Titanium dioxide (Ti0 2 ) has been noted (US Federal Register, 43FR38206, 25 August 1978) to be a safe physical sunscreen because it reflects and scatters UVB and UVA in sunlight. However, Ti0 2 absorbs about 70% of incident UV, and in aqueous environments this leads to the generation of hydroxyl radicals which can initiate oxidations. Using chemical methods, we show that all sunscreen Ti0 2 samples tested catalyse the photo-oxidation of a representative organic substrate (phenol). We also show that sunlight-illuminated Ti0 2 catalyses DNA damage both in vitro and in human cells. These results may be relevant to the overall effects of sunscreens.

Registered at the UMIN (University Hospital Medical Information Network) Clinical Trials Registry with study number UMIN000008343.

Environmental pathogens are suspected to aggravate renal injury in IgA nephropathy (IgAN), but neither underlying mechanisms nor specific exogenous antigens have been identified. In this study, a genome-wide scan of ddY mice, which spontaneously develop IgAN, was performed, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) was identified as a candidate gene for progression of renal injury ( 2 ϭ 21.103, P ϭ 0.00017). For evaluation of the potential influence of environmental pathogens on progression of renal injury, ddY mice were housed in either conventional or specific pathogen-free conditions. Expression of genes encoding toll-like receptors (TLR) and the signaling molecule MyD88 were quantified by real-time reverse transcription-PCR in splenocytes. Although the housing conditions did not affect the prevalence of IgAN, the severity of renal injuries was higher in the conventionally housed group. Mice that had IgAN and were housed in conventional conditions had higher levels of TLR9 and MyD88 transcripts than mice that had IgAN and were housed in specific pathogen-free conditions. Furthermore, nasal challenge with CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides, which are ligands for TLR9, aggravated renal injury, led to strong Th1 polarization, and increased serum and mesangial IgA. For investigation of whether these results may be generalizable to humans, single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the TLR9 and MyD88 genes were analyzed in two cohorts of patients with IgAN; an association was observed between TLR9 polymorphisms and disease progression. In summary, these findings suggest that activation of the TLR9/MyD88 pathway by common antigens may affect the severity of IgAN.

The photostabilities of a random set of commercially available sunscreen lotions and their active ingredients are examined spectroscopically subsequent to simulated sunlight UV exposure. Loss of filtering efficacy can occur because of possible photochemical modifications of the sunscreen active agents. Changes in absorption of UVA/ UVB sunlight by agents in sunscreen lotions also leads to a reduction of the expected photoprotection of human skin and DNA against the harmful UV radiation. The active ingredients were investigated in aqueous media and in organic solvents of various polarities (methanol, acetonitrile, and n-hexane) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions The UV absorption features are affected by the nature of the solvents with properties closely related to oil-in-water (o/w) or water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions actually used in sunscreen formulations, and by the presence of molecular oxygen. The photostabilities of two combined chemical ingredients (oxybenzone and octyl methoxycinnamate) and the combination oxybenzone/titanium dioxide were also explored. In the latter case, oxybenzone undergoes significant photodegradation in the presence of the physical filter TiO2.

BackgroundThe study aim was, for the first time, to conduct a multicenter randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of tonsillectomy in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN).MethodsPatients with biopsy-proven IgAN, proteinuria and low serum creatinine were randomly allocated to receive tonsillectomy combined with steroid pulses (Group A; n = 33) or steroid pulses alone (Group B; n = 39). The primary end points were urinary protein excretion and the disappearance of proteinuria and/or hematuria.ResultsDuring 12 months from baseline, the percentage decrease in urinary protein excretion was significantly larger in Group A than that in Group B (P < 0.05). However, the frequency of the disappearance of proteinuria, hematuria, or both (clinical remission) at 12 months was not statistically different between the groups. Logistic regression analyses revealed the assigned treatment was a significant, independent factor contributing to the disappearance of proteinuria (odds ratio 2.98, 95% CI 1.01–8.83, P = 0.049), but did not identify an independent factor in achieving the disappearance of hematuria or clinical remission.ConclusionsThe results indicate tonsillectomy combined with steroid pulse therapy has no beneficial effect over steroid pulses alone to attenuate hematuria and to increase the incidence of clinical remission. Although the antiproteinuric effect was significantly greater in combined therapy, the difference was marginal, and its impact on the renal functional outcome remains to be clarified.

We examined the correlation among the levels of urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), hyperglycemia, and renal injuries in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy. The levels of urinary MCP-1, IL-8, protein excretion, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (s-Cr), glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were measured in 24 patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy and 14 healthy adults as controls. Diabetic nephropathy was classified into three stages: stage 1 = normoalbuminuric, stage 2 = microalbuminuric, and stage 3 = macroalbuminuric. All of the patients showed normal ranges in renal function tests. Levels of urinary MCP-1 in all patients with diabetic nephropathy were significantly higher than those in healthy adults (P < 0.05). The levels of urinary MCP-1 in patients with diabetic nephropathy increased gradually according to the clinical stage of this disease. In contrast, the levels of urinary IL-8 in patients with diabetic nephropathy increased in stages 2 and 3. There was a significant correlation between the levels of urinary IL-8 and those of HbA1c. High glucose may stimulate MCP-1 and/or IL-8 production and their excretion into the urine independently of the phases or pathological lesions of this disease. It appears that IL-8 increased in the early stage of diabetic nephropathy, and MCP-1 increased in the advanced stage of this disease. It was concluded that measurement of urinary MCP-1 and IL-8 may be useful for evaluating the degree of renal injuries in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

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The photocatalytic decomposition of the cationic rhodamine-B (RhB) dye was examined in aqueous TiO 2 dispersions using an integrated microwave/UV-illumination (PD/MW) method. This procedure proved to be superior in the degradation of the dye than the TiO 2 photocatalytic degradative method alone. With few exceptions, the integrated PD/MW method also proved superior for other chemical systems. The greater efficacy of the PD/MW technique appears to be the result of the following two considerations: (i) there is enhanced formation of reactive oxygen species (•OH radicals), as attested to by DMPO spintrap ESR methods and their attack on the dye; and although speculative at this time, (ii) the activity of bulk water or the TiO 2 particle surface is somehow affected by microwave radiation. The greater efficacy of the PD/MW degradation method was also observed at low concentrations of molecular oxygen and at low radiant excitance of the light source. A brief mechanistic description is given on the basis of results obtained on the two model compounds, (i) benzoic acid and (ii) pyronin-B dye.