Wine grape pomace flour improves blood pressure,fasting glucose and protein damage in humans: a randomized controlled trial

Background

The Mediterranean diet is a healthy diet with positive scientific evidence of preventing chronic diseases. Bioactive components support the healthy properties of the Mediterranean diet. Antioxidants and fiber, two components of the Mediterranean diet, are key functional nutrients for healthy eating and nutrition. Wine grape pomace is a rich source of these dietary constituents and may be beneficial for human health. Our hypothesis was that the intake of red wine grape pomace flour (WGPF) prepared from red wine grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon variety) reduced the metabolic syndrome in humans. To evaluate the effect of WGPF on components of metabolic syndrome we design a 16-week longitudinal intervention study. Thirty-eight males, 30–65 years of age, with at least one component of metabolic syndrome, were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 25) or the control group (n = 13). At lunch, the intervention group was given 20 g of WGPF per day, which contained 10 g of dietary fiber, 822 mg of polyphenols and an antioxidant capacity of 7258 ORAC units. Both groups were asked to maintain their regular eating habits and lifestyles. Clinical evaluation, anthropometric measurements and biochemical blood analyses were done at the beginning and the end of the study.

Results

WGPF intake significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as fasting glucose levels. Plasma γ-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol increased and carbonyl group in plasma protein decreased in WGPT group, significantly. No significant effect was observed for waist circumference, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, total antioxidant capacity and vitamin C in and between groups. The group-dependent magnitude of the differences between the baseline and final postprandial insulin values and γ-tocopherol concentrations was statistically significant.

Conclusions

The consumption of WGPF-rich in fiber and polyphenol antioxidants, as a food supplement in a regular diet improves blood pressure, glycaemia and postprandial insulin. In addition, increased antioxidant defenses and decreased oxidative protein damage indicating attenuation of oxidative stress. WGPF might be a useful food ingredient for health promotion and chronic disease prevention.     

Role of alpha adrenoceptors and nitric oxide on cardiovascular responses in acute and chronic hypertension

The contribution of α-adrenoceptors and nitric oxide (NO) on the alterations of sympathetically mediated cardiovascular responses after acute (AcH) and chronic (ChH) hypertension was evaluated in pithed aortic coarcted hypertensive rats. Pressor and tachycardia response produced by electrical stimulation of preganglionic sympathetic fibers or exogenous noradrenaline (NA) were recorded in the absence and presence of prazosin (α₁-antagonist), rauwolscine (α₂-antagonist), or N ^G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; an inhibitor of NO synthase). Compared with age-matched sham-operated rats (Nt), the pressor response produced by electrical stimulation or NA was smaller in AcH rats and larger in ChH rats. Prazosin caused a decrease of pressor response elicited by electrical stimulation or NA in all groups. However, this effect was higher in ChH. Rauwolscine produced a similar increase of sympathetically mediated pressor response in Nt and AcH rats. Nevertheless, this antagonist did not affect the sympathetically mediated pressor response in ChH rats. In addition, rauwolscine did not affect the NA-induced pressor response in all groups. The pressor response elicited by l-NAME was larger in all groups compared without l-NAME and in presence of l-arginine. Moreover, l-NAME in the presence of NA increased sympathetically mediated pressor response is in all groups, compared without it or in the presence of l-arginine. Compared with Nt, basally produced NO in aortic rings was increased in AcH but decreased in ChH. Collectively, our data suggest that decreased cardiovascular reactivity in AcH is due to an increase in basally produced NO. In ChH, enhanced cardiovascular response appears to be associated with a decrease in produced NO and an increase in released NA from sympathetic nerves.     

Obrieniolus, a new monotypic genus of Naupactini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae) from the Peruvian Andes and its phylogenetic placement

A new monotypic genus of Naupactini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Obrieniolus del Río is described based on the new species Obrieniolus robustus del Río, endemic to Peru. This genus is easily recognized by the black, denuded and shiny integument, with imbricate microsculpture and the rounded body, with short, cordiform and moderately convex elytra. According to a cladistic analysis based on 69 continuous and discrete morphological characters, the new genus is the sister taxon of a group formed by Amitrus Schoenherr, Trichocyphus Heller, Amphideritus Schoenherr, Asymmathetes Wibmer & O'Brien and Galapaganus Lanteri. The paper includes habitus photographs, line drawings of genitalia, mouthparts, and other external features of taxonomic value, and a dichotomous key to the genera of Naupactini distributed in the South American Transition Zone.     

A novel procedure for protein extraction from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues

Most of the archived pathological specimens in hospitals are kept as formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues (FFPE) for long-term preservation. Up to now, these samples are only used for immunohistochemistry in a clinical routine as it is difficult to recover intact protein from these FFPE tissues. Here, we report a novel, short time-consuming and cost-effective method to extract full-length, non-degraded proteins from FFPE tissues. This procedure is combined with an effective and non-toxic deparaffinisation process and an extraction method based on antigen-retrieval, high concentration of SDS and high temperature. We have obtained enough intact protein to be detected by Western blotting analysis. This technique will allow utilising these stored FFPE tissues in several applications for protein analysis helping to advance the translational studies in cancer and other diseases.     

p38gamma regulates the localisation of SAP97 in the cytoskeleton by modulating its interaction with GKAP

Activation of the p38 MAP kinase pathways is crucial for the adaptation of mammalian cells to changes in the osmolarity of the environment. Here we identify SAP97/hDlg, the mammalian homologue of the Drosophila tumour suppressor Dlg, as a physiological substrate for the p38gamma MAP kinase (SAPK3/p38gamma) isoform. SAP97/hDlg is a scaffold protein that forms multiprotein complexes with a variety of proteins and is targeted to the cytoskeleton by its association with the protein guanylate kinase-associated protein (GKAP). The SAPK3/p38gamma-catalysed phosphorylation of SAP97/hDlg triggers its dissociation from GKAP and therefore releases it from the cytoskeleton. This is likely to regulate the integrity of intercellular-junctional complexes, and cell shape and volume in response to osmotic stress.     

Fern richness,tree species surrogacy,and fragment complementarity in a Mexican tropical montane cloud forest

We related pteridophytes versus tree species composition to identify surrogate measures of diversity, and complementarity of seven cloud forest fragments. Forest structure, and fern and tree composition were determined in 70 (2 × 50 m) transects. Fern density (10,150–25,080 individuals/ha) differed among sites. We recorded 83 fern species in the transects. Nonparametric richness estimators indicated that more sampling effort was needed to complete fern inventories (14 more species). However, ferns recorded outside of the transects increased richness to 103 species (six more species than predicted). Twenty-eight species were unique and rare due to special habitat requirements (Diplazium expansum, Hymenophyllum hirsutum, Melpomene leptostoma, Terpsichore asplenifolia), or were at a geographical distribution edge (Diplazium plantaginifolium, Lycopodium thyoides, Pecluma consimilis, Polypodium puberulum). Correlations between fern richness and tree richness and density were not significant, but were significant between fern richness and fern density, between epiphytic fern density and tree richness and density. Tree richness is not a good surrogate for fern diversity. Only three species were recorded in all fragments (Polypodium lepidotrichum, P. longepinnulatum, P. plebeium); thus fragments pteridophytes compositions are highly complementary, but more similar for ferns than for trees. A regional conservation approach which includes many small reserves needs to focus supplementarity on patterns of tree and fern species richness.     

Influence of high-calorie (cafeteria) diets on the population of Paneth cells in the small intestine of the rat

A high-calorie (cafeteria) diet is known to cause changes in the intestinal morphology and functioning that seem to be related to calorie overfeeding. Among the cell lineages found in the small intestine epithelium, the Paneth cell (PC) population is known to be influenced by factors related mainly to the intestinal microbiota. The role of PCs in the intestinal cell concert remains unclear, because experimental evidence suggests PC involvement in local processes other than protection against pathogens. Participation of PC in digestive mechanisms has been proposed on this basis. We have analyzed the effect of high-carbohydrate (HC) and high-fat (HF) cafeteria diets on the PC population in the small intestine of the adult rat. For 8 weeks, both HC and HF diets caused a gain in body weight, but whereas the HC-fed rats showed reduced counts of intestinal crypts per 5-mum section, the HF-fed group showed the opposite. In control rats, the number of crypts per section showed a slight tendency to decrease along the duodenum - ileum axis, whereas the number of PCs per crypt was increased towards the ileum. As a result, the number of PCs per section (calculated from these data) remained constant along the three segments of the intestine. The hypercaloric diets did not modify the general tendencies seen in the crypt and PC counts, but reduced the number of PCs per section in the duodenum by 50%. HC-fed, but not HF-fed, rats showed a similar reduction in jejunum also. These changes do not correlate particularly with any of the predictable effects of diet composition, so that a multifactorial control of PC density is proposed.