Caffeine adsorption of montmorillonite in coffee extracts.

The growth in health-conscious consumers continues to drive the demand for a wide variety of decaffeinated beverages. We previously developed a new technology using montmorillonite (MMT) in selective decaffeination of tea extract. This study evaluated and compared decaffeination of coffee extract using MMT and activated carbon (AC).

A cationic fluorescent polymeric thermometer for the ratiometric sensing of intracellular temperature.

We developed new cationic fluorescent polymeric thermometers containing both benzothiadiazole and BODIPY units as an environment-sensitive fluorophore and as a reference fluorophore, respectively. The temperature-dependent fluorescence spectra of the thermometers enabled us to perform highly sensitive and practical ratiometric temperature sensing inside living mammalian cells. Intracellular temperatures of non-adherent MOLT-4 (human acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) and adherent HEK293T (human embryonic kidney) cells could be monitored with high temperature resolutions (0.

Preventive effects of a fermented dairy product against Alzheimer's disease and identification of a novel oleamide with enhanced microglial phagocytosis and anti-inflammatory activity.

Despite the ever-increasing number of patients with dementia worldwide, fundamental therapeutic approaches to this condition have not been established. Epidemiological studies suggest that intake of fermented dairy products prevents cognitive decline in the elderly. However, the active compounds responsible for the effect remain to be elucidated.

Identification of a novel dehydroergosterol enhancing microglial anti-inflammatory activity in a dairy product fermented with Penicillium candidum.

Despite the ever-increasing number of dementia patients worldwide, fundamental therapeutic approaches to treat this disease remain to be established. Preventive approaches such as diet, exercise and learning attract attention. Several epidemiological studies suggest that ingestion of fermented dairy products prevents cognitive decline in the elderly.

Quercetin-3-O-glucuronide induces ABCA1 expression by LXRα activation in murine macrophages.

Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) removes excess cholesterol from macrophages to prevent atherosclerosis. ATP-binding cassette, subfamily A, member 1 (ABCA1) is a crucial cholesterol transporter involved in RCT to produce high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC), and is transcriptionally regulated by liver X receptor alpha (LXRα), a nuclear receptor. Quercetin is a widely distributed flavonoid in edible plants which prevented atherosclerosis in an animal model.

Cationic fluorescent polymeric thermometers with the ability to enter yeast and mammalian cells for practical intracellular temperature measurements.

An accurate method for measuring intracellular temperature is potentially valuable because the temperature inside a cell can correlate with diverse biological reactions and functions. In a previous study, we reported the use of a fluorescent polymeric thermometer to reveal intracellular temperature distributions, but this polymer required microinjection for intracellular use, such that it was not user-friendly; furthermore, it could not be used in small cells or cells with a cell wall, such as yeast. In the present study, we developed several novel cationic fluorescent copolymers, including NN-AP2.

Nrf2 regulates ferroportin 1-mediated iron efflux and counteracts lipopolysaccharide-induced ferroportin 1 mRNA suppression in macrophages.

Iron is an essential element of hemoglobin, and efficient iron recycling from senescent erythrocytes by splenic macrophages is required for erythrocyte hemoglobin synthesis during erythropoiesis. Ferroportin 1 (Fpn1) is the sole iron exporter in mammals, and it also regulates iron reutilization. In this study, we demonstrated genetically that a redox-sensitive transcription factor, Nrf2, regulates Fpn1 mRNA expression in macrophages.

Prevention of diet-induced obesity by dietary black tea polyphenols extract in vitro and in vivo.

Objective: The effects of certain tea components on the prevention of obesity in humans have recently been reported, although it is still unclear whether black tea consumption is beneficial. We obtained black tea extract (BTPE) consisting of polyphenols specific to black tea, and from it, prepared a polymerized polyphenol fraction (BTP). The effectiveness of oral administration of the BTPE was examined in in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Genetic engineering of Candida utilis yeast for efficient production of L-lactic acid.

Polylactic acid is receiving increasing attention as a renewable alternative for conventional petroleum-based plastics. In the present study, we constructed a metabolically-engineered Candida utilis strain that produces L-lactic acid with the highest efficiency yet reported in yeasts. Initially, the gene encoding pyruvate decarboxylase (CuPDC1) was identified, followed by four CuPDC1 disruption events in order to obtain a null mutant that produced little ethanol (a by-product of L-lactic acid).

Nrf2 regulates the alternative first exons of CD36 in macrophages through specific antioxidant response elements.

We previously demonstrated that Nrf2 regulates oxidized LDL-mediated CD36 expression in macrophages. The current study aimed to determine the mechanism of Nrf2-mediated macrophage CD36 induction. Treatment with the Nrf2 activator diethylmaleate, but not PPARgamma specific ligands, caused marked upregulation of CD36 in mouse macrophage RAW264.

Constituents from the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera stimulate lipolysis in the white adipose tissue of mice.

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Nymphaceae) has been used for various medicinal purposes as in Chinese herbal medicine. In particular, the leaves are known for diuretic and astringent properties, and are used to treat obesity.

Isohumulones derived from hops ameliorate renal injury via an anti-oxidative effect in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

Previous studies have reported that isohumulones, the bitter compounds in beer, improve insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia in several animal models. In this study, we examined whether isohumulones ameliorate renal injury. Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats were fed a low-salt diet (LS), a high-salt diet (HS) or a high-salt diet containing 0.

Kinetic properties and substrate specificities of two recombinant human N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-IV isozymes.

N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (GnT)-IV catalyzes the formation of the GlcNAcbeta1-4 branch on the GlcNAcbeta1-2Manalpha1-3 arm of the core structure of N-glycans. Two human GnT-IV isozymes (GnT-IVa and GnT-IVb) had been identified, which exhibit different expression profiles among human tissues and cancer cell lines. To clarify the enzymatic properties of the respective enzymes, their kinetic parameters were determined using recombinant full-length enzymes expressed in COS7 cells.

Dietary and genetic control of glucose transporter 2 glycosylation promotes insulin secretion in suppressing diabetes.

Pancreatic beta cell-surface expression of glucose transporter 2 (Glut-2) is essential for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, thereby controlling blood glucose homeostasis in response to dietary intake. We show that the murine GlcNAcT-IVa glycosyltransferase is required for Glut-2 residency on the beta cell surface by constructing a cell-type- and glycoprotein-specific N-glycan ligand for pancreatic lectin receptors. Loss of GlcNAcT-IVa, or the addition of glycan-ligand mimetics, attenuates Glut-2 cell-surface half-life, provoking endocytosis with redistribution into endosomes and lysosomes.

Nrf2-deficient mice are highly susceptible to cigarette smoke-induced emphysema.

Inflammation, protease/anti-protease imbalance and oxidative stress play important roles in the pathogenesis of emphysema. Nrf2 counteracts oxidative tissue damage and inflammation through transcriptional activation via the anti-oxidant responsive element (ARE). To clarify the protective role of Nrf2 in the development of emphysema, the susceptibility of Nrf2-knockout mice to cigarette smoke (CS)-induced emphysema was examined.

Isohumulones modulate blood lipid status through the activation of PPAR alpha.

Isohumulones derived from hops are the major bitter compounds in beer. It was recently reported that isohumulones activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) alpha and gamma in vitro and modulated glucose and lipid metabolism in vivo. In this study, we examined the effects of isomerized hop extract (IHE) primarily containing isohumulones in C57BL/6N male mice and found that such treatment increased their liver weight and reduced their plasma triglyceride and free fatty acid levels.

Loss of disialyl Lewis(a), the ligand for lymphocyte inhibitory receptor sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin-7 (Siglec-7) associated with increased sialyl Lewis(a) expression on human colon cancers.

Expression of sialyl Lewis(a) is known to be increased in cancers of the digestive organs. The determinant serves as a ligand for E-selectin and mediates hematogenous metastasis of cancers. In contrast, disialyl Lewis(a), which has an extra sialic acid attached at the C6-position of penultimate GlcNAc in sialyl Lewis(a), is expressed preferentially on nonmalignant colonic epithelial cells, and its expression decreases significantly on malignant transformation.

Inhibitory effects of beer on heterocyclic amine-induced mutagenesis and PhIP-induced aberrant crypt foci in rat colon.

Anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic effects of beer on heterocyclic amine (HCA)-induced carcinogenesis were studied in vitro and in vivo. Four commercial beers (two pilsner-type, black, and stout) showed inhibitory effects against five HCAs, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole (Glu-P-1) and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoline (IQ), in the Ames assay using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 in the presence of rat S9 mix. The inhibitory effects of dark-colored beers (stout and black beer) were greater than those of pilsner-type beers.

Demonstration of mammalian protein O-mannosyltransferase activity: coexpression of POMT1 and POMT2 required for enzymatic activity.

Defects in O-mannosylation of alpha-dystroglycan are thought to cause certain types of congenital muscular dystrophies with neuronal migration disorders. Among these muscular dystrophies, Walker-Warburg syndrome is caused by mutations in the gene encoding putative protein O-mannosyltransferase 1 (POMT1), which is homologous to yeast protein O-mannosyltransferases. However, there is no evidence that POMT1 has enzymatic activity.

Intake of beer inhibits azoxymethane-induced colonic carcinogenesis in male Fischer 344 rats.

Modulatory effects of beer consumption on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced rat colonic carcinogenesis in male Fischer 344 rats were investigated. Single cell gel electrophoresis assay indicated that DNA damage of colonocytes, induced by a single AOM injection (15 mg/kg body weight), was significantly reduced in rats fed beer or malt extract for 2 weeks. Examination of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation in colonic mucosa, induced by AOM (15 mg/kg body weight; twice weekly), revealed that feeding of beer during the whole experimental period of 5 weeks significantly reduced the number of ACF by 35%.

Synthesis of disialyl Lewis a (Le(a)) structure in colon cancer cell lines by a sialyltransferase, ST6GalNAc VI, responsible for the synthesis of alpha-series gangliosides.

Biosynthesis of disialyl Lewis a (Lea) was analyzed using previously cloned ST6GalNAc V and ST6GalNAc VI, which were responsible for the synthesis of alpha-series gangliosides. Among lactotetraosylceramide (Lc4), neolactotetraosylceramide, and their sialyl forms, only sialyl Lc4 was sialylated with ST6GalNAc V and ST6GalNAc VI. The products were confirmed to be disialyl Lea in TLC-immunostaining.