Gender distribution in irritable bowel syndrome is proportional to the severity of constipation relative to diarrhea

Background: A significant gender disparity has been observed in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with females outnumbering males, especially in constipation-predominant IBS (C-IBS). However, this observation is based on Rome criteria categorization and does not take into account the severity of constipation or diarrhea.Objective: In a large prospective data set, gender differences across the severity of constipation and diarrhea were examined in patients with IBS.Methods: Consecutive adult patients with Rome I positive IBS who were referred to a tertiary care medical center (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California) in 1999–2003 were given a questionnaire. The questionnaire asked subjects to rate their constipation and diarrhea according to perceived severity using a scale from 0 (none) to 5 (very severe). C-IBS was determined to be present if the severity of constipation was greater than the severity of diarrhea (sevC > sevD). If sevD > sevC, subjects were considered to have diarrhea-predominant IBS (D-IBS). To further categorize their symptoms, subjects were then grouped by the difference between the severity of constipation and diarrhea, creating a range of values from ?5 to +5. For each of these 11 constipation/diarrhea severity values, the female:male ratio was determined. The severity of constipation to diarrhea was compared by Spearman rank correlation.Results: A total of 429 subjects with IBS (325 women: mean [SD] age, 42.5 [0.8] years; 104 men: mean age, 42.2 [1.7] years) completed the questionnaire. Constipation occurred more frequently in women (79.7%) compared with men (61.5%) (odds ratio [OR] = 2.49; 95% CI, 1.55–4.02). The prevalence of diarrhea was similar between the sexes. Whereas C-IBS was more common in women (31.8%) than in men (26.0%) (OR = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.24–3.30), D-IBS was more prevalent in men (62.5%) than in women (36.3%) (OR = 2.39; 95% CI, 1.53–3.75). When the female:male ratio was evaluated across the 11 severity score categories of constipation and diarrhea, the greater the sevC — sevD score, the higher the proportion of women (R = 0.80; P = 0.003).Conclusion: In this study of patients with IBS, the observation of the association of constipation and gender in IBS is extended to indicate that the female:male ratio significantly increases according to the severity of constipation relative to the severity of diarrhea.     

Biocides formulation of essential oils having antimicrobial activity

Essential oils of fennel, peppermint, caraway, eucalyptus, geranium and lemon were tested for their antimicrobial activities against some plant pathogenic micro-organisms (Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternate, Penicilium italicum Penicilium digitatum and Botyritus cinerea). Essential oils of fennel, peppermint, caraway were selected as an active ingredient for the formulation of biocides due to their efficiency in controlling the tested micro-organisms. Successful emulsifiable concentrates (biocides) were prepared from these oils using different emulsifiers (Emulgator B.L.M. Tween20 and Tween80) and different fixed oils (sesame, olive, cotton and soybean oils). Physico-chemical properties of the formulated biocide (spontaneous emulsification, emulsion stability test, cold stability and heat stability tests as well as viscosity, surface tension and pH) were measured. The prepared biocides were ready to be tested for application in a future work as a safe pesticide against different pathogens.     

Lung tissue extracellular matrix-derived hydrogels protect against radiation-induced lung injury by suppressing epithelial–mesenchymal transition

This study aimed to examine whether lung tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels have protective effects on radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). The cytocompatibility and histocompatibility were tested for the obtained ECM-derived hydrogel. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 18): control group (control); rats receiving irradiation and intratracheal injection of normal saline (IR + NS); and rats receiving irradiation and intratracheal injection of lung ECM-derived hydrogel (IR + ECM). The wet/dry weight ratio was used to evaluate the congestion and edema of the lungs. Histopathological analysis of lung tissues was performed using hemotoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analyses were carried out to determine the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins in lung tissues (E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA], and vimentin). In addition, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), hydroxyproline, malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were also evaluated. The ECM-derived hydrogels had good cytocompatibility and histocompatibility. ECM-derived hydrogel treatment improved lung histopathology injury and pulmonary edema. Higher expression of E-cadherin and lower expression of vimentin and α-SMA were found in the IR + ECM group compared with those in the IR + NS group. Hydroxyproline levels were reduced by ECM-derived hydrogel treatment compared with those in the IR + NS group. Obvious increases of TNF-α, IL-6, and TGF-β1 were identified following irradiation. Marked reductions in MDA content and increases in SOD were induced by ECM-derived hydrogel treatment in rats after radiation. ECM-derived hydrogels were shown to protect against RILI, potentially by reducing EMT, inflammation, and oxidative damage.     

Ecology of Increasing Diseases: Population Growth and Environmental Degradation

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations report that the prevalence of human diseases during the past decade is rapidly increasing. Population growth and the pollution of water, air, and soil are contributing to the increasing number of human diseases worldwide. Currently an estimated 40% of world deaths are due to environmental degradation. The ecology of increasing diseases has complex factors of environmental degradation, population growth, and the current malnutrition of about 3.7 billion people in the world.     

Xylanase production by endophytic Aspergillus niger using pentose-rich hydrothermal liquor from sugarcane bagasse

Fungal xylanases have been widely studied and various production methods have been proposed using submerged and solid-state fermentation. This class of enzyme is used to supplement cellulolytic enzyme cocktails in order to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of plant cell walls. The present work investigates the production of xylanase and other accessory enzymes by a recently isolated endophytic Aspergillus niger DR02 strain, using the pentose-rich liquor from hydrothermal pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse as carbon source. Batch and fed-batch submerged cultivation approaches were developed in order to minimize the toxicity of the liquor and increase enzyme production. Maximum xylanase activities obtained were 458.1 U/mL for constant fed-batch, 428.1 U/mL for exponential fed-batch, and 264.37 U/mL for pulsed fed-batch modes. The results indicated that carbon-limited fed-batch cultivation can reduce fungal catabolite repression, as well as overcome possible negative effects of toxic compounds present in the pentose-rich liquor. Enzymatic panel and mass spectrometric analyses of the fed-batch A. niger secretome showed high levels of xylanolytic enzymes (GH10, GH11, and GH62 Cazy families), together with cellobiohydrolase (G6 and GH7), β-glucosidase, β-xylosidase (GH3), and feruloyl esterase (CE1) accessory enzyme activities. The yields of glucose and xylose from enzymatic hydrolysis of hydrothermally pretreated sugarcane bagasse increased by 43.7 and 65.3%, respectively, when a commercial cellulase preparation was supplemented with the A. niger DR02 constant fed-batch enzyme complex.