The Anti-Adiposity Mechanisms of Ampelopsin and Vine Tea Extract in High Fat Diet and Alcohol-Induced Fatty Liver Mouse Models.

Ampelopsis grossedentata (AG) is an ancient medicinal plant that is mainly distributed and used in southwest China. It exerts therapeutic effects, such as antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities, reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol and hepatoprotective effects. Researchers in China recently reported the anti-obesity effects of AG extract in diet-induced obese mice and rats. To verify these findings, we herein investigated the effects of AG extract and its principal compound, ampelopsin, in high-fat diet (HFD)- and alcohol diet-fed mice, olive oil-loaded mice, and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The results obtained showed that AG extract and ampelopsin significantly suppressed increases in the weights of body, livers and abdominal fat and also up-regulated the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A in HFD-fed mice. In olive oil-loaded mice, AG extract and ampelopsin significantly attenuated increases in serum triglyceride (TG) levels. In differentiated 3T3-L1 cells, AG extract and ampelopsin promoted TG decomposition, which appeared to be attributed to the expression of hormone-sensitive lipase. In alcohol diet-fed mice, AG extract and ampelopsin reduced serum levels of ethanol, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and liver TG. An examination of metabolic enzyme expression patterns revealed that AG extract and ampelopsin mainly enhanced the expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase and suppressed that of cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily e1. In conclusion, AG extract and ampelopsin suppressed diet-induced intestinal fat accumulation and reduced the risk of fatty liver associated with HFD and alcohol consumption.

Adverse events during CT colonography for screening, diagnosis and preoperative staging of colorectal cancer: a Japanese national survey.

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate the frequencies and magnitudes of adverse events associated with computed tomographic colonography (CTC) for screening, diagnosis and preoperative staging of colorectal cancer. METHODS: A Japanese national survey on CTC was administered by use of an online survey tool in the form of a questionnaire. The questions covered mortality, colorectal perforation, vasovagal reaction, total number of examinations, and examination procedures. The survey data was collated and raw frequencies were determined. Fisher's exact test was used to determine differences in event rates between groups. RESULTS: At 431 institutions, 147,439 CTC examinations were performed. No deaths were reported. Colorectal perforations occurred in 0.014% (21/147,439): 0.003% (1/29,823) in screening, 0.014% (13/91,007) in diagnosis and 0.028% (7/25,330) in preoperative staging. The perforation risk was significantly lower in screening than in preoperative staging CTC procedures (p = 0.028). Eighty-one per cent of perforation cases (17/21) did not require emergency surgery. Vasovagal reaction occurred in 0.081% (120/147,439): 0.111% (33/29,823) in screening, 0.088% (80/91,007) in diagnosis and 0.028% (7/25,330) in preoperative staging. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of colorectal perforation and vasovagal reaction in CTC is low. The frequency of colorectal perforation associated with CTC is least in the screening group and greatest in the preoperative-staging group. KEY POINTS: • The colorectal perforation rate during preoperative-staging CTC was 0.028 %. • The perforation rates for screening and diagnosis were 0.003 % and 0.014 %, respectively. • The perforation risk is significantly lower in screening than in preoperative staging. • Eighty-one per cent of perforation cases did not require emergency surgery. • Use of an automatic colon insufflator can reduce the risk of bowel perforation.

Anti-melanogenic effects of glucosylceramides and elasticamide derived from rice oil by-products in melanoma cells, melanocytes, and human skin.

Glucosylceramides (GlcCer), which are present in many edible plants, suppress melanin production in mouse melanocytes. Rice GlcCer consist of multiple molecules that comprise different types of sphingoid bases as well as diverse lengths and stereotypes of free fatty acids. Adjacent to the GlcCer fraction, there are free ceramides (Cer) as minor constituents. However, the anti-melanogenic activities of individual GlcCer and Cer remain unknown. Therefore, we herein isolated 13 GlcCer and elasticamide, a Cer [AP] from the gummy by-products of rice bran oil, and examined their anti-melanogenic activities. In theophylline-induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells, GlcCer [d18:2(4E,8Z)/18:0], GlcCer [d18:2(4E,8Z)/20:0], and elasticamide significantly suppressed melanin production with IC50 values of 6.6, 5.2, and 3.9 µM, respectively. Elasticamide, but not GlcCer [d18:2 (4E,8Z)/20:0], suppressed melanogenesis in human 3D-cultured melanocytes and the expression of tyrosinase-related protein 1 in normal human melanocytes. Based on these results, we conducted a clinical trial on the effects of rice ceramide extract (Oryza ceramide®), containing 1.2 mg/day of GlcCer and 56 µg/day of elasticamide, on UV-B-induced skin pigmentation. The ingestion of Oryza ceramide® for 8 weeks significantly suppressed the accumulation of melanin 7 days after UV irradiation (1288 and 1546 mJ/cm2 ·S). Rice-derived GlcCer and elasticamide, which exhibited anti-melanogenic activities, were suggested to contribute to the suppressive effects of Oryza ceramide® on UV-induced skin pigmentation. Although the mechanisms underlying the anti-melanogenic activities of GlcCer remain unclear, elasticamide was identified as a promising Cer that exhibits anti-melanogenic activity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The anti-melanogenic activities of rice-derived GlcCer and elasticamide currently remain unclear. We herein demonstrated the inhibitory effects of individual GlcCer and elasticamide on melanogenesis in melanoma cells, melanocytes, and human skin.

Preference and Experience of Colonic Examination for Participants Presenting to Hospitals with a Positive Fecal Immunochemical Test Result.

PURPOSE: Patients who test positive on the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) are referred for colonoscopy for further diagnostic evaluation. Colonoscopy is not a perfect method and may be a challenge for some FIT-positive patients. Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) is an alternative method that is less invasive and allows examination of the whole colon. The study objective was to evaluate the preference of FIT-positive patients for either colonoscopy or CTC for CRC examination. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Individuals older than 40 years with a positive FIT test at eight Japanese hospitals between December 2012 and July 2015 were invited to participate. Participants were given detailed information regarding colonoscopy and CTC before deciding on either examination. They completed questionnaires before the procedure regarding their preference and after the procedure regarding their experience. RESULTS: The pre- and post-questionnaires of 846 and 834 participants, respectively, were analyzed. Participants preferred colonoscopy over CTC (colonoscopy, 72%; CTC, 28%). The possibility of obtaining biopsy samples and removing colorectal polyps during the procedure was the main reason for colonoscopy selection. Patients selected CTC to reduce discomfort but reported that CTC bowel preparation was more burdensome than colonoscopy bowel preparation. The overall experience of the examination did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Colonoscopy is the standard examination for FIT-positive patients. However, when given a choice, almost one-third of participants chose CTC because they thought it would be a more "comfortable" examination. Clinicians should therefore be aware of patients' potential preference for noninvasive colorectal examinations.

Colon cancer with rapid growth in 16 months confirmed by computed tomographic colonography.

This report describes a case of rapidly growing colon cancer confirmed by computed tomographic colonography (CTC). A 75-year-old woman presented at our clinic with complaints of abdominal discomfort and melena. Colorectal examination was performed via CTC. The findings were normal. Sixteen months later, she was referred to our clinic again for positive findings on a faecal immunochemical screening test. A repeat CTC was performed, which revealed a 3 cm ulcerated tumour at the ascending colon. Colonoscopy with biopsy revealed tubular adenocarcinoma. Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy was performed and the TNM classification was found to be T3N1M0. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the cancer has not recurred for 2.5 years.

Passionflower Extract Induces High-amplitude Rhythms without Phase Shifts in the Expression of Several Circadian Clock Genes in Vitro and in Vivo.

Circadian rhythms play key roles in the regulation of physiological and behavioral systems including wake-sleep cycles. We evaluated the effects of passionflower (aerial parts of Passiflora incarnata Linnaeus) extract (PFE) on circadian rhythms using NIH3T3 cells and mice. PFE (100 µg/mL) induced high-amplitude rhythms in the expression of period circadian protein (Per) 2, cryptochrome (Cry) 1, superoxide dismutase (SOD) 1, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in vitro from 12 h after a treatment with serum-rich medium. Isovitexin 2"-O-glucoside, isoschaftoside, and homoorientin, which were purified from PFE, also significantly enhanced Per2 mRNA expression at 20 h. An oral treatment with PFE (100 mg/kg/day) at zeitgeber time (ZT) 0 h for 15 days improved sleep latencies and sleeping times in the pentobarbital-induced sleep test in mice, similar to muscimol (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.). PFE induced high-amplitude rhythms without obvious phase shifts in serum corticosterone levels and the expression of Per1, Per2, and Cry1 in the liver as well as NIH3T3 cells. However, in the cerebrum, PFE enhanced the circadian expression of brain-muscle ARNT-like protein (Bmal) 1, circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (Clock), and Per1. Regarding this difference, we suggest the involvement of several neurotransmitters that influence the circadian rhythm. Indeed, PFE significantly increased dopamine levels at ZT 18 h, and then affected the mRNA expression of the synthetic and metabolic enzymes such as monoamine oxidase (MAO), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). The results obtained show that PFE positively modulates circadian rhythms by inducing high-amplitude rhythms in the expression of several circadian clock genes.

Ninety-day oral toxicity study of rice-derived γ-oryzanol in Sprague-Dawley rats.

A 90-day oral toxicity study of γ-oryzanol, a rice-derived triterpenoid ferulate, was performed by oral gavage administration to male and female Sprague-Dawley rats at doses of 0, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg body weight/day. All rats administered γ-oryzanol survived throughout the study period. Both male and female rats showed no toxicologically significant changes of the general signs, examination findings, body weight, food consumption, functional observational battery results, ophthalmological findings, urinalysis, hematology tests, clinical chemistry tests, organ weights, and necropsy findings. Moreover, there were no histopathological changes related to administration of γ-oryzanol in males and females from the 2000 mg/kg body weight/day group. In conclusion, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of γ-oryzanol exceeded 2000 mg/kg body weight/day for both male and female rats under the conditions of this study.