Comparative bone growth behavior in granules of bioceramic materials of various sizes.

Various bioceramic materials were implanted into 6-mm-diameter holes made in the femoral condyles of mature Japanese white rabbits using different-sized granules to find an optimal material and granule diameter for use as a bone graft. Bioceramics include a bioinert ceramic (Alumina), surface-bioactive ceramics [hydroxyapatite (HAp) and Bioglass(R)], and resorbable bioactive ceramics [alphatricalcium phosphate (alpha-TCP), beta-TCP, tetracalcium phosphate (TeCP), Te. DCPD, Te. DCPA, and low-crystalline HAp]. Granule sizes were 100-300, 10, and 1-3 microm. Bone growth behavior varied with the kind of bioceramic and the size used. For surface-bioactive ceramics, 45S5 Bioglass(R) led to more rapid bone proliferation than synthetic HAp. In resorbable bioactive ceramics, the order of resorption was: low-crystalline HAp and OCP > TeCP, Te DCPD, Te DCPA > alpha-TCP, beta-TCP. In terms of biocompatibility, alpha-TCP was better than beta-TCP.

Health benefits of rice bran oil.

Although scientific evidence is relatively limited, rice bran oil (RBO) is tenaciously believed to be a healthy vegetable oil in Asian countries. It exerts hypocholesterolemic activity in relation to more commonly used vegetable oils and is characterized by a relatively high content of non-fatty acid components, some of which are known to have beneficial health effects. Components specific for RBO such as gamma-oryzanol and tocotrienols could participate in its hypocholesterolemic effects. In addition, blending RBO with safflower oil, but not with sunflower oil, may magnify the hypocholesterolemic efficacy. This observation is of particular interest with regard to dietary intervention with RBO. The possible mechanism underlying this effect may at least in part be related to the specific triglyceride structure of safflower oil, differing from that of sunflower oil.

Rice bran oil and cholesterol metabolism.

A range of human and animal studies have shown that rice bran oil (RBO) is an edible oil of preference for improving serum cholesterol levels and lipoprotein profiles with similarity to the more commonly used vegetable oils such as corn oil and safflower oil. Of particular interest is the observation that blending RBO with safflower oil at a definite proportion (7:3, wt/wt) magnifies the hypocholesterolemic efficacy, compared with the effect of each oil alone. Although the mechanism underlying this effect is not apparent at present, the blending may have a practical significance. The blending effect was reproduced in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet, and there was also a decrease in liver cholesterol. The occurrence of peculiar components such as gamma-oryzanol and tocotrienols could be responsible for the hypocholesterolemic effect of RBO.

Rice bran oil and human health.

The available data in humans suggest that rice bran oil (RBO) is an edible oil of preference for improving plasma lipid and lipoprotein profiles similar to more commonly used vegetable oils. The observation that blending RBO with safflower oil at a specific proportion magnifies the hypocholesterolemic efficacy is of particular interest with regard to utilization of this oil. The occurrence of peculiar components such as gamma-oryzanol and tocotrienols in RBO might be responsible for its hypocholesterolemic effect.

Effects of fish and safflower oil feeding on subcellular glucose transporter distributions in rat adipocytes.

Effects of fish oil feeding on glucose transport systems and cell size in rat adipocytes were examined and compared with those of safflower oil or carbohydrate feeding under isoenergy intake conditions. Glucose transport activity was assessed by measuring 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport. The concentration of erythrocyte type glucose transporter (GLUT-1) and muscle/fat type transporter (GLUT-4) was measured by immunoblotting. The amount of each transporter in intact cells was estimated by the amount of transporter and protein of each membrane fraction and by the recovery of marker enzymes. In cells from safflower-fed rats compared with those from carbohydrate-fed rats, insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity per cell decreased to 51% after a 1-wk feeding, and cell size increase became larger with these effects and continued for at least 4 wk. At 1 wk of feeding, GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 per cell in plasma membrane from insulin-treated cells decreased to 62 and 35%, respectively, with concomitant transporter decreases in the low-density microsome fraction. In cells from high-fish oil-fed rats in which two-thirds of safflower oil was replaced by fish oil, when compared with those from safflower oil-fed rats, insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity increased 1.7-fold after 1 wk of feeding with concomitant cellular GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 increases, but its effect declined thereafter. Parallel with this time course, cell size increase was smaller after 1 wk, but this effect also declined thereafter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)