Effects of alcohol intake on glucose metabolism were investigated in chronic alcoholics with special regard to liver damage. The results obtained were as follows:
(1) The carbohydrate metabolism in chronic alcoholics measured by the 50g oral glucose tolerance test was deranged in 38.4% of a series of 109 patients.
(2) Abnormal elevations of serum transaminase and γ-glutalmyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) activities in the patients were observed to be parallel with the development of glucose intolerance.
(3) Furthermore, the increased glucose intolerance turned out to be parallel with the elevation of serum γ-GTP levels.
(4) Derangement of glucose metabolism and elevations of serum enzyme activities were frequently observed in the group of prolonged alcohol intake and either in the aged or the underweight group.
In conclusion, it was conjectured that the decreased glucose tolerance in chronic alcoholics was closely related to the impaired liver function by alcohol intake.

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Effects of the feeding of α-glucosidase inhibitor, Acarbose, on the development of diabetes were observed in rats. Rats were raised on standard laboratory chow diet (standard diet) or standard diet containing 75mg/100g of Acarbose (Acarbose diet) for a week followed by a peritoneal injection of streptozotocin (70mg/kg). Immediately after the injection, the diet was changed from standard diet to Acarbose diet, or Acarbose diet to standard diet.
Incidence of diabetes was depressed by the pre-feeding of Acarbose diet before the injection of streptozotocin. Diabetic condition was moderated by the post-feeding of Acarbose diet after the injection. Intestinal disaccharidase activities were decreased in the rats fed Acarbose diet at the time of sacrifice.
Therefore, it was suggested that Acarbose feeding protects the incidence of diabetes induced by streptozotocin and Acarbose feeding causes the decrease of intestinal disaccharidase activities resulting in moderation of diabetic condition.

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The compositional and quantitative changes of fatty acids, tocopherols (Toc) and sterols in soybean seed lipids and/or seeds from 25 to 75 days after flowering were investigated. The fatty acid and Toc compositions of lipids were determined by gas and high-performance liquid chromatographies. Sterol compositions in unsaponifiable matter were determined by using preparative thin-layer chromatography followed by gas chromatography.
Weights of soybean seeds increased rapidly until 45 days after flowering, and the lipids accumulated at a steady rate up to 50 days after flowering. The highest concentration of unsaponifiable matter, sterols and chlorophyll in lipids were found at an early stage after flowering, and decreased steadily. The percentages of campe-, stigma- and β-sitosterol in 4-demethylsterol were 20.2, 13.6 and 66.1, respectively, in the immature seed lipids (25 days after flowering). But the percentage of β-sitosterol decreased markedly, whereas campe- and stigmasterol increased up to maturity. The main Tac in seed lipids were α-, γ- and δ-Toc, and α-, β- and δ-Toc showed marked increase up to maturlty, whereas γ-Toc contents in lipids were almost constant during maturation of seed. Generally, the percentage of linoleic acid in total lipids and triacylglycerol increased up to maturity, but the percentages of linolenic and palmitic acids decreased. The percentage of oleic acid in lipids reached a maximum at 45 days after flowering, and decreased thereafter.

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The effect of Acarbose feeding and of its withdrawal on rat intestinal disaccharidases were studied.
1) Significant differences were shown in body weight between Acarbose fed group (II) and control by Acarbose feeding. In the case of urine volume, significant difference was shown between II and group (I), and between Acarbose withdrawal group (III) and I, viz., body weight was significantly decreased III. This suggested that the effect of Acarbose on urine volume was reverted to the normal level by Acarbose withdrawal. Food intake, water intake, and feces weight were significantly increased in II compared to I. Water contents of feces in II were three times more than I. However, it was shown that water intake and feces weight in III were reverted to the same level as those of I.
2) Colon and caecum weights were significantly increased by Acarbose feeding. However, the effect of Acarbose was reverted to the normal level by Acarbose withdrawal.
3) Maltase activity was significantly decreased by Acarbose feeding, and reverted to the normal level by Acarbose withdrawal.
4) Inhibitory effect of Acarbose on maltase activity was a competitive type in vitro (K₁=8.56 X 10^-7M). In the case of in vivo, although there was no difference of K_m values between I and II, only V_max value was decreased by Acarbose feeding.

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The long term effects of voluntary exercise on the growth, serum total cholesterol levels, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity, epididymal fat tissue weight and survival rate were examined with mice fed 4%, 6% and 20% protein diets. The amount of voluntary exercise of mice fed three levels of dietary protein also recorded throughout the experimental period of 500 days. Weight gains were smaller as dietary protein levels decreased. The weight gains of the 4% protein diet groups were slight. It is interesting that the weight gains of the exercise group fed 6% protein diet increased to levels approaching those of exercise group fed 20% protein diet. With regard to the amount of voluntary exercise, the maximum activities for each group were observed at 11 to 13 months of age for 20% protein diet group, 5 to 7 months of age for 6% protein diet group and 4 to 5 months of age for 4% protein diet group, respectively. The voluntary activities of all groups gradually decreased during the remaining experimental period. Serum total cholesterol levels increased with decreasing the levels of dietary protein. The levels for exercise groups were lower than those of the non-exercise groups. Serum glutamic pyruvic transminase activities were not affected by dietary protein levels and voluntary exercise. Epididymal fat tissues weights of exercise groups were remarkably less than those of non-exercise groups. Survival rates of exercise and non-exercise groups of 6% and 20% protein diet groups were higher than those of 4% protein diet group.

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Sixteen free amino acids were deteeted in the pressed juice of sugar cane (N: Co, Okinawa). Total amounts of amino acids in it were found to be less than 0.5% at both one and two years growing stages, but the amino acid nitrogens, covered nearly half of total nitrogens.
Seven amino acids predominated among the free amino acids. Asparagine was the most abundant followed by aspartic acid, glutamine, alanine, glutamic acid, valine and serine at the one year growing stage. Other hand, the two years growing stage, aspartic acid was predominant followed at by asparagine, glutamic acid, alanine glutamine, valine and serine.
Although the amides content of the pressed juice were very high particularly in the younger stage, they were decreased at the longer growing stage.
Sum of the amount of four amino acids, aspartic and glutamic acids and their amides was no difference on the growing stages, such as to be 63% (1 year) and 60% (2 years) per total amount of amino acids. Tihis result will suggest that the amides formed in the younger stage, transformed to aspartic and glutamic acids by deamination. The pattern of free amino acids of sugar cane seems to be no difference during the growing.

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