Proteomics in the Diagnosis of Endometriosis: Opportunities and Challenges

The non‐surgical diagnosis of endometriosis is still challenging for the clinician. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging can be used to diagnose ovarian endometriotic cysts and deep infiltrating endometriosis; but their performance is poor in the diagnosis of initial stages of endometriosis. CA‐125 and other serum markers (such as CA 19‐9, serum protein PP14, interleukins, and angiogenetic factors) have been measured in women with endometriosis but they are not reliable for the diagnosis of the disease. Although several studies used proteomics technologies to identify plasmatic markers of endometriosis, the non‐invasive diagnosis of endometriosis is far from being achieved. In this issue, Manousopoulou et al. compare the integrated quantitative proteomic profile of eutopic endometrium and serum of women with endometriosis and controls. 1214 proteins are differentially expressed in the eutopic endometrium and 404 proteins in the serum of the two study groups. 21 proteins are aberrantly expressed in both eutopic endometrium and serum of women with endometriosis. More work is needed to assess if the differentially expressed proteins identified in this study can be used as clinical markers of endometriosis.     

Development of an innovative apparatus using UV‐C for controlling the number of microorganisms in raw milk after milking

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of UV‐C irradiation on the reduction of microorganisms in raw milk. The experiments were carried out by varying the flow rates of 2, 4 and 7 L/min with 39W and 48W UV‐C. The number of microorganisms was reduced by 4.70 (39W) and 4.60 log₁₀ CFU/mL (48W) at 120 min. With the residence time of 4.95 s and the UV‐C doses of 98 and 109.9 mJ/cm² at 253.74 nm, the reduction of microorganism was clearly observed with no significant influence of different UV‐C power settings on the oxidation of milk fat.     

Co-products of beef processing enhance non-haem iron absorption in an in vitro digestion/caco-2 cell model

Beef processing produces high volumes of protein rich, low value, ‘waste’ co-products such as offal. Beef improves uptake of low bioavailable non-haem iron (found in vegetables, fortificants, supplements) and this effect is dubbed the ‘meat-factor’, although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we investigate whether bovine co-products (kidney, lung, heart) not previously studied share this enhancing potential. This was determined by coupled in vitro digestion of co-products and subsequent caco-2 cell ferritin formation (an intracellular iron storage protein). In this study we show that bovine co-products significantly increase caco-2 cells’ response to non-haem iron from infant rice cereal. The presence of these co-products, (kidney, lung and heart), increased relative uptake (by 207.13%, 171.21%, 265.28%, respectively), to a greater extent than beef (30.23%). Our findings present a novel function for co-products of beef processing that may have potential as food ingredients to improve non-haem iron bioavailability, thus adding value.     

桑椹籽油的降脂作用研究注

目的研究桑椹籽油的降脂作用;方法普通基础饲料加10%猪油、l%胆固醇,0.5%胆酸钠组成高脂饲料,高脂饲料中添加6%的桑椹籽油饲喂Wistar大鼠(桑籽油组)4周后与单饲高脂饲料的大鼠(高脂组)对比血脂和肝脂水平.结果与高脂组比较,桑籽油组大鼠血清和肝脏的胆固醇、甘油三酯含量均显著降低(P＜0.01),血清低密度脂蛋白胆固醇和致动脉硬化指数也明显下降(P＜0.01),而高密度脂蛋白胆固醇和抗动脉硬化指数显著升高(P＜0.01);结论桑椹籽油具有显著的降脂、抗动脉粥样硬化作用.     

玛咖片缓解体力疲劳功能的实验研究

目的:探讨玛咖片缓解小鼠体力疲劳的作用。方法:以小鼠为研究对象,用玛咖片250、500、1 000mg/kg·BW分别给昆明种小鼠连续灌胃30d,进行小鼠负重游泳、血清尿素、肝糖原含量及血乳酸曲线下面积等指标测定,观察玛咖片的抗疲劳功效。结果:与阴性对照组比较,剂量组能延长小鼠的负重游泳时间,增加肝糖原的储备量,降低血清尿素氮含量(P0.05)。结论:玛咖片具有缓解体力疲劳的功能。     

根皮苷通过下调小肠NPC1L1和HMG-CoA还原酶表达降低血液胆固醇水平

以高脂高胆固醇膳食喂饲仓鼠为动物模型,研究根皮苷对仓鼠血脂水平及小肠胆固醇代谢相关基因的调控影响。36 只实验动物随机分成对照组和3 个不同剂量根皮苷干预组（3、6、9 g/kg）,测定血清中总胆固醇（total cholesterol,TC）、甘油三酯（triglyceride,TG）及高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（high density lipoproteincholesterol,HDL-C）水平,气相色谱法检测肝脏中胆固醇含量及粪便固醇排泄量,实时定量荧光聚合酶链式反应（real-time polymerase chain reaction,Real-Time PCR）分析小肠胆固醇合成、吸收、转化及排泄基因的表达水平。血脂测定结果显示,血清TC、TG水平随给予根皮苷添加量增加而降低,且高剂量组具有显著性（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）;6、9 g/kg根皮苷剂量组,血清中HDL-C水平极显著升高（P＜0.01）。气相色谱检测结果显示,根皮苷剂量组仓鼠肝脏中胆固醇含量较对照组随根皮苷剂量增加而降低,且6、9 g/kg组具有极显著差异（P＜0.01）;粪便中总中性固醇排泄量与根皮苷给予量正相关,且都具有显著性差异（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）,总酸性固醇排泄量根皮苷剂量组相比对照组增加,且6 g/kg组显著增加（P＜0.05）,9 g/kg组极显著增加（P＜0.01）。Real-Time PCR检测结果显示,根皮苷剂量组小肠中胆固醇合成限速酶HMG-CoA还原酶、小肠胆固醇吸收关键蛋白NPC1L1、胆固醇酯化酶ACAT2、微粒体转运蛋白MTP的mRNA表达水平较对照组显著降低（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）;给予根皮苷后,肠道中促进胆固醇向外排泄基因ABCG5/8表达水平显著升高（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）。因此,根皮苷对高脂高胆固醇膳食饲喂仓鼠胆固醇代谢平衡的调节可能是通过对小肠胆固醇吸收、转化等基因表达的抑制,上调胆固醇排泄基因的表达实现的。     

151株副溶血性弧菌的分子分型研究

目的 了解辽宁省副溶血性弧菌的分布规律及流行趋势,为辽宁省副溶血性弧菌引起的食源性疾病的溯源和预警提供基础。方法 对2019年辽宁省151株VP分离株进行血清分型、PFGE、REP-PCR和ERIC-PCR分子分型和聚类分析,评价3种方法间的关联性,同时探讨菌株间的亲缘关系。结果 124株分离株可共分为18个血清型,27株分离株未能分型,血清群以O3群、O1群和O2群为主。PFGE的分辨力（DI）为0.97,REP-PCR的DI为0.95,ERIC-PCR的DI为0.93。血清型O3群菌株与O1群菌株分子型相似度高。结论 2019年辽宁省临床VP分离株流行血清型仍为O3:K6,食品VP分离株流行血清群仍为O2。PFGE、REP-PCR和ERIC-PCR 3种分型方法结果一致,且PFGE分型方法的分辨力和再现性均优于其他两种方法,研究结果可以为副溶血性弧菌所引起食源性疾病的溯源提供新的技术手段。     

Determination of IgG levels in bovine bulk milk samples from different regions of Spain

Colostrum addition to milk for consumption is an unlawful practice. Furthermore, the higher whey protein/casein ratio of colostrum compared with milk causes severe technological problems. A high concentration of immunoglobulins has been generally accepted as an index of colostrum presence in milk. In this work, the levels of IgG have been determined by a non-competitive ELISA in 3,248 bulk bovine milk samples from different regions of Spain throughout one year. The mean value for IgG concentration obtained from all the samples was 0.257±0.122 mg/ml, within the range generally considered as acceptable for mature milk. The mean concentration obtained for all the samples collected in the spring was 0.288±0.125 mg/ml, significantly higher than the values found at the other seasons. The finding of some samples with very high values of IgG would suggest that the determination of immunoglobulin levels periodically would be a good parameter to control milk quality.     

Rheological properties of foams generated from egg albumin after pH treatment

Rheological properties of foams at pH 4.5 and 8.5 made from egg albumin proteins after pH-induced unfolding and refolding treatments were investigated. The foams behaved as highly elastic materials. Static and dynamic yield stress was investigated using small, steady shear experiments. Yield stress was measured also in oscillation mode and high correlation was found between dynamic yield stress and critical stress amplitude. All pH treatments led to firmer foams than untreated foams at pH 8.5. At pH 8.5 the control foam had a very weak structure (static yield stress at 3.4 Pa and dynamic yield stress at 5.5 Pa for the fresh made foams), while pH-treated foams at pH 8.5 had values (static yield stress up to 39.2 Pa and dynamic yield stress up to 47.1 Pa for the fresh made foams) that were even higher than the values for the control at pH 4.5 (static yield stress at 22.4 Pa and dynamic yield stress at 25.4 Pa for the fresh made foams, which is a good foaming pH for egg albumin). It was shown that an increase in yield stress of foams after drainage is related to foam stability and liquid drainage. This study demonstrated that unfolding egg albumin at low or high pH followed by refolding leads to a substantial increase in foam firmness and gives the foam different properties than foams from untreated egg albumin.