First published September 28, 2012; doi:10 1152/ajplung 00192 201

First published September 28, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00192.2012.-Respiratory

syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common causes of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and young children worldwide. In previous investigations, we have shown that RSV infection induces rapid generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which modulate viral-induced cellular signaling, and downregulation of antioxidant enzyme (AOE) expression, resulting in oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo, which plays a pathogenetic role in RSV-induced lung disease. In this study, we determined whether pharmacological intervention with synthetic catalytic scavengers could reduce RSV-induced proinflammatory gene expression and oxidative cell damage in an in vitro model of infection. Treatment of FK228 in vivo airway epithelial cells (AECs) with the salen-manganese complexes EUK-8 or EUK-189, which possess superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activity, strongly reduced RSV-induced ROS formation by increasing cellular AOE enzymatic activity and levels of the lipid peroxidation products F-2-8-isoprostane and malondialdehyde, which are markers of oxidative stress. Treatment of AECs with AOE mimetics also significantly inhibited RSV-induced cytokine and chemokine secretion and activation

of the transcription factors nuclear factor-kappa B and interferon regulatory factor-3, which orchestrate proinflammatory gene expression. Both EUKs were able to reduce viral replication, when used at EPZ015938 nmr high doses. see more These results suggest that increasing antioxidant cellular capacities can significantly impact RSV-associated oxidative cell damage and cellular signaling and could represent a novel therapeutic approach in modulating virus-induced lung disease.”
“The preclinical pharmacological

profile of 6-hydroxy-8-[(1R)-1hydroxy-2-[[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,1-dimethylethyl]amino]ethyl]-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one monohydrochloride (olodaterol, previously known as BI 1744 CL), a novel, enantiomeric pure, inhaled human beta(2)-adrenoceptor (h beta(2)-AR) agonist, was compared with marketed drugs, such as salmeterol and formoterol. In vitro, olodaterol showed a potent, nearly full agonistic response at the beta(2)-AR (EC(50) = 0.1 nM; intrinsic activity = 88% compared with isoprenaline) and a significant selectivity profile (219- and 1622-fold against the h beta(1)- and h beta(3)-ARs, respectively). Likewise, olodaterol was able to potently reverse contraction induced by different stimuli in isolated human bronchi. In vivo, antagonistic effects of single doses of olodaterol and formoterol were measured against acetylcholine challenges in anesthetized guinea pigs and dogs for up to 24 h by using the Respimat Soft Mist inhaler. Heart rate and metabolic parameters (serum potassium, lactate, and glucose) were monitored to evaluate systemic pharmacodynamic effects in the dog model. In both models, olodaterol provided bronchoprotection over 24 h.

The benefit of early implantation was particularly evident in chi

The benefit of early implantation was particularly evident in children 5 years old or younger.\n\nConclusions: First, Mandarin Chinese-speaking pediatric CI users’ open-set word recognition was influenced by the lexical characteristics of the stimuli. The score was higher for easy words than for hard words and was higher for disyllabic words than for monosyllabic words, Second, Mandarin-Chinese-speaking pediatric CI users exhibited steady progress in open-set word recognition as the duration of implant use increased. However, the present study also demonstrated that, even after 6 years of CI use, there

was a significant deficit in open-set, word-recognition performance in the CI children compared Selleck LY2090314 with their normal-hearing peers. Third, age at implantation had significant effects on open-set, word-recognition performance. Early implanted children exhibited better performance than children implanted later. (Ear & Hearing 2013;34;221-228)”
“Flight initiation distances (FIDs) of HDAC inhibitor nesting birds approached by a predator likely reflect evolutionary stable strategies in which birds make trade-offs between adult survival and reproductive success. Here, we test if FID (a) had an impact on hatching success, (b) was adjusted to current conditions, and (c) was consistent for individual

nests. All experiments were performed with a human approaching incubating Eurasian curlews Numenius arquata, a ground-nesting wader species under high egg predation pressure. Our results show that hatching success was higher in nests where the incubating parent left at intermediate FIDs compared to short and long ones, and that FID decreased with date and time of the evening. Further, FIDs from repeated approaches were not consistent within nests. We suggest that incubating Eurasian curlews follow a “surprise” strategy, where an element of randomness is superimposed on a context-adjusted norm to prevent predators from predicting their FID behaviour.”
“If

complex DNA profiles, conditioned on multiple individuals are evaluated, it may be difficult to assess the strength of the evidence based on the likelihood ratio. A likelihood ratio does not give information about the relative weights that are provided by separate contributors. Alternatively, the observed likelihood ratio can be evaluated with respect to the distribution LY3039478 solubility dmso of the likelihood ratio under the defense hypothesis. We present an efficient algorithm to compute an exact distribution of likelihood ratios that can be applied to any LR-based model. The distribution may have several applications, but is used here to compute a p-value that corresponds to the observed likelihood ratio. The p-value is the probability that a profile under the defense hypothesis, substituted for a questioned contributor e. g. suspect, would attain a likelihood ratio which is at least the same magnitude as that observed.

This effect is too large to be attributed purely to caloric restr

This effect is too large to be attributed purely to caloric restriction, so a number of other mechanisms have been proposed. The most popular hypothesis is enhanced production of an incretin, active glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), in the lower intestine. We therefore set out to test this hypothesis with a model which is simple enough to be robust and Galardin price credible.\n\nMethod: Our method involves (1) setting up a set of time-dependent equations for the concentrations of the most relevant species, (2) considering an “adiabatic” (or quasi-equilibrium) state in which

the concentrations are slowly varying compared to reaction rates (and which in the present case is a postprandial state), and (3) solving for the dependent concentrations (of e. g. insulin and glucose) as an independent concentration (of e. g. GLP-1) is varied.\n\nResults: Even in the most favorable scenario, with maximal values for (i) the increase in active GLP-1 concentration and (ii) the effect of GLP-1 on insulin production, enhancement of GLP-1 alone cannot account for the observations. I. e., the largest possible decrease in glucose predicted by the model is smaller selleck products than reported decreases, and the model predicts

no decrease whatsoever in glucosexinsulin, in contrast to large observed decreases in homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). On the other hand, both effects can be accounted for if the surgery leads to a substantial increase in some substance that opens an alternative insulin-independent pathway for glucose transport into muscle cells, which perhaps uses the same intracellular pool of GLUT-4 that is employed in an established insulin-independent pathway stimulated BAY 80-6946 concentration by muscle contraction during exercise.\n\nConclusions: Glycemia normalization following Roux-en-Y gastric

bypass is undoubtedly caused by a variety of mechanisms, which may include caloric restriction, enhanced GLP-1, and perhaps others proposed in earlier papers on this subject. However, the present results suggest that another possible mechanism should be added to the list of candidates: enhanced production in the lower intestine of a substance which opens an alternative insulin-independent pathway for glucose transport.”
“The predictions of two source-to-dose models are evaluated with observed data collected in a village polluted by an operating secondary lead smelter. Both models were built up from several sub-models linked together and run using Monte-Carlo simulation. The first model system provides the distribution of the media-specific lead concentrations (air, soil, fruit, vegetables, and blood) in the whole area investigated. The second model provides an estimate of the concentration of exposure of specific individuals living in the study area.

001); this difference persisted for patients aged 40 to 60 (P &lt

001); this difference persisted for patients aged 40 to 60 (P < 0.001) but not in younger patients (aged 20-40) (45% vs. 36%; P = 0.62). We found a lower SB273005 QFT positivity (18/45; 40%) in RA patients aged >60 years compared to controls from the same age group (29141; 71%; P = 0.004). There was no difference between patients and controls in the younger age group. In a TB-endemic population, QFT-GIT identified significantly more patients as being LTBI than did the TST, enabling the identification of more candidates for LTBI prophylaxis. The diagnostic tests to detect LTBI in elderly

RA patients do not have adequate sensitivity (TST and also QFT) compared to control patients, therefore the onset of anti-TNF therapy in this group, particularly in areas highly endemic for TB, must be done very carefully.”
“Aim\n\nTo reconstruct the last c. 7000 years of vegetation and climate change in an unusual region of modern

Great Plains grassland and scarp woodland in south-east Colorado (USA), and to determine the late Holocene biogeography of Colorado pinon (Pinus edulis) at its easternmost extent, using a series of radiocarbon-dated packrat (Neotoma sp.) middens.\n\nLocation\n\nThe West Carrizo Canyon drains the Chaquaqua Plateau, GS-7977 price a plateau that projects into the western extent of the southern Great Plains grasslands in south-eastern Colorado, USA. Elevations of the study sites are 1448 to 1525 m a.s.l. Today the plateau is mostly Juniperus scopulorum-P. edulis woodland.\n\nMethods\n\nPlant macrofossils and pollen assemblages were analysed from 11 14C-dated packrat middens. Ages ranged from

5990 yr bp (6839 cal. ARS-1620 cost yr bp) to 280 yr bp (485 cal. yr bp).\n\nResults\n\nThe results presented here provide information on the establishment and expansion of Juniperus-P. edulis woodland at its eastern limits. The analysis of both plant macrofossils and pollen from the 11 middens documents changes in plant communities over the last 7000 years, and the establishment of P. edulis at its easternmost limit. Though very minor amounts of P. edulis pollen occur as early as the middle Holocene, plant macrofossils were only recovered in middens dating after c. 480 cal. yr bp.\n\nMain conclusions\n\nOriginally, midden research suggested a late glacial refuge to the north-east of the Carrizo Canyon site, and a middle Holocene expansion of P. edulis. Results reported here are consistent with a late Holocene expansion, here at its eastern limits, but noted elsewhere at its northern and north-eastern limits. In general, this late Holocene expansion is consistent with pollen data from sediments in Colorado and New Mexico, and suggests that P. edulis is still expanding its range at its present extremes. This has implications for further extension of its range due to changing climatic conditions in the future.”
“For structures deployed in space using cables where vibration damping is critical for structural stability, cable damping is significant to structural performance.

The combination of ZSTK474 and J591PE increased apoptosis within

The combination of ZSTK474 and J591PE increased apoptosis within 6 hours and cell death (monitored at 24-48 hours) in the PSMA-expressing cells LNCaP, C4-2, and C4-2Luc but not in control cells that do not express PSMA (PC3 and BT549 cells). Mechanistic analysis suggested that induction of apoptosis requires Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD) A 1331852 dephosphorylation and decreased expression of myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein 1 (MCL-1). A single injection of ZSTK474 and J591PE into engrafted prostate cancer C4-2Luc cells led to consistent and stable reduction

of luminescence within 6 days. These results suggest that the combination of a PI3K inhibitor and a PSMA-targeted protein synthesis inhibitor toxin represents a promising novel strategy for advanced prostate cancer therapy that should be further investigated.”
“Objectives: Our aim was to investigate whether neutralization of rat interleukin 6 (IL-6) bioactivity attenuates inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) up-regulation and ameliorates cerebral ischemic damage in a model of focal central nervous system (CNS) ischemia.\n\nMethods: Seventy rats were randomly allocated to groups: Group I (n=10)

consisted of find more normal controls; Group II (n=20) underwent surgical exposure of the middle cerebral artery but no cauterization; the remaining 40 rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion. Immediately after occlusion, each of these 40 rats was MRT67307 inhibitor randomly assigned to either the occlusion-only group (Group III, n=20) or the occlusion plus IL-6 antibody treatment group (Group IV, n=20). Half of the rats from each of Groups II, III and IV were eternized at 24 hours and the other half at 72 hours. The samples were used for iNOS immunohistochemistry and structural analysis.\n\nResults: A single dose of the antibody had no effect on structural changes and iNOS at 24 hours after occlusion. However, administering three doses of the antibody resulted in markedly decreased quantitative and qualitative levels of iNOS-positive

stained cells and milder subcellular damage compared with the findings in the occlusion-only group at 72 hours after occlusion.\n\nDiscussion: Our findings prove that IL-6 bioactivity is one of the pathological events that trigger the induction of iNOS in the process of CNS ischemic injury. It appears that there may be therapeutic value in neutralization of IL-6 bioactivity to attenuate iNOS up-regulation and ameliorate cerebral ischemic damage in long-term recovery. [Neurol Res 2009; 31: 714-720]“
“Objective. The aim of the study was to compare three different D-xylose test modalities for small intestinal malabsorption, using patients with celiac disease and healthy persons as experimental models. Material and methods.

The present survey covers the year 2009 and addressed 335 hospita

The present survey covers the year 2009 and addressed 335 hospital departments of neurology concerned with inpatient care of acute neurological disorders, of which 63% responded. In comparison to the last survey which covered the year 2007, the number of neurological hospital departments and beds per capita has increased while the average length of stay has decreased. In 2009, neurological intensive

care was more often provided in multidisciplinary intensive care units. For junior physicians working on ICUs it has become standard to work in shifts. Working time regulation legislation has resulted in an increased demand for doctors which, in turn, led to an increasing number of job vacancies. There is a considerable number of departments

where staff BV-6 mouse shortage has become critical. Where already established, the means of internal cost allocation need to be refined.”
“Clusterbean seedlings growing in soil inoculated with Rhizoctonia were treated selleck chemicals with either 5 or 10ppm Cu2+ and Mn2+. Soil was inoculated by pretreatment with 250mg (wet weight) of Rhizoctonia inoculum. A similar set of plants was maintained in uninoculated soil. Root rot incidence of plants treated with Cu2+ 5ppm, Cu2+ 10ppm, Mn2+ 5ppm and Mn2+ 10ppm was 26.6, 30.5, 11.8 and 29.2% less than the inoculated control, respectively. Inoculation with Rhizoctonia reduced chlorophyll, non-structural carbohydrate and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) content compared with uninoculated ones. Oxidative enzymes activities (polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, phenylalanine Selleck Ruboxistaurin ammonia lyase and tyrosine ammonia lyase), crude protein, phenolic content, structural components (acid detergent fibre, cellulose and lignin), silica, macronutrients and micronutrients increased in inoculated seedlings and this increase was further heightened by the Cu2+ 10ppm treatment compared with the Cu2+ 5ppm, Mn2+ 5ppm and Mn2+ 10ppm treatments in response

to fungal invasion. It was concluded that the Cu2+ 10ppm treatment may be an effective soil nutrient to provide enhanced resistance of clusterbean plants to root rot (fungal) diseases.”
“For a long time, oral disease is one of the major problems of the public health for its high prevalence and incidence throughout the world, which is especially true for low-income populations. Since China’s economic reform in 1978, great changes have taken place in China. These changes have significant impact on and have been reflected in oral disease trends in China.\n\nThis paper provides an overview and assessment of the oral health status in China. It focuses on changes in the nation’s demographic profile, in the marketplace, the oral disease status and trends. The paper also suggests some possible measures and strategies for bettering oral health in future China.

Studies have been carried out on carp which have regional economi

Studies have been carried out on carp which have regional economical importance. Storage temperature and time are the most important factors that affect the quality of fish during sales. It was observed that the temperature varied between selleck chemicals llc 9

and 12A degrees C in sale conditions. In addition, we assumed the arrival time of the fish at the fish market to be 0 (zero) h. Biochemical analyses [malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and catalase activity] of carp tissues (muscle, liver, heart, spleen, brain) were carried out on fish which were held for 24 and 48 h, as well as on fresh fish (0 h). In addition, sensory analysis was conducted by a panel consisting of experienced judges of sensory evaluation. Statistically significant (P < 0.05) increases in MDA levels were found in liver, muscle, brain and spleen tissues when comparing the 0- and 24-h groups. But there was no statistically significant (P > 0.05) increase in MDA

level in heart tissue of carp after 24 h. There was a statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in MDA levels in muscle, spleen and heart tissues when comparing the 24- and 48-h groups. In the group examined at 24 h, it was observed that there were statistically significant Bcl2 inhibitor differences from the 0 h group values (P < 0.05) for catalase (CAT) activity in muscle, brain, spleen and heart tissues. The decreases in CAT activity in liver and spleen tissues were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05) between the group examined at 24 h compared with the group examined at 48 h. Carp maintained good quality during the selling conditions up to 24 h. This experiment deals with the effects of post-slaughter time and storage temperature on carp tissues. It is concluded that by considering the storage temperature (9-12A degrees C) and storage time (post-slaughter) the product maintained acceptable quality up to 24 h. There was significant deterioration of sensory quality, as a result of changes in chemical

constituents.”
“Somitogenesis, the formation of the body’s primary segmental structure common to all vertebrate development, requires coordination between biological mechanisms at several scales. Explaining how these mechanisms interact across scales and how events are coordinated in space and time is necessary for Selleckchem BMS-754807 a complete understanding of somitogenesis and its evolutionary flexibility. So far, mechanisms of somitogenesis have been studied independently. To test the consistency, integrability and combined explanatory power of current prevailing hypotheses, we built an integrated clock-and-wavefront model including submodels of the intracellular segmentation clock, intercellular segmentation-clock coupling via Delta/Notch signaling, an FGF8 determination front, delayed differentiation, clock-wavefront readout, and differential-cell-celladhesion-driven cell sorting.

014) Plexin-A3 decreased significantly with progression towards

014). Plexin-A3 decreased significantly with progression towards invasive cancer (P < 0.045), whereas Plexin-A1 expression was only significantly reduced once invasion had occurred (P = 0.012). Np1 and Np2 were expressed in both endothelial and epithelial/tumour cells. Np2 expression did not change, but Np1 expression significantly increased in the spectrum from hyperplasia to ductal carcinoma in situ (P < 0.035), but decreased with invasive cancer.\n\nConclusion: These data suggest that a decrease in class 3 semaphorin and their plexin receptors have some relationship with disease progression

in ductal breast carcinoma.”
“In this study, CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics were doped with cesium and cerium atoms to possibly improve the electrical properties of these widely used ceramics. learn more In all cases, pure phase perovskites were produced where cesium doping enhanced the grain growth and cerium doping produced grain growth inhibition. The cesium doping showed an improvement in loss tangent performance, in contrast

to the cerium doping which showed a negative result. A high dielectric constant >15,000 with a dielectric loss lower than 0.06 was observed for cesium 2.0 mol% doped at high frequencies. These results were related to the change in microstructure and the properties of grain boundary after doping. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/crenolanib-cp-868596.html check details (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.”
“In this work, atmospheric pressure photoionization was investigated for use in characterizing protein palmitoylation, which is a major post-translational modification of membrane proteins. The study focused on native and palmitoylated peptides originating from plasma membrane proteolipids, such as tetraspanins CD9 and CD151. Mass spectrometry experiments were performed using

synchrotron radiation as a tunable UV source that provides optimal energy for photoionization (SR-APPI). In the positive ion mode, intense fragment ions corresponding to a. 6, candy ions were observed. Interestingly, these fragment ions conserved the palmitoyl modification, thus allowing for unambiguous structural characterization of the palmitoylated peptides. In-source fragmentation under APPI conditions offers a unique complement to conventional methods such as MS/MS, and the results demonstrate that APPI is a versatile and promising technique for the in-source characterization of post-translational modifications and top-down proteomics of membrane proteins. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background: The goal of this study was to determine the application of health belief model in oral health education for 12-year-old children and its effect on oral health behaviors and indexes.

The stations with a significant decreasing

The stations with a significant decreasing this website trend in annual runoff mainly are located in the west of the Wei River primarily interfered by human activities. Regression analysis indicates that human activity was possibly the main cause of the decline of runoff after 1970. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.”
“We report an electrochemically assisted jump-to-contact

scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) break junction approach to create reproducible and well-defined single-molecule spintronic junctions. The STM break junction is equipped with an external magnetic field either parallel Or perpendicular to the electron transport direction. The conductance of Fe-terephthalic acid (TPA)-Fe single-molecule junctions is measured and a giant single-molecule tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance ARN-509 in vivo (T-AMR) up to 53% is observed at room temperature. Theoretical calculations based on first-principles quantum simulations show that the observed AMR of Fe-TPA-Fe junctions

originates from electronic coupling at the TPA Fe interfaces modified by the magnetic orientation of the Fe electrodes with respect to the direction of Current flow. The present study highlights new opportunities for obtaining detailed understanding of mechanisms of charge and spin transport in molecular junctions and the role of interfaces in determining the MR of single-molecule junctions.”
“Objective: To evaluate the systemic bioavailability of a new controlled release cyclobenzaprine tablet, and the influence of a high fat meal on its bioavailabillty. Subjects, materials and methods: learn more 24 and 12 healthy male subjects were recruited for the bioavailability and influence of diet studies, respectively. Experimental design for both studies was an open randomized, 2-period, single dose, crossover study. In the bioavailability study, each subject received in different occasions, a single oral dose of cyclobenzaprine of immediate (10 mg) or controlled release (20 mg)

tablet, followed by a 2-week washout period. In the influence of diet study, the volunteers received the controlled-release tablet concomitantly with a high fat meal or in a state of fasting. Results: In the bioavailability study, plasma cyclobenzaprine profiles were in agreement with a controlled release system. This formulation presented a 92.8% of relative bioavailability (IC 85.5 – 105%) and a significant reduction in C(max) (IC 58 – 65.5%), when compared with equal dose of the immediate release tablet. The presence of food increased AUC (11.6%) and C(max) (48%). For both parameters the calculated 90% confidence interval was not in the bioequivalence interval, 97.4 – 125.8% for AUC and 111.7 – 184.2% for C(max).

It is important to decide when and how to treat the patients with

It is important to decide when and how to treat the patients with

Barrett’s esophagus (BE). It was reported that HDAC-1 (Histone Deacetylase-1) and MTA-1 (Metastasis-Associated Protein-1) were associated with initiation and progression of cancer. The aim of this study is to assess malignant potential of BE using the expression of HDAC-1 and MTA-1.\n\nMethodology: Seven BE cases with pathological specialized columnar epithelium and CK7/20 in an immunohistochemically positive state were selected from resected specimens of 23 patients with gastro-esophageal junction cancer. The expression of HDAC-1 and MTA-1 protein was evaluated using an immunohistochemical method.\n\nResults: All 3-deazaneplanocin A seven cases with Barrett’s esophagus were diagnosed as low grade dysplasia. Positive expression of HDAC-1 and MTA-1 was found in 0 out of 7 cases (0%) with normal esophageal epithelium, and 0 out of 7 cases (0%) with normal gastric epithelium. On the other hand, positive expression of both HDAC-1 and MTA-1 was found in 6 out of 7 (85.7%) cases with Barrett’s epithelium and 7 out of 7 (100%) cases with gastro-esophageal-junction-cancer,

respectively.\n\nConclusion: Positive expression of HDAC-1 and MTA-1 was found even in low grade dysplasia. Therefore, BE with HDAC-1 and MTA-1 expression is considered to be a precancerous lesion requiring curative treatment.”
“Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common, morbid, and frequently lethal malignancy. To uncover its mutational spectrum, GDC-0994 we analyzed whole-exome sequencing data from 74 tumor-normal pairs. The majority exhibited a mutational profile consistent with tobacco exposure; human papillomavirus was detectable by sequencing DNA from infected tumors. In addition to identifying previously known HNSCC genes (TP53, CDKN2A, PTEN, PIK3CA, and HRAS), our analysis revealed many genes not previously implicated in this malignancy. At least 30% of cases harbored mutations in genes that regulate squamous differentiation

(for example, NOTCH1, IRF6, and TP63), implicating its dysregulation as a major driver of HNSCC carcinogenesis. More generally, the results indicate the ability of large-scale sequencing to reveal fundamental tumorigenic mechanisms.”
“Cerebral P505-15 hypoperfusion or aging often results in the disturbances of cholesterol and lipoprotein, which have been well depicted as a common pathological status contributing to neurodegenerative diseases such as vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). The pathway of the liver X receptor-beta (LXR-beta)/retinoic X receptor-alpha (RXR-alpha)/ABCA1 plays a vital role in lipoprotein metabolism. Curcumin, a kind of phenolic compound, has been widely used. It has been reported that curcumin can reduce the levels of cholesterol in serum, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.