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Volume 52 (2006)
- Issue 6 Pages 393-
- Issue 5 Pages 297-
- Issue 4 Pages 233-
- Issue 3 Pages 163-
- Issue 2 Pages 83-
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Volume 52, Issue 3
Displaying 1-10 of 10 articles from this issue
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Regular Paper
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Amika SINGLA, Susmita KAUSHIK, Jyotdeep KAUR2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 163-167
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSFolic acid deficiency is the most prevalent vitamin deficiency throughout the world and its effect on brush border membrane composition has not been studied earlier. We investigated the effect of folate deficiency on the structure and function of the intestinal brush border membrane. Various brush border enzyme activities, membrane sugars and lipids were evaluated in two groups of weanling male albino rats after 3 mo of feeding control and folate deficient diets. Except sucrase, all the other three enzymes, viz., alkaline phosphatase, leucine amino peptidase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase showed decrease in activity in rats fed folate-deficient diets. Among sugars, hexoses and hexosamines showed significant decline in amount whereas sialic acid content showed great increase in brush border membrane of folate-deficient rats as compared to controls. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides, cerebrosides and fucolipids in the group fed the folate-deficient diet. Our study suggests that folate deficiency results in altered enzyme activities, lipid and sugar composition of intestinal brush border membrane. Such changes might reflect the underlying cause of the gastrointestinal disturbances observed in folate deficiency.View full abstractDownload PDF (101K) -
Motoyuki NAKAO, Nozomi KONO, Satoko ADACHI, Shuhei EBARA, Tetsuya ADAC ...2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 168-173
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSDietary cobalamin (Cbl; vitamin B12) deficiency resulted in severe growth retardation in rats, and body weight in the Cbl-deficient rats at 20 wk of age was significantly lower compared with the age-matched Cbl-sufficient control rats. In contrast, liver weight, when normalized to body weight, was greater in the Cbl-deficient rats than in the controls (p<0.05). The expression level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a marker for cell proliferation, in the liver was significantly enhanced in the deficient rats, suggesting that cell proliferation is abnormally activated in the liver under Cbl-deficient conditions. In addition, plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, a marker for hepatic injury, was also significantly elevated in the deficient rats. When L-carnitine, which is used clinically for the treatment of Cbl-deficient patients with methylmalonic aciduria, was administered to the Cbl-deficient rats by intraperitoneal injection twice per day for 2 wk (each 0.5 mmol), the amount of methylmalonic acid excreted into the urine was significantly reduced, and the plasma ALT activity was lowered to a normal level. However, the PCNA expression in the liver was barely influenced by the treatment with carnitine. In contrast, when the deficient rats were fed an L-methionine-supplemented diet (4 g of L-methionine per kg of the diet) for 2 wk, the increased expression of PCNA was normalized.View full abstractDownload PDF (110K) -
Yuko TOUSEN, Miki UMEKI, Yoko NAKASHIMA, Yoshiko ISHIMI, Sachie IKEGAM ...2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 174-182
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThere is a general agreement that isoflavones can be beneficial to health in adults. However, isoflavones are well known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. It should be considered that soy foods might adversely affect the reproductive system and infants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of genistein, an isoflavone, on dams and their offspring. Maternal rats were fed diets containing genistein at levels of 0 and 0.5 g/kg diet from pregnancy day 5 to postnatal day 13. No effects of genistein on the delivery, anogenital distance, reproductive organ weight, and body weight of the infants at birth were observed. There were no consistent effects on suckling pups after continuous genistein exposure during their fetal and suckling stages through their mothers, and there was no difference in effects according to the periods of exposure during pregnancy and lactation. We also observed no significant effect on the growth of offspring after weaning. Moreover, while we observed that the serum concentration of triiodothyronine (T3) in dams decreased, the result was a tendency, not a significant decrease. Our study suggested that maternal ingestion of genistein might have not induced serious adverse effects on dams, fetuses, infants or offspring during growth. However, the results indicated in many papers suggest the necessity of further study on the safety of genistein.View full abstractDownload PDF (92K) -
Hiroyuki YOSHIHARA, Jun-ichiro WAKAMATSU, Fuminori KAWABATA, Sunao MOR ...2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 183-193
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe objective of this research was to investigate the effects of beef extract on fat metabolism, muscle mass and muscle fiber types in rats. We also investigated the synergetic effect of endurance exercise. Twenty-four male rats weighing about 270 g were assigned to two diets containing 0 or 6% beef extract (BE). Half the rats fed each diet were subjected to compulsory exercise (CE) for 30 min every other day. After 4 weeks feeding, the blood was collected and various organs were dissected. The muscle fiber type of the soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were evaluated by histochemical and electrophoretical analyses. Rats supplemented with BE showed a decrease in fat content in liver and abdomen and an increase in the activity of carnitine palmitoyl transferase II in liver. BE as well as exercise increased the relative weights of both soleus and EDL. BE alone and BE plus CE did not affect the distribution of muscle fiber types in soleus. BE without exercise decreased in type IIb of EDL from 54% to 44% with compensatory increase in type IIa from 41% to 49% and type I from 5% to 7% compared with the nonsupplemented, nonexercised control group. No synergetic effect on a fast to slow fiber conversion due to the combination of BE and CE was detected. Thus, BE supplement increased muscle mass and slow type fiber in EDL. The effects of BE supplement on muscle characteristics were similar to those of exercise.View full abstractDownload PDF (163K) -
Masako YAGISAWA, Norihiro SHIGEMATSU, Rieko NAKATA2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 194-199
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe effects of chronic betaine ingestion were investigated in rats. Rats were fed an experimental diet containing 5% betaine for 4 wk and methionine was intravenously administered. The elevations of plasma homocysteine were assessed by comparing the increments to the initial measured value and the positive incremental area under the plasma homocysteine concentration curve over the 240-min post-methionine-loading period (ΔAUC0-240). In the betaine-ingesting rats, ΔAUC0-240 was significantly lower than in the control group (48% of the control), and the increments of plasma homocysteine were also lower compared with the control, especially 15-30 min after methionine loading. Choline, a precursor of betaine, did not alter the plasma homocysteine elevation. In a definite period immediately after methionine loading, carnitine, a methyl-group-rich amino acid, induced a significant increase of plasma homocysteine, compared to the control. Moreover, plasma homocysteine concentration was significantly decreased by 4 wk of betaine ingestion. Betaine enhanced liver BHMT activity whereas choline and carnitine did not show any effects on BHMT activity. These results suggest that betaine contributes to both the decrease in the plasma homocysteine concentration and the suppression of plasma homocysteine elevation through the activation of liver BHMT.View full abstractDownload PDF (82K) -
Yuki ITO, Tetsuo ANDO, Toshitaka NABESHIMA2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 200-204
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSLatent copper deficiency develops after 3 mo in patients receiving enteral feeding solutions with low copper levels. We examined whether a copper-rich enteral solution restores and maintains the level of copper in serum for a prolonged period. The study group consisted of 13 patients (eight males and five females). Commercial preparations, F2α® and Lifelon-PZ®, for enteral administration were used. F2α® and Lifelon-PZ® contain 1.6 and 0.13 mg/L, respectively, of copper. Serum copper levels were monitored in patients before and after administration of F2α®, a copper-rich enteral solution, at the neurological ward of Nagoya Daini Red Cross Hospital. Four of the 13 patients received Liflon-PZ®, a copper-poor enteral solution, before this trial. Blood samples were taken every month. The daily average copper dosage with F2α® was 1.8±0.4 mg/d (1.0-2.4 mg/d). The copper level in the four patients who received Liflon-PZ® was 10.5±5.5 μmol/L before this trial. The level rose to 18.9±3.6 μmol/L 1 mo after the change to the copper-rich, F2α®. The average serum copper level in the other patients before the start of enteral feeding was 15.3±5.0 μmol/L. The proper copper level was maintained with F2α® in the long term. A copper-rich enteral preparation could easily restore and maintain serum copper levels for a prolonged period. A dose of 1.8±0.4 mg copper/d (1.0-2.4 mg/d) was sufficient for our patients.View full abstractDownload PDF (96K) -
Teresa Gontijo de CASTRO, Suely Godoy Agostinho GIMENO, Sandra Roberta ...2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 205-210
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSTo examine dietary intakes in relation to long-term serum lipoprotein changes in a prospective cohort study with 7 y of follow-up, serum lipids were analyzed by enzymatic methods, while food intake was calculated from validated food frequency questionnaires. First- and second-generation Japanese-Brazilians (n=316) living in Bauru, São Paulo/Brazil, of both genders, aged 40 to 79 y were assessed at baseline in 1993. Multiple linear regression models were used with changes in serum lipoproteins as the dependent variable and changes in dietary intakes as the independent variables, adjusted for confounding factors. In energy-adjusted analyses, changes in serum total cholesterol were inversely associated with changes in total dietary fiber, fruits/fruit juices and vegetables after adjustment for age and gender. Each increase of 10 g in the consumption of total dietary fiber was associated with a reduction of 12.5 mg/dL in the serum total cholesterol (p<0.05). Our results highlight the importance of increased intakes of total fiber, fruits and vegetables to prevent and control dyslipidemia in Japanese migrants.View full abstractDownload PDF (72K) -
Naoya MATSUDA, Yoh-ichi KOYAMA, Yoshinao HOSAKA, Hiromi UEDA, Takafumi ...2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 211-215
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIn order to investigate the effects of collagen peptide ingestion on fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix in the dermis, collagen peptide was administered orally to pigs at 0.2 g/kg body weight/d for 62 d, and its effects were compared with those of lactalbumin and water controls. Fibroblast density, and diameter and density of collagen fibrils were significantly larger in the collagen peptide group than in the lactalbumin and water control groups. The two major components of dermal glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate, which are present in the inter-fibrillar space, did not differ significantly among the three groups. However, the ratio of dermatan sulfate, which is derived from fibril-bound decorin, was largest in the collagen peptide group. These results suggest that ingestion of collagen peptide induces increased fibroblast density and enhances formation of collagen fibrils in the dermis in a protein-specific manner.View full abstractDownload PDF (105K) -
Masako MATSUO2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 216-222
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe enzyme activities of Aspergillus oryzae on koji (malted rice) and Neurospora intermedia on S-oncom and O-oncom (fermented soybeans and okara with N. intermedia, respectively) were compared. The major enzymes of N. intermedia were different from those of A. oryzae, and the enzyme activities of O-oncom were extremely higher than those of S-oncom. S5-Miso, S10-miso and S9O1-miso replacing 50% or 100% of steamed soybeans with S-oncom or a 9 : 1 mixture of S-oncom and O-oncom, respectively, were prepared to supplement the enzyme action of koji. The chemical components of those miso were almost the same as those of soybean-miso (C-miso). The miso soups prepared with S5-miso, S10-miso and S9O1-miso were all considered to be more palatable and pleasant-tasting than the soup prepared with C-miso, and their flavor was preferred in the same degree as that of T5-miso using 50% tempeh, the soybeans fermented with Rhizopus oligosporus. Scavenging activities of DPPH and O2- and antimutagenicity of the 70% ethanol extract from those miso were higher than those of hot-water extract, and the activities of S9O1-miso were the highest. The isoflavone-aglycons and brownish color of S9O1-miso were higher than those of C-miso. The higher contents of isoflavone-aglycons and melanoidines of S9O1-miso might contribute to their higher antioxidant activity and antimutagenicity. From these results, S9O1-miso has potential as a healthier alternative to C-miso in terms of taste and health benefits.View full abstractDownload PDF (121K) -
Yoshikatsu MIWA, Hitoshi MITSUZUMI, Mika YAMADA, Norie ARAI, Fujimi TA ...2006 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 223-231
Published: 2006
Released on J-STAGE: June 15, 2007
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSOur previous study has shown that a soluble hesperidin derivative, glucosyl hesperidin (G-hesperidin), preferentially lowers serum triglyceride (TG) level in hypertriglyceridemic subjects through the improvement of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) metabolic abnormality. G-Hesperidin has also been found to decrease an elevated serum apolipoprotein B (apo B) level in the hypertriglyceridemic subjects, suggesting a possibility that this compound suppresses excess VLDL secretion in the liver. In the present study, to gain a better understanding of possible mechanisms by which G-hesperidin lowers serum TG, we examined whether this derivative affects apo B secretion from HepG2 human hepatoma cells, a model of hepatic VLDL secretion. As a result, G-hesperidin significantly reduced apo B secretion from the oleate-stimulated HepG2 cells. Furthermore, G-hesperidin significantly suppressed apo B secretion only in the oleate-stimulated cells and failed to act on the cells incubated without oleate. In the oleate-stimulated cells, G-hesperidin significantly decreased cellular cholesteryl ester (CE), although it had no effect on cellular TG or free cholesterol amounts. Moreover, the oleate-stimulated cells had a decrease in cellular apo B amounts by G-hesperidin exposure. These findings indicate that G-hesperidin down-regulates the assembly of apo B-containing lipoproteins via the reduction of CE synthesis augmented with oleate and results in suppressing excess apo B secretion from the cells. This effect is speculated to be associated with the improvement of VLDL metabolic abnormality in hypertriglyceridemic subjects and considered as a mechanism of lowering serum TG.View full abstractDownload PDF (304K)
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