Inflammatory tissue injury has been implicated in tumor promotion and progression. 3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene (resveratrol) and 3,4,3', 5'-tetrahydroxy-trans-stilbene (piceatannol), 2 structurally related plant polyphenols, have been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chemopreventive properties. This study was aimed at investigating the possible protective effects of resveratrol and piceatannol against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced inflammation in mouse colonic mucosa. Administration of DSS (2.5%) in drinking water for 7 days to male ICR mice resulted in colitis and elevated expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB), a major transcription factor known to upregulate proinflammatory gene expression. Phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) was also enhanced after DSS treatment. Oral administration of resveratrol or piceatannol (10 mg/kg body weight each) for 7 constitutive days attenuated the DSS-induced inflammatory injury, upregulation of iNOS expression, and activation of NF-kappaB, STAT3, and ERK.

There are limited data to provide better understanding of the knowledge/awareness of general population towards liver health in Asia. We sought to identify the knowledge gaps and attitudes towards liver health and liver diseases as well as evaluate associated individual-level and macro-level factors based on contextual analysis. An online survey assessing knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards liver health and disease was conducted among 7500 respondents across 11 countries/territories in Asia. A liver index was created to measure the respondents' knowledge level and the degree of awareness and attitudes. Multilevel logistic regression was performed to identify individual factors and contextual effects that were associated with liver index.The overall liver index (0-100-point scale) was 62.4 with 6 countries/territories' liver indices greater than this. In the multilevel model, the inclusion of geographical information could explain for 9.6% of the variation. Residing in a country/territory with higher HBV prevalence (80% IOR: 1.20-2.79) or higher HCV death rate (80% IOR:1.35-3.13) increased the individual probability of obtaining a high overall liver index.Individual factors like age, gender, education, household income, disease history and health screening behaviour were also associated with liver index (all p-values<0.001).

Background and Aim: Despite efforts in controlling and managing liver diseases, significant health issues remain. This study aims to evaluate the degree of public awareness and knowledge regarding liver health and diseases in Singapore. Methods: A cross-sectional, self-reported, web-based questionnaire was administered to 500 adult individuals. Questionnaire items pertained to knowledge and awareness of overall liver health, liver diseases and their associated risk factors. Results: Sixty-four percent of respondents were ≥35 years old and 54.0% were male. While majority agreed that regular screening was important for liver health (91.2%), only 65.4% attended health screening within recent 2 years. Hepatitis B had more awareness than hepatitis C among the respondents. About 70% agreed the consequences of viral hepatitis included liver cirrhosis, failure, and/or cancer. Yet, only 15% knew hepatitis C is not preventable by vaccination and more than half mistaken hepatitis B and C are transmissible via contaminated or raw seafood. Despite 75% being aware of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, many were not aware of the related risk factors and complications. Awareness of specific screening and diagnostic tests for liver health was poor as one-fifth correctly identified the diagnostic tests for viral hepatitis. Preferences for doctor's consultation, TV, or newspapers (online) as information channels contrasted those currently used in the public health education efforts. Conclusions: The levels of understanding of liver diseases, risk factors, and potential complications are suboptimal among the Singapore public. More public education efforts aligned with respondents' information-seeking preferences could facilitate addressing misperceptions and increase knowledge about liver diseases.

The combination of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) has been approved for the treatment of various hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes across many countries. This article presents an integrated analysis of three prospective phase II/III trials in the Asia Pacific region to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 12 weeks of LDV/SOF in HCV genotype 2 patients without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis. Methods: A total of 200 patients were included in the integrated analysis. The primary end point was the rate of sustained virologic response for 12 weeks after the end of therapy (SVR12), analyzed by fibrosis stage, treatment history, HCV genotype subtype, and presence of baseline resistance associated substitutions (RAS). Safety was evaluated by adverse events and laboratory abnormalities.

Objectives: Movement disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD) can affect not only letter size but also pen pressure and writing speed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of writing with focus on pressure, size, and speed in PD. Methods: Sixtythree subjects (38 in a PD group and 25 in a normal adult [NA] group) performed tasks involving drawing along dotted lines and sentence writing using a tablet PC, digital pen, and software that could measure pen pressure, stroke length, and duration. Results: In the task involving drawing along a dotted line, the PD group showed significantly slower writing speed compared with the findings in the NA group. Additionally, in the task involving sentence writing, the PD group showed significantly weaker pen pressure, smaller letter size, and slower writing speed compared with the NA group. Moreover, both groups showed a positive correlation between letter size and writing speed, but only the PD group showed a positive correlation between pen pressure and writing speed. Conclusion: Difficulty in motor control of strength, size, speed, etc. owing to PD is reflected in pen pressure, letter size, and writing speed when performing a writing task. Our results show an importance in measuring multiple factors such as pen pressure and writing speed in the characteristics of writing in PD, which has until now, has been focused only on letter size.