It is known that procyanidins, which are contained in grape seeds, are antioxidative and have certain biological effects. Antiulcer activities of grape seed extracts (GSE-I and GSE-II) and procyanidins were investigated using rats. GSE-I (with low flavanol content), GSE-II (with high flavanol content), and procyanidins at a dose of 200 mg/kg strongly inhibited the stomach mucosal injury induced by 60% ethanol containing 150 mM hydrochloride. This suppressive effect seems dependent on the content of procyanidin oligomers. Procyanidin oligomers (dimers to hexamers) were prepared and studied for their antiulcer activities at a dose of 200 mg/kg. The gastric protective activity of a series of procyanidins increased with the increasing polymerization of catechin units. Oligomers longer than tetramers showed a strong protective effect against gastric mucosal damage. The binding ability of procyanidin oligomers to bovine serum albumin in the acidified solution was strengthened with the increase of molecules. The mechanism of antiulcer activity may be the protection by radical scavenging activity on the stomach surface against radical injury induced by HCl/EtOH solution and the defense action of procyanidins covering the stomach surface by their strong ability to bind protein. Keywords: Grape seed extract; antiulcer activity; procyanidin; oligomer; radical scavenging activity; HCl/EtOH-induced ulcer

The effect of a single oral administration of proanthocyanidins, oligomeric and polymeric polyhydroxyflavan-3-ol units, on the antioxidative potential of blood plasma was studied in rats. Proanthocyanidin-rich extract from grape seeds was administered by intragastric intubation to fasted rats at 250 mg/kg of body weight. The plasma obtained from water- or proanthocyanidin-administered rats was oxidized by incubation with copper sulfate or 2, 2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) at 37 degrees C, and the formation of cholesteryl ester hydroperoxides (CE-OOH) was followed. The plasma obtained from proanthocyanidin-administered rats was significantly more resistant against both copper ion-induced and AAPH-induced formation of CE-OOH than that from control rats. The lag phase in the copper ion-induced oxidation of rat plasma was remarkably increased at 15 min after administration of proanthocyanidins and reached a maximum level at 30 min. When the plasma from proanthocyanidin-administered rat was hydrolyzed by sulfatase and beta-glucuronidase following analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, metabolites of proanthocyanidins occurred in rat plasma at 15 min after administration, three peaks of which were identified as gallic acid, (+)-catechin, and (-)-epicatechin. These results suggest that the intake of proanthocyanidins, the major polyphenols in red wine, increases the resistance of blood plasma against oxidative stress and may contribute to physiological functions of plant food including wine through their in vivo antioxidative ability.

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to investigate the treatment outcomes and social engagement of patients who had undergone pediatric epilepsy surgery more than 10 years earlier.METHODSBetween 1983 and 2005, 110 patients younger than 16 years underwent epilepsy surgery at the National Epilepsy Center, Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders. The authors sent a questionnaire to 103 patients who had undergone follow-up for more than 10 years after surgery; 85 patients (82.5%) responded. The survey contained 4 categories: seizure outcome, use of antiepileptic drugs, social participation, and general satisfaction with the surgical treatment (resection of the epileptic focus, including 4 hemispherectomies). The mean patient age at the time of surgery was 9.8 ± 4.2 (SD) years, and the mean duration of postoperative follow-up was 15.4 ± 5.0 years. Of the 85 patients, 79 (92.9%) presented with a lesional pathology, such as medial temporal sclerosis, developmental/neoplastic lesions, focal cortical dysplasia, and gliosis in a single lobe.RESULTSFor 65 of the 85 responders (76.5%), the outcome was recorded as Engel Class I (including 15 [93.8%] of 16 patients with medial temporal sclerosis, 20 [80.0%] of 25 with developmental/neoplastic lesions, and 27 [73.0%] of 37 with focal cortical dysplasia). Of these, 29 (44.6%) were not taking antiepileptic drugs at the time of our survey, 29 (44.6%) held full-time jobs, and 33 of 59 patients (55.9%) eligible to drive had a driver's license. Among 73 patients who reported their degree of satisfaction, 58 (79.5%) were very satisfied with the treatment outcome.CONCLUSIONSThe seizure outcome in patients who underwent resective surgery in childhood and underwent followup for more than 10 years was good. Of 85 respondents, 65 (76.5%) were classified in Engel Class I. The degree of social engagement was relatively high, and the satisfaction level with the treatment outcome was also high. From the perspective of seizure control and social adaptation, resective surgery yielded longitudinal benefits in children with intractable epilepsy, especially those with a lesional pathology in a single lobe.