Effects of soy protein on levels of remnant-like particles cholesterol and vitamin E in healthy men.

We determined the effects of soy protein isolate (SPI) intake on remnant-like particles (RLP), lipolytic enzymes, lipid transfer protein, transaminases, sex hormones, iron, calcium, and vitamin E in healthy men. In the first randomized, crossover experiment, 14 men were given either 20 g per day of SPI or nothing (control) for each 4-week segment. After 3 weeks of SPI intake, TG and RLP cholesterol levels were significantly lower than the baseline by 13.4% (p<0.05) and 9.8% (p<0.05), respectively. However, no significant change was found in total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels or the activities of lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, cholesteryl ester transfer protein, and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase. Although the levels of transaminases. testosterone, iron, and calcium did not change, the vitamin E level was reduced from the baseline by 9.7%, a significant decrease (p<0.01). In the second study, we attempted to determine the effect of vitamin E supplement taken with SPI. For each 3-week segment, 12 men were given 20 g per day of SPI, either with or without 200 mg per day of vitamin E, in a randomized crossover design. The vitamin E level was reduced by 9.2%, a significant decrease (p<0.05), after SPI intake for 3 weeks, and vitamin E supplement increased vitamin E level significantly (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that SPI intake reduces remnant lipoproteins, TG, and the plasma level of vitamin E, although vitamin E supplementation compensates for the reduction of vitamin E. Therefore the supplementation of vitamin E may be required in subjects with long-term and abundant intake of soy protein.

[Assessment of functional severity on in vivo hepatic 31P-MRS in diffuse hepatic disease: comparative studies with 99mTc-GSA].

The purpose of this study was to compare the assessment of functional severity on in-vivo hepatic 31P-MRS in diffuse hepatic disease with functional severity assessed with 99mTc galactosyl serum albumin (99mTc-GSA). 31P-MRS was performed in 10 healthy control subjects and 16 patients with diffuse hepatic disease. Data were expressed as peak area ratios: PME/beta-ATP, PDE/beta-ATP, PME/PDE, Pi/beta-ATP, and PME/Pi. The functional severity of hepatic damage was evaluated visually and quantitatively (HH15, LHL15) by 99mTc-GSA in the group of patients with diffuse hepatic disease. Visual evaluation was classified into four grades based on anterior images of cardiac blood-pool and liver. We studied the correlation of spectral metabolic ratios and functional severity by 99mTc-GSA. We found statistically significant differences (ANOVA) among the classifications of Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III with both PME/beta-ATP and PME/PDE. A statistically significant direct correlation was found between HH15 and both PME/beta-ATP and PME/PDE. A significant inverse correlation was also seen between LHL15 and both PME/beta-ATP and PME/PDE. The studies comparing 31P-MRS with functional severity assessed by 99mTc-GSA showed that PME/beta-ATP and PME/PDE were useful for the assessment of functional severity in patients with diffuse hepatic disease.

Inhibitory effect of tea flavonoids on the ability of cells to oxidize low density lipoprotein.

Dietary flavonoid intake has been reported to be inversely related to mortality from coronary heart disease, and the anti-atherosclerotic effect of flavonoids is considered to be due probably to their antioxidant properties. Oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) has been reported to be induced by the constituent cells of the arterial wall. Accordingly, we examined the effect of pretreatment with tea flavonoids, such as theaflavin digallate, on the ability of cells to oxidize LDL. Theaflavin digallate pretreatment of macrophages or endothelial cells reduced cell-mediated LDL oxidation in a concentration- (0-400 microM) and time- (0-4 hr) dependent manner. This inhibitory effect of flavonoids on cell-mediated LDL oxidation was in the order of theaflavin digallate > theaflavin > or = epigallocatechin gallate > epigallocatechin > gallic acid. Further, we investigated the mechanisms by which flavonoids inhibited cell-mediated LDL oxidation using macrophages and theaflavin digallate. Theaflavin digallate pretreatment decreased superoxide production of macrophages and chelated iron ions significantly. These results suggest that tea flavonoids attenuate the ability of the cell to oxidize LDL, probably by reducing superoxide production in cells and chelating iron ions.

Patterns of expression of the genes for glutamine synthetase isoforms during somatic and zygotic embryogenesis in carrot.

Three cDNA clones encoding isoforms of carrot glutamine synthetase (GS) were isolated and used as probes for analysis of the patterns of expression of the genes for GS isoforms during somatic embryogenesis and seed development in carrot. Transcripts corresponding to two of the cDNAs, CGS102 and CGS201, accumulated in both somatic embryos and developing seeds in the same manner. Their levels were high at the early stage of embryogenesis but decreased at the late stage. This pattern of expression is similar to the pattern of changes in GS activity observed during somatic embryogenesis. In contrast, expression of the transcript for another GS isoform detected with CGS103 cDNA was observed at the late stage of seed development and in senesced leaves but not in somatic embryos or young leaves. We also analyzed the levels of the transcripts in somatic embryos that had been cultured in media with either ammonium ions or glutamine as the nitrogen source. The amounts of the CGS102 and CGS201 transcripts fell when glutamine was supplied in the medium. These results indicated that GS activity was regulated at the transcriptional level and that the pattern of expression of the genes for GS during somatic embryogenesis reflected that during zygotic embryogenesis. It is possible that somatic embryogenesis and zygotic embryogenesis have common regulatory systems with respect to nitrogen metabolism.

Olive oil increases the magnitude of postprandial chylomicron remnants compared to milk fat and safflower oil.

OBJECTIVE: The acute effects of olive oil, milk fat and safflower oil on postprandial lipemia and remnant lipoprotein metabolism were investigated. METHODS: Eight Healthy male volunteers randomly underwent three types of oral fat-vitamin A loading tests. The test drink was a mixture of retinyl palmitate (RP)(50,000 IU of aqueous vitamin A/m2 body surface area) and one of the three types of oils (40 g of fat/m2 body surface area): olive oil (70.7% oleic acid of total fatty acids); milk fat (69.3% saturated fatty acid); safflower oil (74.2% linoleic acid). RESULTS: Olive oil significantly increased plasma triacylglycerol and RP concentrations 4 hours after fat loading, as compared to other fats. Increases of remnant like particle concentrations were higher after olive oil than after the other two fats. CONCLUSION: These results show that olive oil increases the magnitude of postprandial chylomicrons and chylomicron remnants compared to milk fat and safflower oil.

Effect of different formulations of propolis on mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Propolis, a bee product, can be regarded as one of the potential natural sources in folk medicine, displaying strong antimicrobial activity. Previous work showed that propolis extracts exhibited in vitro activity against Trypanosoma cruzi (Higashi and de Castro, 1994). Different formulations of propolis were administered to experimentally Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice and the parasitemia kinetics and survival rate were monitored. The oral administration of ethanolic extracts up to 1.2 g propolis/kg per day or propolis offered ad libitum in the drinking water (up to 4 g/kg per day) or added to the food (up to 5 g/kg per day) did not interfere with both parameters. The differences between in vitro and in vivo trypanocidal activity of propolis and future perspectives are discussed.

Papaverine inhibits bile acid excretion in isolated perfused rat liver.

We investigated the effects of papaverine on bile acid excretion into bile in the presence of infusions of taurocholic acid, tauroursodeoxycholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid and taurodehydrocholic acid in a single-pass, isolated perfused rat liver model. Although continuous infusion of papaverine (1.6 mumol/min) did not reduce bile acid excretion in the presence of low-dose (1.0 mumol/min) infusions of taurocholic acid or tauroursodeoxycholic acid, papaverine significantly inhibited biliary excretion of bile acids in the presence of low-dose taurochenodeoxycholic acid (-50%) and high-dose (3.0 mumol/min) taurocholic acid (-54%), tauroursodeoxycholic acid (-37%) and taurodehydrocholic acid (-31%). During continuous infusion of taurocholic acid (3 mumol/min), a 15-min infusion of papaverine (3.2 mumol/min) reduced bile acid excretion significantly; however, total uptake of bile acid was slightly decreased by the papaverine infusion. Bile acid excretion increased over the baseline value after the papaverine infusion was stopped and then returned to baseline. These results suggest that papaverine does not affect the uptake phase of bile acids at the sinusoidal membrane but may affect the intracellular transport phase or the excretory phase at the bile canalicular membrane. When taurocholic acid was infused at a constant rate of 3 mumol/min for 20 min without papaverine and then stopped, bile acid excretion decreased gradually and was nearly zero by 52 min. Cumulative bile acid excretion in the 52 min after the end of the infusion reached 3.3 +/- 0.2 mumol/gm liver and represented the storage capacity of the liver.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Propolis extracts are effective against Trypanosoma cruzi and have an impact on its interaction with host cells.

Propolis, a natural resin produced by honey bees, that displays strong antimicrobial activity, has been used as a chemotherapeutic agent since ancient times. The anti-protozoan properties of different propolis extracts were studied regarding T. cruzi and its interaction with host cells. Ethanolic (EEP) and dimethylsulphoxide extracts (DEP) were both active against the three forms of the parasite, with the former being more active than the latter against the vertebrate forms, amastigotes and trypomastigotes. Total lysis of bloodstream trypomastigotes was observed after 24 h in the presence of EEP at a concentration of 100 micrograms/ml. The effect was found to be temperature dependent. Treatment of infected peritoneal macrophages and heart muscle cells with EEP strongly inhibited infection levels. The utilization of propolis as a possible antitrypanosomal agent is discussed.

A case of primary hyperparathyroidism due to an oxyphil cell adenoma.

A 59-year-old woman with primary hyperparathyroidism was found to have a parathyroid adenoma behind the left clavicle. Preoperatively, it appeared as a hypoechoic mass on ultrasonography, as a hot nodule on thallium scintigraphy, and as a high signal on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies of the surgically resected tumor revealed a parathyroid adenoma composed mainly of oxyphil cells with production of a parathyroid hormone. Moreover, a multilocular lesion of lymphangiectasia was contained. Hypercalcemia was alleviated postoperatively. These observations corroborated a functioning parathyroid oxyphil cell adenoma. This is the first case report of functioning oxyphil cell adenoma of the parathyroid gland with lymphangiectasia in Japan.

Screening for carcinogens by DNA-synthesis inhibition test using mouse L-cells.

Bacterial test systems for potential carcinogens sometimes give false negative results. To overcome this problem, several short term test systems have been described. One of them is the DNA-synthesis inhibition test described by Painter (1977). Our DNA-synthesis inhibition test system using mouse L-cells gave positive results when monocrothaline, phenacetin and thioacetamide, which were negative in the Ames test, were tested.