Cultural considerations in developing church-based programs to reduce cancer health disparities among Samoans.

Objectives: We examined receptivity to developing church-based cancer programs with Samoans. Cancer is a leading cause of death for Samoans, and investigators who have found spiritually linked beliefs about health and illness in this population have suggested the Samoan church as a good venue for health-related interventions.

Design: We interviewed 12 pastors and their wives, held focus groups with 66 Samoan church members, and engaged a panel of pastors to interpret data.

The tissue distribution of murine Abcc6 (Mrp6) during embryogenesis indicates that the presence of Abcc6 in elastic tissues is not required for elastic fiber assembly.

Mutations in the gene coding for the ABC transporter, ABCC6, in humans cause Pseudoxanthoma elasticum, which is characterized by the deposition of aberrant elastic fibers. To investigate whether the presence of ABCC6 in tissues synthesizing elastin is required for elastin deposition and elastic fiber assembly, we have compared the steady-state levels and tissue distribution of Abcc6 and tropoelastin mRNAs during mouse embryogenesis. Whereas tropoelastin mRNA levels rose during embryogenesis and were the highest in neonatal mice, Abcc6 mRNA levels remained constantly low throughout embryogenesis.

Analysis of ABCC6 (MRP6) in normal human tissues.

To determine the tissue distribution of the ABC transporter ABCC6 in normal human tissues, we analyzed tissue arrays for the presence of ABCC6 mRNA by in situ hybridization and ABCC6 protein by immunohistochemistry using the polyclonal antibody HB-6. We detected ABCC6 mRNA and protein in various epithelial cells of exocrine and endocrine tissues, such as acinar cells in the pancreas, mucosal cells of the intestine and follicular epithelial cells of the thyroid. We obtained a very strong immunostaining for enteroendocrine G cells in the stomach.

Intestinal apolipoprotein B secretion is inhibited by the flavonoid quercetin: potential role of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein and diacylglycerol acyltransferase.

Recent studies have yielded evidence that plant flavonoids reduce hepatic lipid and apolipoprotein B (apoB) secretion. However, the possible role of flavonoids in regulating lipid and apoB secretion by the intestine has not been studied. The purpose of our study was to examine the effects of quercetin, a common dietary flavonoid, on TAG and apoB secretion in a human intestinal cell-line, CaCo-2.

Green tea catechins decrease apolipoprotein B-100 secretion from HepG2 cells.

To understand the hypocholesterolemic activity of green tea, our in vitro studies screened the relative efficacy of two structurally distinct green tea catechins, epicatechin (EC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), on apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB) and lipid production using a well established human hepatoma cell-line, HepG2, as the model system. This study showed that HepG2 cells pretreated with EC and EGCG for 8 h exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on apoB secretion. Total protein and albumin synthesis and secretion were unaffected indicating the effects on apoB secretion to be specific.