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Useful Supplement (useful + supplement)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	60%
Life Sciences	40%

Selected Abstracts

Effects of oyster extract on the reproductive function of zinc-deficient mice: Bioavailability of zinc contained in oyster extract

CONGENITAL ANOMALIES, Issue 4 2003
Yoshikazu Matsuda
ABSTRACT Zinc is a vital nutrient in the normal reproductive function and embryonic development of mammals, and it is well known that oyster extract contains significant amounts of zinc. The effects of oyster extract on reproductive function, such as embryonic development, serum levels of zinc and sperm maturation were examined in zinc-deficient mice. Zinc deficiency in dams during pregnancy induced a decrease in the successful pregnancy rate, maternal weight gain, the number of live fetuses and fetal body weight. Zinc deficiency for 12 weeks in male mice induced a decrease in body weight, testis weight and sperm count in the epididymis. However, reproductive failure, embryonic defects and decreased sperm motility in zinc-deficient mice were improved by supplementation with oyster extract. Some nutrients contained in oyster extract, such as taurine and glycogen, may be related to the recovery of reproductive function. There were significantly lower serum concentrations of zinc in dams fed a zinc-deficient diet However, the serum zinc concentration was normal in the oyster extract-supplemented group. No difference in the concentration of serum zinc was observed between the oyster extract- and zinc carbonate-supplemented groups. From these findings, it is suggested that oyster extract is a useful supplement that can prevent reproductive defects from zinc deficiency, and the bioavailability of zinc may be identical to zinc carbonate. [source]

Depicting of a Cleft Mitral Valve by Real Time Three-Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2010
F.E.S.C., Mehmet Özkan M.D.
We report the usefulness of real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in comprehensive delineation of cleft mitral valve. This new technique may be a useful supplement to two-dimensional and three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in the assessment of this pathology. (Echocardiography 2010;27:356-358) [source]

Blood Flow Imaging,A New Angle-Independent Ultrasound Modality for the Visualization of Flow in Atrial Septal Defects in Children

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 9 2007
Siri Ann Nyrnes M.D.
Background: Color Doppler imaging (CDI) is the most applied method for evaluation of flow in atrial septal defects (ASD). A new real time ultrasound flow imaging modality called blood flow imaging (BFI) is able to visualize the blood flow in any direction of the image and is not limited by velocity aliasing. The method thereby overcomes the two limitations most often encountered in CDI. In this study we compared BFI with CDI for the visualization of interatrial blood flow in children. Methods: We studied ASD flow in 13 children using both CDI and BFI in the same examination. CDI and BFI cineloops were prepared off-line and both optimal and suboptimal (increased color artifacts) images were presented in random order to four observers. They were asked to range from 0,100 on a visual analogue scale how certain they were of interatrial blood flow. The CDI and BFI ratings were compared using the exact Wilcoxon signed rank test for paired samples. Results: All ASDs visualized with CDI were confirmed using BFI. Two of the observers ranked BFI as being significantly better than CDI when the images were optimized. When the images were suboptimal three of the observers rated BFI as being significantly better. Conclusions: This pilot study indicates that BFI improves the visualization of interatrial blood flow in children. To include BFI in the ordinary echocardiography examination is easy and not time consuming. The method may prove to be a useful supplement to CDI in ASD imaging. [source]

Inhibition of UVB-mediated Oxidative Stress and Markers of Photoaging in Immortalized HaCaT Keratinocytes by Pomegranate Polyphenol Extract POMx

PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007
Mohammad Abu Zaid
In recent years there has been an increase in use of botanicals with antioxidant properties as skin photoprotective agents. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit possesses strong antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. Recently, we have shown that pomegranate-derived products rich in anthocyanidins and ellagitannins inhibit UVB-mediated activation of nuclear factor kappa B and modulate UVA-mediated cell proliferation pathways in normal human epidermal keratinocytes. In this study, we evaluated the effect of polyphenol-rich pomegranate fruit extract (POMx) on UVB-induced oxidative stress and photoaging in human immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes. Our data show that pretreatment of HaCaT cells with POMx (10,40 ,g mL,1) inhibited UVB (15,30 mJ cm,2)-mediated (1) decrease in cell viability, (2) decrease in intracellular glutathione content and (3) increase in lipid peroxidation. Employing immunoblot analysis we found that pretreatment of HaCaT cells with POMx inhibited UVB-induced (1) upregulation of MMP-1, -2, -7 and -9, (2) decrease in TIMP-1, (3) phosphorylation of MAPKs and (iv) phosphorylation of c-jun, whereas no effect was observed on UVB-induced c-fos protein levels. These results suggest that POMx protects HaCaT cells against UVB-induced oxidative stress and markers of photoaging and could be a useful supplement in skin care products. [source]

Challenges Facing Validation of Noninvasive Electrical Imaging of the Heart

ANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 1 2005
Martyn P. Nash Ph.D.
Noninvasive imaging of regional cardiac electrophysiology remains an elusive target. Such imaging is still in its infancy, particularly in comparison to structural imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), x-ray computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound. We present an overview of noninvasive ECG imaging, and the challenges and successes of the various techniques across a range of applications. Unlike MRI and CT, reconstructing cardiac electrophysiology from remote body surface measurements is a highly ill-posed problem. We therefore first review the theoretical considerations and associated algorithms that are used to address this issue. We then focus on the important issue of validation, and review and contrast recent advances in this area. Efforts to validate ECG inverse procedures using a modeling-based approach are addressed first. We then discuss various experimental studies that have been conducted to provide appropriate data for robust validations. We present new data that are simultaneously recorded from dense arrays of electrodes on the epicardium and body surface of anesthetized pigs during sinus rhythm, ventricular pacing, and regional ischemia. These data have been obtained specifically to help validate inverse ECG procedures, and form a useful supplement to recent clinical validation studies. Finally, clinical applications and outstanding issues regarding noninvasive imaging of regional cardiac electrophysiology are addressed. [source]