Effects of dietary palmitoleic acid on vascular function in aorta of diabetic mice.

Background: Chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes causes atherosclerosis and progresses to diabetic macroangiopathy, and can lead to coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular disease. Palmitoleic acid (POA) is a product of endogenous lipogenesis and is present in fish and vegetable oil. In human and animal studies, POA is reported as a beneficial fatty acid related to insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.

Beneficial Effects of Dietary Nitrite on a Model of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Induced by High-Fat/High-Cholesterol Diets in SHRSP5/Dmcr Rats: A Preliminary Study.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic liver disease that leads to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Endothelial dysfunction caused by hepatic lipotoxicity is an underlying NASH pathology observed in the liver and the cardiovascular system. Here, we evaluated the effect of dietary nitrite on a rat NASH model.

Contribution of Pyk2 pathway and reactive oxygen species (ROS) to the anti-cancer effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in PC3 prostate cancer cells.

Background: n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are thought to exert protective effects in cardiovascular diseases. In addition, n-3 PUFAs have demonstrated anti-cancer effects in vitro and in vivo.

Objective: We investigated the anti-cancer effects and mechanism of action of EPA on PC3 prostate cancer cells in vitro.

Investigation of factors that cause insulin precipitation and/or amyloid formation in insulin formulations.

Background: Multiple daily subcutaneous injections (MDSIs) are mainly used for formulating an insulin therapy for diabetic patients; however, they also cause insulin-derived amyloidosis (IDA) and lead to poor glycemic control. In addition, for the continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion system (CSII), precipitation frequently causes catheter occlusion and, if the precipitate in the formulations is amyloid, the injection of the insoluble amyloid into the subcutaneous tissue leads to IDA. The aim of this study was to conduct in vitro experiments and present a situation where insulin formulations cause precipitation and amyloid formation.

Chronic Treatment with α-Lipoic Acid Improves Endothelium-Dependent Vasorelaxation of Aortas in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

α-Lipoic acid (ALA) is used as a dietary supplement and known as an anti-oxidant. The present study aimed to examine whether ALA improves endothelial dysfunction in high-fat diet-fed obese mice. After feeding a high-fat diet to Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice for 4 weeks, the mice were maintained with a high-fat diet (group HF) or a high-fat diet containing ALA (25 mg/d, group HF + ALA) for an additional 20 weeks.

Eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester improves endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetic mice.

Background: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is thought to have many beneficial effects, such as anti-atherosclerogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, few studies have reported its effects of endothelial dysfunction in diabetes and its direct effects on the aorta. Here, we investigated the effects of EPA treatment on impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation of the aorta in KKAy mice, a model of type 2 diabetes.

Two types of overcontraction are involved in intrarenal artery dysfunction in type II diabetic mouse.

Contractile responses in small intrarenal arteries are associated with diabetic nephropathy. However, the mechanisms that induce and maintain altered small vessel contraction are not clearly understood. To further understand intrarenal artery dysfunction in diabetes, phenylephrine (PE)-induced force development was assessed in the intrarenal artery [interlobar artery (ILA)] in control (lean) and type II diabetic (ob/ob) mice.

Improvement in the high-fat diet-induced dyslipidemia and adiponectin levels by fish oil feeding combined with food restriction in obese KKAy mice.

The effect on weight reduction of fish oil combined with food restriction in comparison with that of beef tallow was investigated in high-fat diet-induced obese KKAy mice. Although the reduction of body and white adipose tissue weight was similar in the two groups, fish oil increased adiponectin levels in the plasma, improved dyslipidemia accompanied by suppression of lipid synthesis in the liver when compared with beef tallow.

Fenugreek with reduced bitterness prevents diet-induced metabolic disorders in rats.

Background: Various therapeutic effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) on metabolic disorders have been reported. However, the bitterness of fenugreek makes it hard for humans to eat sufficient doses of it for achieving therapeutic effects.

Dose-dependent effects, safety and tolerability of fenugreek in diet-induced metabolic disorders in rats.

Background: We previously reported that fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) improved diet-induced metabolic disorders in rats. The purpose of the present study was to examine the dose-dependent effects, safety and tolerability of fenugreek.

Regulation of lipid metabolism by palmitoleate and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in mice fed a high-fat diet.

We investigated whether oral administration of palmitoleate ameliorates disorders of lipid metabolism to clarify the effects of one of the components of fish oil. Lipid levels in the liver and plasma were significantly decreased by palmitoleate and by EPA administration. These results suggest that palmitoleate, in addition to EPA, plays a role in the regulation of lipid metabolism by fish oil.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs)-independent functions of fish oil on glucose and lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese mice.

Background: Fish oil is known to improve lifestyle-related diseases. These effects occur partly via activation of PPARs by the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids included abundantly in fish oil. We investigated fish oil functions on glucose and lipid metabolism that are both dependent on and independent of PPARs pathway.

Pathophysiological role of aquaporin-2 in impaired water excretion.

In a state of chronic arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced antidiuresis, the antidiuretic efficacy has been attenuated: a phenomenon known as "AVP escape". We compared the experimental SIADH rats with 1-deamino-8-D-AVP (dDAVP)-excess rats. The SIADH rats, but not the dDAVP-excess rats, showed a marked attenuation of urinary concentrating ability.

Hypotonicity reduces the activity of murine aquaporin-2 promoter induced by dibutyryl cAMP.

The present study was undertaken to determine whether hypotonicity regulates the aquaporin-2 (AQP-2) gene in vitro. The 5'-flanking region of the AQP-2 gene contains the tonicity-response enhancer (TonE) promoter located between -570 and -560 bp, and another distinct hypertonicity-responsive region between -6.1 and -4.

Spermine, a natural polyamine, suppresses LFA-1 expression on human lymphocyte.

Natural polyamines, spermine, spermidine, and putrescine, play a pivotal role in the regulation of gene expression; therefore, the age-dependent decreases and the disease-dependent increases in polyamine synthesis suggest a possible contribution of polyamines to the age-related and disease-associated changes in cellular function. In this study, we examined the effects of polyamines on the cellular function and the expression of adhesion molecules on human PBMCs from healthy volunteers. Flow cytometry revealed that PBMCs cultured with spermine decreased mean fluorescent intensities (MFIs) of CD11a and CD18 in the lymphocyte light-scattered region, but not in the monocyte region.

Inhibition of tumor growth and angiogenesis by water extract of Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng).

The antitumor activity of the crude water extract from Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis) was investigated in vivo and in vitro. A water extract prepared from 0.75 and 0.

Hypertonicity regulates the aquaporin-2 promoter independently of arginine vasopressin.

Background: Aquaporin-2 (AQP-2) is an arginine vasopressin (AVP)-regulated water channel in kidney collecting duct cells. The present study was undertaken to determine whether a change in tonicity could directly regulate the AQP-2 gene in an in vitro experiment.

Methods: Various fragments of the 5'-flanking region of the murine AQP-2 gene up to -9.

Unilateral active adrenal tuberculosis featuring persistent intermittent fever.

The adrenal gland is one of the organs which tuberculosis infects. In most clinical settings bilateral adrenal tuberculosis has been clarified after adrenal insufficiency is overt. On the contrary, active adrenal tuberculosis is rarely detected during the survey of infectious disease.

Granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4-induced dendritic cells.

Background: We investigated whether GM-CSF/IL-4 is the most efficient cytokine combination for differentiating dendritic cells (DC) in terms of its ability to elicit an antitumor immune response.

Materials And Methods: Two experimental models were examined: C57BL/6 mice bearing MC38 cells and Balb/c mice bearing cachexia-inducible Colon-26 cells. After immunization with DC pulsed with whole tumor cell lysate, tumors were inoculated into the subcutis.

Full-blown Cushing's disease after an episode of pituitary apoplexy.

The present study reports a rare case of full-blown Cushing's disease several years after an episode of pituitary apoplexy. A 60 year-old woman complained of muscular weakness and generalized malaise. Ten years ago she had an episode of pituitary apoplexy.

Contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasonography improves the preoperative localization of insulinomas.

We report a case in which endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) and contrast-enhanced EUS using Levovist helped to localize insulinoma correctly. A 74-year-old woman complained of symptomatic fasting hypoglycemia with relatively high concentration of serum insulin level. Dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a small tumor of 8 mm diameter in the pancreatic head.

Thiazolidinediones increase the number of platelets in immune thrombocytopenic purpura mice via inhibition of phagocytic activity of the reticulo-endothelial system.

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) have broad spectrum of actions, including immunomodulating effects that are dependent or independent of the target nuclear receptor, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma). In this study, we investigated the effect of TZDs on the platelet numbers in male immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) model mice, (NZW x BXSB)F(1) (W/BF(1)) in vivo, and attempted to clarify the mechanism of action. Seven-day treatment with troglitazone increased platelet counts by 66% compared with those of controls.