Comparison of glucose derivatives effects on cartilage degradation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Glucosamine (GlcN) is a well-recognized candidate for treatment of osteoarthritis. However, it is currently used in derivative forms, such as glucosamine-hydrochloride (GlcN-HCl) or glucosamine sulfate (GlcN-S). However, the molecular mode of action remains unclear. In this study, we compared the effects of Glucose (Glc), Glucuronic acid (GlcA), Glucosamine hydrochloride (GlcN-HCl) and Glucosamine sulfate (GlcN-S) on cartilage degradation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Porcine cartilage explants were co-cultured with recombinant human IL-1β and each tested substance for 3 days. HA, s-GAG and MMP-2 releases to media were measured using ELISA, dye-binding assay and gelatin zymography, respectively. Similar studies were performed in a human articular chondrocytes (HAC) monolayer culture, where cells were co-treated with IL-1β and each reagent for 24 hours. Subsequently, cells were harvested and gene expression measured using RT-PCR. All experiments were carried out in triplicate. Student's t-tests were used for statistical analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In cartilage explants treated with IL-1β, GlcN-S had the highest chondroprotective activity of all four chemicals as shown by the inhibition of HA, s-GAG and MMP-2 released from cartilage. The anabolic (aggrecan core protein; AGG, SOX9) and catabolic (MMP-3, -13) genes in HACs treated with IL-1β and with/without chemicals were studied using RT-PCR. It was found that, GlcN-HCl and GlcN-S could reduce the expression of both MMP-3 and -13 genes. The IL-1β induced-MMP-13 gene expression was decreased maximally by GlcN-S, while the reduction of induced-MMP-3 gene expression was greatest with GlcN-HCl. Glc and GlcA reversed the effect of IL-1β on the expression of AGG and SOX9, but other substances had no effect.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study shows that glucosamine derivatives can alter anabolic and catabolic processes in HACs induced by IL-1β. GlcN-S and GluN-HCl decreased induced MMP-3 and -13 expressions, while Glc and GlcA increased reduced-AGG and SOX9 expression. The chondroprotective study using porcine cartilage explant showed that GlcN-S had the strongest effect.</p

Anti-inflammatory effect of methanol extracts of hemp leaf in IL-1β-induced synovitis

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of some hemp (Canabis sativa) leaf extracts as an antiinflammatory agent on synovitis in vitro.Methods: Synovial fibroblast cell line SW982 was induced with 5 ng/mL of interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β) to trigger cellular inflammation. The cells were then treated with prepared extracts of hemp (Canabis sativa) leaf originating from three different cultivation sites with varying proportions of terpenoids and cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production as well as expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and IL-1β genes were determined.Results: All hemp extracts reduced the production of NO and PGE2 in a dose-dependent manner. The expressions of iNOS, COX-2 and IL-1β genes were significantly decreased by the hemp extracts. This effect was likely related to the amount of sesquiterpenoids and THC. The extract from Huai Hoi (HH) cultivar showed the most promising results for further studies.Conclusion: The extracts of hemp leaf substantially reduces the level of biomarkers for inflammation in vitro. Therefore, the extracts have a potential application as an inflammatory counteractant in synovitis.Keywords: Canabis sativa, Hemp, Synovitis, Cannabinoids, Nitric oxide, Interleukin-1 bet

Indigenous Islamic Food: An Ideal Product Innovation for Creativity in Cultural Tourism: A Case Study Khao Tung Pla (Thai Crispy Rice Crackers with Anchovies)

This article offers a critique of indigenous food which has the potential to add many benefits and much creativity to cultural tourism. Food is one of the four requirements for human survival. The tourism industry is that in which tourists partake in the local food produce. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts the growth of the tourism industry by the year 2030 to reach 1.8 billion international tourists globally. The UNWTO further points out that most popular tourist places will specifically be those of the Asia and Pacific regions. Thailand is considered one of the most popular countries within a popular continent; however, the significant task of tourism in Thailand remains as to how to attract greater numbers of international tourists to the country. This leads us to one of the activities in which all tourists partake during their trips to Thailand, namely eating. Hence, food is an alternative tourist activity with which to specifically attract tourists. This is especially the case for indigenous food which can be presented from its cultural aspect, in addition to it being an exotic and authentic experience for visitors. This article emphasizes the indigenous food in the Andaman region of Thailand where the cuisine is mostly local Islamic food. This food is that produced by the native people in an area well-known for its Muslim community. Therefore, the local cuisine is not only presented as a food product, but also as an integral part of the culture of the native people. In other words, this local Islamic food could present the international tourist with the culture of the locals, their way of life, and the uniqueness of Thai identity through the consumption by tourist themselves. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5s2p44

Targeting human osteoarthritic chondrocytes with ligand directed bacteriophage-based particles

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive deterioration and loss of articular cartilage. There is currently no treatment to reverse the onset of OA. Thus, we developed a targeted delivery strategy to transfer genes into primary human chondrocytes as a proof-of-concept study. We displayed a chondrocyte-affinity peptide (CAP) on the pIII minor coat protein of the M13 filamentous bacteriophage (phage)-based particle carrying a mammalian transgene cassette under cytomegalovirus CMV promoter and inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) cis elements of adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV-2). Primary human articular chondrocytes (HACs) were used as an in vitro model, and the selectivity and binding properties of the CAP ligand in relation to the pathogenic conditions of HACs were characterized. We found that the CAP ligand is highly selective toward pathogenic HACs. Furthermore, the stability, cytotoxicity, and gene delivery efficacy of the CAP-displaying phage (CAP.Phage) were evaluated. We found that the phage particle is stable under a wide range of temperatures and pH values, while showing no cytotoxicity to HACs. Importantly, the CAP.Phage particle, carrying a secreted luciferase (Lucia) reporter gene, efficiently and selectively delivered transgene expression to HACs. In summary, it was found that the CAP ligand preferably binds to pathogenic chondrocytes, and the CAP.Phage particle successfully targets and delivers transgene to HACs

The increasing of potential in tourism logistics supply chain to Khon Kaen ME city, Thailand.

This research aims to study the situation of tourism logistics supply chain in Khon Kaen ME city and to conduct and study the SWOT analysis of tourism logistics supply chain in Khon Kaen ME city. Recommendations are also made for increasing the potential in the tourism logistics supply chain to Khon Kaen ME city. The study was conducted by means of qualitative research and involved the collecting of data from experts and other relevant stakeholders by means of in-depth interviews, journal article reviews, and various other research data and statistics pertaining tourism logistics and transportation. Content analysis, pattern matching and explanation building were also used. The study’s results and recommendations for increasing of the potential in tourism logistics supply chain to Khon Kaen ME city include the use of guidelines for development including: an integrated transport systems, tourism logistics and transport services, human resource development, technology and innovation in the development of public transport in Khon Kaen, green logistics and transport, the use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), organizing of the space for passenger boarding and alighting, adding of more facilities at the linkage sites in order to provide an effective access at every public transport terminal, improving and enhancing the pedestrian and bicycle paths so as to facilitate access to public transportation terminals, adding of route boards and PR posters at the linkage sites of public transport, and regulating and aiding travelers’ needs

Modeling Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compounds by Molecular Topology

One of the main pharmacological problems today in the treatment of chronic inflammation diseases consists of the fact that anti-inflammatory drugs usually exhibit side effects. The natural products offer a great hope in the identification of bioactive lead compounds and their development into drugs for treating inflammatory diseases. Computer-aided drug design has proved to be a very useful tool for discovering new drugs and, specifically, Molecular Topology has become a good technique for such a goal. A topological-mathematical model, obtained by linear discriminant analysis, has been developed for the search of new anti-inflammatory natural compounds. An external validation obtained with the remaining compounds (those not used in building up the model), has been carried out. Finally, a virtual screening on natural products was performed and 74 compounds showed actual anti-inflammatory activity. From them, 54 had been previously described as anti-inflammatory in the literature. This can be seen as a plus in the model validation and as a reinforcement of the role of Molecular Topology as an efficient tool for the discovery of new anti-inflammatory natural compounds

An Investigation of the Impact of Physical Education on the Attitudes and Exercise Behaviour of Lower Secondary School Students in Chiang Rai, Thailand

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of physical education on the attitudes and exercise behaviour of lower secondary students in Chiang Rai province, Thailand. This study was designed in two phases of investigation. First, a quantitative study was undertaken using a questionnaire given to 500 students designed by the researcher that aimed to ascertain the attitudes toward exercise, exercise behaviours and problems in doing exercise. The aim of the study was to provide preliminary data on the likely aspects of the impact of physical education curriculum on the students lives. The second phase of the investigation was a qualitative study using an in depth semi-structured interview of 30 active and 30 inactive students selected on the basis of their responses in the first phase. Ten physical education teachers and five school administrators across the range of schools in the investigation were also interviewed. This phase aimed to examine the effectiveness of physical education teaching and learning especially with the implementation of the new PE curriculum. Data from Phase 1 were analysed using a Statistical Packages for Social Sciences for Windows (SPSS for Windows). The second phase was analyzed descriptively from transcriptions of the audio-tapes of the interviews and from these themes and category responses were developed. Inter-rater reliability was obtained. The findings from Phase 1 showed that students thought that PE provided in school was worthwhile for their life. Most students reported that they have positive attitude towards exercise and believed that exercise had health benefits. Also, in Phase 2 most students both active and inactive agreed that PE activities learnt from classes could help them to have knowledge and skills for a healthy lifestyle after they finish school. However, the most salient finding concerned students knowledge about the basic principles of exercise such as warming up, cooling down, duration and frequency of exercise for health. It is necessary to provide these content on physical education curriculum to fill these gaps. Three major factors influenced students exercise behaviour. First, students interests and motivation to exercise. Most of them exercised to have fun, have friends and becauses it was good for their health. Second, the content of PE curriculum provided in PE classes influenced their exercise behaviour. The majority of active students reported that they preferred sport as the first priority. In contrast, inactive students preferred recreation but sports would be their last choice. The last factor was perceived barriers to exercise. Generally, students did not have many barriers to exercise. However, poor sports skills and having to help their parents to do household chores were the major barriers for some students especially for inactive students

Applying Analytical Hierarchy Process and Future Research Method to Develop a Standard Criteria of Entrepreneurial University in Thailand

งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อพัฒนาเกณฑ์ประเมินมาตรฐานการเป็นมหาวิทยาลัยเชิงประกอบการในประเทศไทย งานวิจัยโดยใช้เทคนิคการวิจัยอนาคตแบบเดลฟายประยุกต์ (EDFR) จากผู้เชี่ยวชาญที่ให้ข้อมูลหลัก จำนวน 17 คน และการประยุกต์เทคนิคกระบวนการตัดสินใจแบบวิเคราะห์ลำดับชั้น (Analysis Hierarchy Process: AHP) เพื่อสรุปองค์ประกอบเกณฑ์ประเมินมาตรฐานการเป็นมหาวิทยาลัยเชิงประกอบการ ผลการศึกษาพบว่า มหาวิทยาลัยเชิงประกอบการในบริบทประเทศไทยนั้นเป็นมหาวิทยาลัยที่สร้างความเปลี่ยนแปลงให้สังคมจากการเพิ่มมูลค่าตามทบริบทของมหาวิทยาลัย มีกระบวนการพื้นฐานทางความคิดแบบผู้ประกอบการเป็นหลักสำคัญของมหาวิทยาลัย โดยยังคงไว้ซึ่ง พันธกิจหลักของสถาบันอุดมศึกษาในการผลิตบัณฑิต การวิจัย การบริการวิชาการและการทำนุบำรุงศิลปวัฒนธรรม แต่มีการมุ่งเน้นในการผลิตบัณฑิตที่มีแนวคิดความเป็นผู้ประกอบการ วิจัยและสร้างความรู้ใหม่ รวมถึงนวัตกรรมและงานสร้างสรรค์ สนับสนุนการแลกเปลี่ยนความรู้กับหน่วยงานภายนอก การพัฒนาเกณฑ์ประเมินมาตรฐานการเป็นมหาวิทยาลัยเชิงประกอบการ พบว่า ได้พัฒนาเกณฑ์ที่เรียกว่า PEACH ประกอบด้วย 5 ด้าน 26 องค์ประกอบย่อย ได้แก่ 1) ด้านนโยบายและการนำองค์กร (P) 2) ด้านผลลัพธ์เชิงประกอบการ (E) 3) ด้านความคล่องตัวในการปฏิบัติงาน (A) 4) ด้านความสามารถบุคลากรและองค์การ (C) และ 5) ด้านกิจกรรมการศึกษาแบบองค์รวมเชิงประกอบการ (H) จากการพิจารณาโดยผู้เชี่ยวชาญโดยใช้เทคนิคการวิจัยอนาคตแบบเดลฟายประยุกต์ (EDFR) ค่ามัธยฐาน (Median) ในแต่ละด้านอยู่ระหว่าง 3.98 – 5 และพิสัยระหว่างควอไทล์ (Interquartile Range) อยู่ระหว่าง 0.78 - 1 พบว่า เกณฑ์ที่พัฒนาขึ้นมีความเหมาะสม และการประยุกต์เทคนิคกระบวนการตัดสินใจแบบวิเคราะห์ลำดับชั้นมีผลการวิเคราะห์อัตราส่วนความสอดคล้องของทุกด้านที่ได้มีค่าเท่ากับ 0.027 – 0.096 โดยมีค่าน้อยกว่า 0.10 อยู่ในเกณฑ์ที่ยอมรับได้This research was aim to develop a standard criteria of entrepreneurial university in Thailand. This research applied Ethnographic Delphi Futures Research (EDFR) which was implemented with 17 key informant experts. Then Analysis Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to synthesize and ensure the validity of the criteria. It was founded that the entrepreneurial university in Thailand, was a university that change the society and create value added based on university context. It was a university, that had entrepreneurial mind-set as a pillar of the university but still preserved main missions of higher education; producing graduate, research, academic services and maintain art and cultures, with emphasized on creating graduates with entrepreneurial mind-set, supporting research and innovation and exchanging knowledge transferred between external stakeholders. The standard criteria of entrepreneurial university development showed five main criterions and twenty-six sub-criterions so called PEACH which were 1) Policy and Leadership 2) Entrepreneurial output 3) Agility operation 4) Capability and organization and 5) Holistic educational activities. The result of EDFR showed Median value between 0.78–1 and Interquartile Range between 0.78–1 which was acceptable. Then AHP was applied to analyse the consistency ratio of all criterions and the value was 0.027–0.096 which was acceptable if the value did not exceed 0.1