Effects of a Mixture of Humulus japonicus on Longitudinal Bone Growth in Hypophysectomized Rats.

Previously, we reported that the administration of a mixture of Humulus japonicus (MH) increased the longitudinal bone growth rate in Sprague Dawley rats. In this study, we investigated the effects of the dietary administration of MH on longitudinal bone growth in growth hormone (GH)-deficient hypophysectomized male and female rats to determine whether the effect of MH was similar to that of GH. We measured the nose-to-anus and nose-to-tail length gain, femur and tibia lengths, growth plate zones, and expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) after the dietary administration of MH or the injection of GH into hypophysectomized rats for 4 weeks. Results demonstrated that the dietary administration of MH had no effect on longitudinal bone growth, whereas the injection of GH increased the nose-to-tail length gain and femur and tibia lengths in hypophysectomized rats. In addition, MH did not affect the growth plate, bone mineralization, and expression of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3. These findings indicate that MH does not exert a GH-like effect and that the effects of MH and GH on longitudinal bone growth involve different pathways.

A Mixture of Humulus japonicus Increases Longitudinal Bone Growth Rate in Sprague Dawley Rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of administration of a mixture of Humulus japonicus (MH) on longitudinal bone growth in normal Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. We measured the femur and tibia length, growth plate area, proliferation of chondrocytes, and expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) phosphorylation after dietary administration of MH in SD rats for four weeks. The nose-tail length gain and length of femur and tibia increased significantly in the group that received MH for a period of four weeks. We performed H&E staining and Bromodeoxyuridine/5-Bromo-2'-Deoxyuridine (BrdU) staining to examine the effect of dietary administration of MH on the growth plate and the proliferation of chondrocytes and found that MH stimulated the proliferation of chondrocytes and contributed to increased growth plate height during the process of longitudinal bone growth. In addition, serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 and expression of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 mRNAs in the liver and bone were increased, and phosphorylation of JAK2/STAT5 in the liver was increased in the MH groups. Based on these results, we suggest that the effect of MH on longitudinal bone growth is mediated by increased JAK2/STAT5-induced IGF-1 production.

pH-adjusted solvent extraction and reversed-phase HPLC quantification of isoflavones from soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.).

Soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merr., are among the most important food crops worldwide. Isoflavones are major bioactive phytochemicals in soybeans, and have a variety of health benefits, including antioxidative, antiatherosclerotic, antiinflammatory, and weak estrogen-like effects. The isoflavone content and composition of soybeans vary according to the cultivar and the extraction solvent conditions. Therefore, we investigated the effects of three different solvent pHs (1.0, 5.5, and 10.0) on the isoflavone, total phenolic, and total flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacities of eight soybean cultivars developed in Korea. Twelve isoflavones in soybeans were efficiently separated and identified on a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. The percentage distribution of isoflavones measured by HPLC in the eight soybean cultivars at various extraction pHs decreased as follows: malonyl isoflavones (67.2% to 81.3%) > isoflavone glucosides (16.2% to 29.0%; as nonacylated form) > acetyl isoflavones (1.6% to 5.9%). The highest contents of isoflavone glucosides, malonyl derivatives, and acetyl derivatives were extracted at solvent pHs of 10.0, 1.0, and 5.5, respectively. The solvent extraction at pH 1.0 yielded a lower total isoflavone content than those at pHs 5.5 and 10.0. However, the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents were extracted from soybeans at pH 1.0. Soybeans extracted at pH 10.0 displayed the highest antioxidant capacities in the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical assay. Taken together, these results suggest that proper solvent pH adjustment is needed to maximize the extraction of targeted forms of isoflavones from soybeans. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Soybeans contain a variety of bioactive compounds, including isoflavones, which function as antioxidants and weak phytoestrogens. Chemical and instrumental analyses can facilitate the selection of soybean cultivars with high amounts of isoflavones for soybean breeding and isoflavone-enriched product development. Proper solvent pH adjustment allows for the efficient extraction of high amounts of targeted isoflavone subgroups (acetyl and malonyl forms) from soybeans for functional food products.

Nanoscaled iodized oil emulsion as a CT contrast agent for the detection of experimental liver tumors in a rat model.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To characterize an iodized oil emulsion for computed tomography (CT) imaging of experimental hepatic tumors in rat models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For characterizing the agents in normal rats, three rats were intravenously infused and imaged with clinical CT up to 1 week. Iopamidol solution was also used as controls (n = 3). For evaluating the feasibility of diagnosis of hepatic tumors, 12 rats were injected with C6 glial tumor cells into the liver 11, 9, 7, and 5 days before CT (n = 3 per day). After CT imaging, gross and histopathologic correlation of liver tumors with CT images were performed. RESULTS: CT numbers of aorta and inferior vena cava (IVC) increased immediately after injection of the emulsion and remained above 200 Hounsfield units for 1 hour (maximum: 295.67 +/- 27.65 in aorta and 347.07 +/- 10.58 in IVC). The mean attenuation in liver and spleen was relatively stable between 30 and 180 minutes (maximum: 188.84 +/- 18.70 in liver and 210.97 +/- 15.83 in spleen). All 20 tumors later confirmed by pathology were detected as hypodense lesions on CT (sensitivity: 100%; range, 2.0-16.4 mm). The mean enhancement ratios of liver at all time points were significantly higher than those of tumors (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The hepatic enhancement achieved by the iodized oil emulsion is reticuloendothelial system-specific with the property of blood pool enhancement and longer lasting than that achievable with the current water soluble agents. Thus, this agent may offer significant advantages for diagnosis of hepatic metastases.