Oxidative stress and inflammation are considered as two key factors that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. This study was to investigate the antioxidant capacity of huskless barley and to explore its protective functions through the regulation of the antioxidant defense and inflammatory response in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) scavenging capacity of water and alkali extracts of the polysaccharides from nine huskless barley varieties were investigated in vitro. The antioxidant properties of the alkaline extracts were more pronounced than those of the water extracts. The results from the cell model showed that pretreatment of HUVEC with the water or alkaline extracts of the polysaccharides from the huskless barley cultivars QHH and NLGL decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) but increased the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and maintained cell viability. Huskless barley polysaccharide extracts exhibited the vasodilatory effect of inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) production. These discoveries revealed the potent protective functions of barley in oxidative damage and a potential role for barley in preventing chronic inflammation in cardiovascular diseases.

27Whether new pancreatic beta-cells arise via pre-existing beta-cells or from 28 differentiation of precursor cells -a question of fundamental importance for diabetic 29 therapy -has long been debated. Recent experiments suggest that multipotent 30 precursors from adult mouse pancreas, that give rise to beta-cells, do exist. However, 31 such a finding is at odds with prior evidence that beta-cell expansions occurs 32 exclusively through self-replication. Here we show that these two observations can be 33 partially compatible. We use a systems biology approach to analyze the dynamics of 34 the endogenous molecular-cellular network in the pancreas. Our results show that self-35 replicating 'beta-cells' can themselves be multipotent precursors. In addition, our model 36 predicts heterogeneity in beta-cell regeneration and suggests various differentiation 37 paths of precursors. This work therefore provides a means of reconciling an apparent 38 contradiction in the field, but also sheds light on possible paths of beta-cell regeneration 39 from a systems biology perspective. 40 41