Cellular defense against oxidized low density lipoproteins and fibrillar amyloid beta in murine cells of monocyte origin with possible susceptibility to the oxidative stress induction.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with aging and the correlation between Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis is a subject of the discussion. The aim of this study was to determine whether genetic factors affect cellular defense against cytotoxic beta-amyloid (Abeta) which is considered to be the source of ROS. Low levels of Abeta (1-10 microM) led to a significant suppression of redox potential as measured by MTT assay in bone marrow-derived cell lines.

Generation of amyloid A protein by the cell lines from amyloid-susceptible and -resistant mice.

It has been proposed that impaired degradation is the cause of amyloid A (AA) formation in reactive amyloidosis (Ham et al., Scand J Immunol 1997; 45: 354-60). The current SDS-PAGE of the culture medium showed that the macrophage cell line from the amyloid-susceptible mouse strain (ANA1) degraded amyloid precursor protein serum amyloid A into the AA-like amyloidogenic product of approximately 8.

Effects of oral supplementation with stable strontium.

The biologic effects of stable strontium, a naturally occurring trace element in the diet and the body, have been little investigated. This paper discusses the effects of oral supplementation with stable strontium in laboratory studies and clinical investigations. The extent of intestinal absorption of various doses of orally administered strontium was estimated by determining serum and tissue levels with atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

Influence of fucoidan on the intestinal absorption of iron, cobalt, manganese and zinc in rats.

Fucoidan was extracted from the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum with boiling water and purified by repeated precipitation steps. Increasing doses of fucoidan (1.2--200 mg) were injected together with 360 nmol 59Fe-(FeCl3) or 60Co-(CoCl2) into tied-off jejunal segments of two groups of rats fed either a normal (160 mg Fe/kg) or a low iron diet (5 mg/kg).