Punicalagin Induces Serum Low-Density Lipoprotein Influx to Macrophages

High levels of circulating low-density lipoprotein (LDL) are a primary initiating event in the development of atherosclerosis. Recently, the antiatherogenic effect of polyphenols has been shown to be exerted via a mechanism unrelated to their antioxidant capacity and to stem from their interaction with specific intracellular or plasma proteins. In this study, we investigated the interaction of the main polyphenol in pomegranate, punicalagin, with apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB100) that surrounds LDL. Punicalagin bound to ApoB100 at low concentrations (0.25–4 μM). Upon binding, it induced LDL influx to macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner, up to 2.5-fold. In contrast, another polyphenol which binds to ApoB100, glabridin, did not affect LDL influx. We further showed that LDL influx occurs specifically through the LDL receptor, with LDL then accumulating in the cell cytoplasm. Taken together with the findings of Aviram et al., 2000, that pomegranate juice and punicalagin induce plasma LDL removal and inhibit macrophage cholesterol synthesis and accumulation, our results suggest that, upon binding, punicalagin stimulates LDL influx to macrophages, thus reducing circulating cholesterol levels

Comparative effects of organic and inorganic bio-fillers on the hydrophobicity of polylactic acid

The use of Polylactic acid (PLA) has been limited in the biomedical field because of its slow degradation profile which is traceable to its degree of hydrophobicity. In this work, 16.67 wt. % of chitosan (Ch), chitin (Ct) and titanium (Ti-6Al-2Sn-2Mo-2Cr-0.25Si) (Ti) powders weremelt blended with PLA and the resulting composites examined using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Chitosan was found to reduce the hydrophobic peak due to δs(CH3) in PLA by 13.92%, chitin by 10.65% and titanium by 8.04%. Summarily, the organic biofillers produced more hydrophilic PLA composites than the inorganic filler. The percentage reduction in hydrophobicity renders the developed composites more suitable for orthopaedic applications

Patterns of coagulation profiles observed in different trimesters of pregnancy

Background: The risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) is high during pregnancy due to both physiologic changes in pregnancy and the impact of inherited and acquired thrombophilia. Protein S (PS), Protein C (PC) and Antithrombin III (ATIII) deficiencies have been found in some pregnant women with recurrent miscarriages and sudden maternal death. This study aimed to determine the changes in the level of plasma protein C, protein S and antithrombin III levels, its correlation with normal pregnancy. Methods: The study was a comparative cross-sectional study conducted among seventy-five normal pregnant women who were selected using a simple random sampling technique with seventy-five age-matched healthy nonpregnant women. Blood samples were collected for analysis of protein C, protein S and antithrombin III using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. A semi-structured questionnaire was used as the survey instrument and Statistical analysis of data was done using SPSS version 24. Results: The mean ages of the respondents were 32.6±4.6 and 34.5±6.9 years for the subjects and controls respectively. Natural coagulation inhibitors (NCI) show a gradual decrease across the trimesters of pregnancy. There was a statistical significance in the level of antithrombin III and protein S in the first trimester, p<0.05. When compared with the control of protein S of 4.78±0.65 ng/ml and antithrombin III of 554.16±54.65 ng/mL respectively. Conclusions: It was demonstrated that there was an accompanying reduction of NCI across the trimester compared with the controls. Antithrombin III and protein S have a significant relationship with the gestation periods. Antithrombin III decreased as pregnancy advanced while protein S decreased significantly from the first trimester to the second trimester and was maintained at that level throughout the pregnancy

Mechanical and Microstructural Characteristics of Rice Husk Reinforced Polylactide Nano Composite

The application of polylactides in tissue engineering is attracting significant interest. Using renewable; low cost; health and environmental friendly agro waste as reinforcement in electrospun polylactide nano composite fibres reduces the need for petroleum based fillers and enhances the strength of polylactides. In this paper, the morphological, mechanical and water permeability properties of electrospun treated and untreated rice- husk reinforced polylactide- nano- composite fibres are presented. The treated rice- husk particulates were ground, subjected to steam explosion and chemical treatment to remove its lignin and hemi-cellulose contents so as to increase the crystallinity of the filler. The addition of 4wt. and 6 wt. % untreated rice- husk filler increased the tensile strength by 95% and 43% respectively. Young’s modulus, fracture stress, water permeability and other properties are also enhanced. This work shows that; the mechanical properties and biodegradability of scaffolds for tissue engineering can be improved by reinforcing polylactide with rice-husk instead of petroleum- based polymeric- nano- fiber composites