both short-term and long-term morbidity and mortality. Those risks underscore the importance of proactively addressing functional complications. Mitigating secondary complications unrelated to the primary pathology of admission is imperative in minimizing the risk of PIC. Therefore, incorporating strategies to do that into daily ICU practice for both COVID-19 patients and those critically ill from other conditions is significantly important.