Self-assembly of Ni-NTA-modified ß-annulus peptides into artificial viral capsids and encapsulation of His-tagged proteins.

ß-Annulus peptides bearing Cys at the N-terminal from tomato bushy stunt virus were synthesised using a standard Fmoc-protected solid-phase method, and the peptide was modified with Ni-NTA at the N-terminal. The Ni-NTA-modified ß-annulus peptide self-assembled into virus-like nanocapsules of approximately 40 nm in diameter. The critical aggregation concentration of these nanocapsules in 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.3) at 25 °C was 0.053 µM, which is 470 times lower than that of unmodified ß-annulus peptides. Moreover, size exclusion chromatography of the peptide assembly indicated encapsulation of His-tagged green fluorescent protein in the Ni-NTA-modified artificial viral capsid.

Differences in muscle power between the dominant and nondominant upper limbs of baseball players.

We examined the differences in muscle power between the dominant and nondominant upper limbs of 33 healthy, right-handed, university baseball players (mean age, 20.4 ± 1.1 years) with an average baseball experience >11 years. After measuring maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of hand grip, elbow flexion, and shoulder internal rotation in both upper limbs, the muscle power of each joint was measured at 40%, 50%, and 60% MVC. No significant differences were observed in the main factors affecting MVC and elbow flexion power loads between dominant and nondominant upper limbs. For handgrip power, load factors at 40% MVC in the dominant hand were lower than those at 60% MVC in the same hand and those at 50% and 60% MVC in the nondominant hand. Significant differences were observed in shoulder internal rotation power between dominant and nondominant upper limbs, with the dominant limb having greater power at all loads. Correlations between muscle power of both upper limbs for handgrip and elbow flexion were significant and moderately high at all loads. For shoulder internal rotation power, the degree of correlation was significant and moderately high at 40% MVC but low to moderate at 50% and 60% MVC. Therefore, baseball players have marked lateral dominance in shoulder internal rotation power unlike handgrip and elbow flexion power, although the relationship between shoulder internal rotation muscle powers of both upper limbs becomes lower with increasing load. The dominance of muscle power of each joint varied even in the same upper limb. It is thus beneficial for baseball players to train with even loads on both arms or adopt simultaneous workout of both arms after adjusting for strength differences.

Postural stability during one-leg stance on an unstable moving platform and its relationship with each leg.

This study examined the laterality of the supporting leg in postural stability during a one-leg stance test on an unstable moving platform and its practice effect. 30 male university students were evaluated using the omnidirection stability index (OSI) during a one-leg stance test on an unstable moving platform (three trials). The leg used when kicking a ball was defined as the manipulation leg (ML) and the supporting leg was defined as the non-manipulation leg (NML). According to the two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA; trials x legs), a statistically significant difference was observed only on the leg factor, and OSI values of the second and third trials were less for the ML than the NML. The correlation between both legs was statistically significant but not high. The ML was superior to NML with regard to stability, and no practice effect with trials was evident in either leg.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenomic profiles of telmisartan after the oral microdose and therapeutic dose.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we evaluated (a) the contribution of SLCO1B3 and UGT1A polymorphisms to the pharmacokinetics of telmisartan in two forms, a microdose (MD) and a therapeutic dose (TD); (b) linkage disequilibrium (LD) between UGT1A1 and UGT1A3; and (c) linearity in the pharmacokinetics of telmisartan between the two forms. METHODS: Telmisartan was orally administered at MD condition (100 µg), and then at TD condition (80 mg) to 33 healthy volunteers whose genotypes were prescreened by DMET Plus. Plasma concentrations of telmisartan and its glucuronide were measured by LC-MS/MS, and population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed. RESULTS: No obvious effect of SLCO1B3 polymorphisms (334T>G, 699G>A, and rs11045585) on the pharmacokinetics of telmisartan was observed. The strong LD between UGT1A1*6 and UGT1A3*4a, and between UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A3*2a were observed. After both MD and TD administration, the mean area under the curve0-24 (±standard deviation) of telmisartan was significantly lower and higher in individuals with the UGT1A3*2a (TD, 1701±970 ng hr/ml; MD, 978±537 pg hr/ml) and *4a variants (TD, 5340±1168; MD, 3145±1093), respectively, compared with those in individuals with UGT1A3*1/*1 (TD, 2969±1456; MD, 1669±726). These results were quantitatively confirmed by population pharmacokinetic analysis. Nonlinearity of the dose-exposure relationship was observed between the MD and TD. CONCLUSION: The haplotypes of UGT1A3 significantly influenced pharmacokinetics of telmisartan and a strong LD between UGT1A1 genotype and UGT1A3 haplotype was observed. These findings are potentially of pharmacological and toxicological importance to the development and clinical use of drugs.

Consumption of bonito extract suppresses the decrease in cerebral blood flow in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The effect of consuming bonito extract (BE) on cerebral blood flow was evaluated in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP), a cerebrovascular disease model. BE dissolved in drinking water was given to 5-week-old male SHRSP for 7 weeks. Tap water was given to the control group. At the age of 12 weeks, blood flow and vascular diameter were measured in the middle cerebral artery. Both cerebral blood flow and cerebral vessel width were greater in the BE group than in the control group. Also, stroke occurred in 7 (with death in 2) of the 8 animals in the control group but in none of the 6 animals in the BE group. To clarify its mechanism, the expressions of nitrogen oxide synthase (NOS) and the superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) in the brain were evaluated. NOS mRNA expression and SOD activity in the cerebrum were higher in the BE group. These results suggest that the consumption of BE suppresses the decrease of cerebral blood flow and reduces the risk of stroke to maintain vasorelaxation through the production of nitrogen oxide and suppression of active oxygen generation.

Superiority of the dominant and nondominant hands in static strength and controlled force exertion.

The dominant hand can be defined in such a way that Oldfield's Handedness Inventory may not identify the superior hand, i.e., the hand with more strength and/or more force control. The dominant and nondominant hands were compared for two different grip force-exertion tests. 50 healthy young men (M age = 21.1 yr.) performed two tests with each hand: a maximal grip strength test and a controlled force-exertion test with dynamic demand. In the latter test, the participants matched their submaximal grip force to the changing demand values with real-time feedback. The total sum of the differences between the demand value and grip force value for 25 sec. was used as an evaluation parameter for the test (unit: %). Mean maximal grip force values in the right and left hands were 439.9 N (SD = 59.1) and 405.6 N (SD = 59.3), respectively. Mean controlled force-exertion test values in the right and left hands were 610.3% (SD = 150.2) and 722.6% (SD = 147.8), respectively. In both tests, the dominant hand was significantly stronger and controlled dynamic force better. The relationship between the two hands was very high. Based on this study's criteria, the dominant hand was stronger in 34% (n = 17) of participants during the maximal grip strength test and more controlled in 54% (n = 27) of participants during the controlled force-exertion test. Thus, the dynamic force control test showed that for significantly more people the dominant hand is stronger and controls force better. Controlled force exertion may be a better test for identifying the superior hand.

Influence of measurement order by dominant and nondominant hands on performance of a pursuit-rotor task.

This study examined the effect of bilateral transfer and performance variation on 10 trials of a pursuit-rotor task. 95 right-handed healthy men (M age = 21.0 yr., SD = 3.6) were randomly divided into Right-Left (R-L: n = 50) and Left-Right (L-R: n = 45) groups. The former performed the task with the right hand first and the latter group used the left hand first. Target contact times on the pursuit-rotor task improved at about the same rate. Contact times by the left hand after using the right hand were longer than those when the left hand was used first. Although variation of contact times converged with repeated trials, when the left hand was used first, the performance variation remained large for right-handed participants.

The role of cytochrome p-450 in salt-sensitive stroke in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP/Izm) are salt sensitive: they develop severe hypertension and die of stroke within a short time after salt loading. We studied the role of cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isoforms in the brain and the effect of clofibrate to investigate the mechanism of salt sensitive stroke-proneness in SHRSP/Izm. Male SHRSP/Izm at 9 weeks of age were fed a regular diet with or without 0.25% clofibrate and given a 1% NaCl solution for drinking water for 10 d. The expression levels of CYP4A1, 2C11, and 2C23 were measured by Western blotting. Cerebral blood flow was measured with a laser Doppler method and blood vessel diameters were measured under microscopic observation. SHRSP/Izm died within 60 d after salt loading; however, clofibrate prolonged the survival (mean life span, 33+/-7 vs. 215+/-23 d, p<0.0001) without significant attenuation of the severe hypertension. CYP4A1 and CYP2C11 expression levels were lower in SHRSP/Izm than those in age-matched male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR/Izm) in the cerebral cortex (p<0.05). Salt loading down-regulated CYP2C11 expression in the cerebral cortex of SHRSP/Izm (p<0.05). No obvious change in cerebral CYP4A1 was observed in either salt-loaded SHRSP/Izm or SHR/Izm. Clofibrate significantly up-regulated the expression of cerebral CYP2C11 and significantly attenuated its salt-induced suppression (p<0.05). Additionally, clofibrate significantly increased blood vessel diameters (p<0.01) and cerebral blood flow (p<0.0001). CYP2C11 plays an important role in regulating cerebral blood flow and, as a result, in preventing stroke in the salt-sensitive stroke-prone SHRSP/Izm.

Effect of dried-bonito broth intake on peripheral blood flow, mood, and oxidative stress marker in humans.

Dried-bonito broth (DBB) has been confirmed to improve various symptoms related to fatigue, but the reasons for this have remained unclear. Hypothesizing that DBB improves peripheral circulation together with mood states, we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in thirty-one healthy females. The subjects ingested DBB or a placebo for two weeks and changes in mood states after ingestion were investigated using the profile of mood states (POMS) questionnaire. The peripheral blood flow was also measured before and after ingestion of the test diet using a laser Doppler blood flow meter. The six mood factors and total mood disturbance score which reflect the mental states significantly improved, and a significant increase in peripheral blood flow was also found during DBB ingestion. As a result of correlation analysis between changes in each POMS score and changes in blood flow, it was suggested that a change in blood flow correlated with a change in some POMS factors and total mood disturbance. Based on these findings, we considered that blood flow may have increased in subjects whose mood states were markedly improved, suggesting that the improvement in mood states, including fatigue, was related to the increase in blood flow due to the improvement of peripheral circulation. To clarify whether DBB ingestion exhibits antioxidative activity, we investigated the urinary amounts of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) known as an oxidative stress marker and found that urinary excretion of the 8-OHdG for 24 h was significantly decreased during DBB ingestion. This study clarified that DBB ingestion improved mood states, increased peripheral blood flow, and decreased the oxidative stress marker.

Segmental body composition assessment for obese Japanese adults by single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis with 8-point contact electrodes.

This study aimed to determine the accuracy of segmental body composition variables estimated by single-frequency BIA with 8-point contact electrodes (SF-BIA8), compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Subjects were 72 obese Japanese adults (43 males and 29 females) aged 30 to 66 years. Segmental body composition variables (fat free mass: FFM, fat mass: FM, and percent fat mass: %FAT) were measured by these techniques. The correlations between impedance values and FFM measured by DXA were calculated. To examine the consistency in predicted values (SF-BIA8) with the reference (DXA), significant mean differences were tested by t-test and the degree of the difference was assessed by effect size. Correlations between the reference and predicted values were calculated. Additionally, the standard error of estimation (SEE) when estimating the reference from the predictor and the relative value of the SEE to the mean value of the DXA measurement (%SEE) were calculated. Systematic error was examined by Bland-Altman plots. High correlations were found between impedance and FFM measured by SF-BIA8. FFM in the extremities showed high correlations with the reference values, but systematic error was found. SF-BIA8 tended to overestimate FFM in the trunk. The consistencies in %FAT and FM with the reference value are inferior to those for FFM, and SEE values in %FAT and FM were greater than those for FFM. The accuracy of the estimated values in the trunk (FFM, %FAT, and FM) are inferior to those of the total body and extremities.

A crucial role for matrix metalloproteinase 2 in osteocytic canalicular formation and bone metabolism.

Extracellular matrix production and degradation by bone cells are critical steps in bone metabolism. Mutations of the gene encoding MMP-2, an extracellular matrix-degrading enzyme, are associated with a human genetic disorder characterized by subcutaneous nodules, arthropathy, and focal osteolysis. It is not known how the loss of MMP-2 function results in the pathology. Here, we show that Mmp2(-/-) mice exhibited opposing bone phenotypes caused by an impaired osteocytic canalicular network. Mmp2(-/-) mice showed decreased bone mineral density in the limb and trunk bones but increased bone volume in the calvariae. In the long bones, there was moderate disruption of the osteocytic networks and reduced bone density throughout life, whereas osteoblast and osteoclast function was normal. In contrast, aged but not young Mmp2(-/-) mice had calvarial sclerosis with osteocyte death. Severe disruption of the osteocytic networks preceded osteocyte loss in Mmp2(-/-) calvariae. Successful transplantation of wild-type periosteum restored the osteocytic canalicular networks in the Mmp2(-/-) calvariae, suggesting local roles of MMP-2 in determining bone phenotypes. Our results indicate that MMP-2 plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining the osteocytic canalicular network, and we propose that osteocytic network formation is a determinant of bone remodeling and mineralization.

Loss of M5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors leads to cerebrovascular and neuronal abnormalities and cognitive deficits in mice.

The M5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M5R) has been shown to play a crucial role in mediating acetylcholine-dependent dilation of cerebral blood vessels. We show that male M5R-/- mice displayed constitutive constriction of cerebral arteries using magnetic resonance angiography in vivo. Male M5R-/- mice exhibited a significantly reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Cortical and hippocampal pyramidal neurons from M5R-/- mice showed neuronal atrophy. Hippocampus-dependent spatial and nonspatial memory was also impaired in M5R-/- mice. In M5R-/- mice, CA3 pyramidal cells displayed a significantly attenuated frequency of the spontaneous postsynaptic current and long-term potentiation was significantly impaired at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapse. Our findings suggest that impaired M5R signaling may play a role in the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular deficits. The M5 receptor may represent an attractive novel therapeutic target to ameliorate memory deficits caused by impaired cerebrovascular function.

Comparison in the effect of linear polarized near-infrared light irradiation and light exercise on shoulder joint flexibility.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at comparing the effect of linear polarized near-infrared light irradiation (PL irradiation) and bicycle exercise with 50%HRreserve on the flexibility of the shoulder joint. DESIGN: Placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Twenty-four healthy young adults (10 males: mean+/-SD, age 20.9+/-3.1 y, height 171.0+/-3.9 cm, body mass 63.4+/-3.5 kg and 14 females: age 21.2+/-1.7 y, height 162.0+/-7.8 cm, body mass 56.2+/-7.2 kg). INTERVENTIONS: PL-irradiation (100%, 1800 mW), placebo-irradiation (10%,180 mW), and light exercise (50%HRreserve) for 10 minutes. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The shoulder joint angles were measured twice-before and after each intervention. We measured the angles when the right shoulder joint extended forward and flexed backward maximally without support, and analyzed these shoulder joints and range of motion. Trial-to-trial reliability (intraclass correlations) of each joint angle was very high, over 0.98. All joint angles showed significant changes, and values in post-PL-irradiation and postlight exercise were significantly greater than that in postplacebo-irradiation. Shoulder forward flexion and backward extension angles had significantly greater change rates in PL-irradiation and light exercise than placebo-irradiation, and their range of motion angle was in the order of PL-irradiation, light exercise, and placebo-irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that PL-irradiation produces almost the same effect on shoulder joint range of motion as light exercise.

An examination of practice and laterality effects on the Purdue Pegboard and Moving Beans with Tweezers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation of practice or learning and laterality on the Purdue Pegboard and the Moving Beans with Tweezers test. The subjects were 30 right-handed, healthy young male adults (age: M = 21.1, SD = 1.9 yr.). The subjects performed both tests five times with each hand. A two-way analysis of variance (hand x trial) for scores on the Purdue Pegboard showed that Trial 1 had a significantly lower mean than Trials 4 and 5 with the dominant hand, and scores on Trials 1 and 3 were lower than that on Trial 5 for the nondominant hand. For the Moving Beans with Tweezers test, Trial 1 had a significantly lower score than Trial 5 with the nondominant hand. The dominant hand produced significantly higher values on all trials of both tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients of Trials 2 and 3 were high, and means were significantly higher for the dominant hand. A correlation between other tests was not high (r = .37-.46) for both hands. All correlations among five trials on both tests were significant and high (Purdue Pegboard-Dominant: average r =.72, [r] = .60-.80, Purdue Pegboard-Nondominant: average r = .59, [r] = .43-.76), (Moving Beans-Dominant: average r = .74, [r] = .57-.81, Moving Beans-Nondominant: average r =.71, [r] = .55-.87). Correlations among five trials for the ratio of dominant:nondominant hand on both tests were significant and moderate (Moving Beans: average r = .28, [r] = .08-.57, Purdue Pegboard: average r = .41, [r] = .19.56). Performance with the dominant hand is superior to that of the nondominant hand on both tests. Practice effects are found for both tests across five trials. The Moving Beans with Tweezers test also showed laterality of practice effects. The two tests may measure different abilities.

The practice effect and its difference of the pursuit rotor test with the dominant and non-dominant hands.

The purpose of this study was to examine the practice effect and what difference it makes in the pursuit rotor test for the dominant and non-dominant hands in 30 right-handed Japanese male adults aged 18 to 23 years (Age 20.8+/-1.4 yrs). The subjects performed the pursuit rotor test for 1 min in 20 trials with a 1-min interval alternately using the dominant and non-dominant hands. After continuing for 10 trials, a 5-min rest was taken. The measurement order was randomly assigned. Contact time of a steel pen and a target was measured in units of 1/10 sec. The measurements showed a constant increasing tendency at every trial until the 6th trial in both hands. Significant linear regressions were identified, but the increase-rate of the dominant hand was significantly larger. Individual differences showed a decreasing tendency at every trial in the dominant hand, but in the non-dominant hand it increased until the 4th trial then decreased. The relationships between measurements of the 1st and 10th trials in both hands and both hands in the 1st or 10th trial were not high. The performance of the pursuit rotor test improves at every trial in both hands, but the improvement rate decreases after the 7th trial. The improvement rate of the dominant hand is high. The change in individual differences differs in both hands and the relationship between the measurements is not high. It can be judged that the practice effect of the pursuit rotor test differs in the dominant and non-dominant hands.

Nutritional prevention on hypertension, cerebral hemodynamics and thrombosis in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

1. Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP/Izm), which become severely hypertensive and exhibit a very high incidence of stroke (cerebral hemorrhage and/or infarction), are used widely for the study of the hypertension and stroke. In the previous study, we indicated that high thrombotic tendency of cerebral microvessels in SHRSP/Izm compared with stroke-resistant SHR (SHR/Izm) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY/Izm) at aged period. 2. L-arginine, a substrate of nitric oxide (NO), and voluntary exercise reduced blood pressure and thrombotic tendency in cerebral microvessels caused by highly production of NO in vivo. Furthermore, antioxidants show that the effects of antihypertensive and antithrombosis in SHRSP/Izm. 3. Although SHRSP/Izm become genetically hypertensive and exhibit stroke, a number of nutritional factors, particularly antioxydative nutrient, have preventive effects on hypertension, cerebral blood flow dysfunction, thrombus formation, and neuronal cell death in SHRSP/Izm. Our results indicate that those treatments are beneficial in the prevention of hypertension and stroke and that the nutritional science is very important for "prediction and prevention medicine."

Effects of vitamin E and sesamin on hypertension and cerebral thrombogenesis in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The preventive effects of sesamin, a lignan from sesame oil and vitamin E on hypertension and thrombosis were examined using stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Animals at 5 weeks of age were separated into four groups: (i) control group; (ii) vitamin E group, which was given 1000 mg alpha-tocopherol/kg diet; (iii) sesamin group, given 1000 mg sesamin/kg diet; and (iv) vitamin E plus sesamin group, given 1000 mg alpha-tocopherol plus 1000 mg sesamin/kg diet for 5 weeks from 5 to 10 weeks of age. Resting blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method once weekly. A closed cranial window was created in the right parietal bone of the rat and platelet-rich thrombi were induced in vivo using a helium-neon laser technique. The number of laser pulses required for formation of an occlusive thrombus was used as an index of thrombotic tendency. In control rats, systolic blood pressure and the amount of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) became significantly elevated with age. However, the elevation in blood pressure and 8-OHdG were significantly suppressed in rats administered vitamin E, sesamin, or vitamin E plus sesamin. At 10 weeks, the number of laser pulses required to induce an occlusive thrombus in arterioles of the control group was significantly lower than in the other groups (P < 0.05). These results indicate that chronic ingestion of vitamin E and sesamin attenuated both elevation in blood pressure, oxidative stress and thrombotic tendency, suggesting that these treatments might be beneficial in the prevention of hypertension and stroke.

Effects of voluntary exercise on cerebral thrombosis and endothelial function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP/Izm).

1. Effects of voluntary exercise on blood pressures, oxidative stress, urinary nitric oxide (NO) level and expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) mRNA were studied in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP/Izm). 2. SHRSP at the age of 6 weeks were divided into four groups: (i) the control group, sedentary group; (ii) the L-NAME group, which was the sedentary control group given L-NAME (5 mg/kg per day) in drinking water; (iii) the exercise group, which was allowed to run voluntarily on running wheel attached to the metal cages; and (iv) the exercise plus L-NAME group which was loaded exercise and given L-NAME solution for 3 weeks. 3. The bodyweight and systolic pressure of rats were increased with age and the bodyweight of the rats in an exercise plus L-NAME group was less than control but systolic pressure in the exercise group were significantly lower than control. 4. Thrombotic tendency assessed by He-Ne laser method in an exercise group was significantly decreased compared with the rest of the groups. 5. Urinary nitrite/nitrate level was significantly increased in the exercise group compared with before (6 weeks) and after exercise (9 weeks), but there were no significant differences in the rest of groups. 6. eNOS mRNA expression of aorta in the exercise group measured after exercise was significantly higher than the other groups. 7. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level after exercise was significantly decreased in the exercise group compared with before exercise. 8. These results suggested that voluntary exercise decreased thrombotic tendency by increasing NO level through enhanced expression of eNOS mRNA and antioxidative effects.

Nutritional variation and cardiovascular risk factors in Tanzania--rural-urban difference.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between dietary factors and cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors in middle-aged men and women, in urban, rural and pastoral settings in Tanzania. DESIGN: Cross-sectional epidemiological study designed according to the protocol of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison (CARDIAC) study. SETTING: Three centres in Tanzania, namely Dar es Salaam (urban), Handeni (rural) and Monduli (pastoral population). SUBJECTS: The subjects, aged 47-57 years, were recruited randomly from administrative lists available from each centre. OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood pressure (BP) was measured using a centrally calibrated automatic BP machine (Khi machine). Dietary history of the participants was obtained using a standard questionnaire designed on the basis of a seven-day recall system. Height, weight, serum total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), haemoglobin A1c, sodium, potassium and magnesium were measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension (BP > or = 140/90 mmHg or antihypertensive drug use), obesity (body mass index (BMI) > or = 30 kg/m2) and hypercholesterolaemia (TC > 5.2 mmol/l) were lowest in the rural area. Consumption of green vegetables, milk, coconut milk, meat, and fish varied significantly between the three areas. Important determinants for BP among men were BMI (p < 0.001), and salt intake (p < 0.05). Among women, TC (p < 0.05), age (p < 0.05), BMI (p < 0.001) and coconut milk consumption (p < 0.001) were important BP determinants. Salt intake was positively associated with systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) in men but not among women (both SBP and DBP p < 0.05 respectively). Dietary determinants of serum TC were meat, fish and green vegetable consumption. CONCLUSION: Differences in dietary habits contributed significantly to the urban-rural-pastoral variations in CVD risk pattern in Tanzania.

Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) on cerebral thrombosis and blood pressure in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

1. An extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb 761) has been reported to alleviate cerebrovascular problems. In the present study, we investigated the antithrombotic effects of EGb 761 in cerebral blood vessels of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP/Izm). 2. In the present study, EGb 761 was administered orally to SHRSP/Izm at 60 and 120 mg/kg each day for 3 weeks from the age of 7 weeks. The age-related increase in blood pressure observed in SHRSP was suppressed significantly by EGb 761 at both doses 3 weeks after treatment. 3. Thrombotic potential was assessed in vivo using a He-Ne laser-induced thrombosis model and was significantly suppressed by EGb 761. 4. The anti-oxidant effects of EGb 761 were determined by measurement of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). At 120 mg/kg, EGb 761 decreased 8-OHdG significantly compared with control animals. 5. Urinary nitrite/nitrate, nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, were increased significantly after administration of EGb 761. Expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) mRNA was measured using a real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method. The expression of eNOS mRNA in the EGb 761 group (120 mg/kg) was significantly higher than in the control group. 6. The results indicate that EGb 761 decreases blood pressure and mediates strong antithrombotic and anti-oxidant effects in SHRSP. These pharmacological activities may contribute to the beneficial properties of EGb 761 observed in clinical practice.