Serum vitamin A and beta-carotene levels in pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the shock-induced alterations in whole blood monocyte tumor necrosis factor (TNF) response are mediated by the CD14 receptor. DESIGN: Prospective controlled animals experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: New Zealand White rabbits (n = 15) were subjected to hemorrhage and resuscitation. Blood samples obtained before shock and 24, 72, and 120 hours after shock were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide in the presence or absence of the anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody, 63D3. Tumor necrosis factor was assayed using L929 cells. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There are no detectable TNF activity in unstimulated blood. The CD14 inhibition resulted in a 55% reduction in baseline TNF activity. After shock, there was a marked increase in TNF activity with lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Addition of 63D3 resulted in a dose-dependent 95% reduction in TNF activity at 24 and 72 hours after shock, (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The enhanced whole blood monocyte TNF response after hemorrhage is CD14 dependent.     

Evaluation of antioxidant activities and phenolic subtype contents of ethanolic bran extracts of Thai pigmented rice varieties through chemical and cellular assays

This study revealed that the ethanolic bran extracts of 11 Thai pigmented (red and purple) and 2 nonpigmented rice varieties exerted scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals and ROS in HL‐60 cells in the following order: red > purple > nonpigmented rice. These rice extracts also showed the same order of phenolic and flavonoid contents, which were strongly correlated with their scavenging activity. Phenolic subtype analysis further indicated that proanthocyanidins as well as anthocyanins and protocatechuic acid contributed directly to antioxidant capacity in red and purple rice bran, respectively. In contrast, these pigmented rice bran extracts possessed moderate chelating activity partly attributed to their contents of phenolics and flavonoids, especially proanthocyanidins in red rice bran. Moreover, rice bran extracts significantly restored SOD and CAT activities in oxidative stress‐induced A549 cells. This study provides new insights on the intracellular potent antioxidant capacity of pigmented rice bran extracts in the cell‐based systems.