Antimicrobial effects of lysophosphatidylcholine on methicillin-resistant .

Objectives: Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is an important health care-associated and community-associated pathogen and causes a large number of infections worldwide. For the purpose of application to topical treatment of MRSA infection, we examined the antimicrobial effects of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) on MRSA strains. We also investigated the combination effect of LPC and gentamicin on MRSA growth.

In vivo evidence of enhanced di-methylation of histone H3 K4 on upregulated genes in adipose tissue of diabetic db/db mice.

Di-methylation of histone H3 lysine (K) 4, a component of the epigenetic memory, is associated with gene transactivation. In this study, we examined whether the development of diabetes induces di-methylation of histone H3 K4 on the upregulated genes. We searched for upregulated genes in mesenteric adipose tissue of insulin-resistant/diabetic db/db mice compared with non-diabetic db/m mice using microarray analysis.

Insulin resistance induced by a high-fat diet is associated with the induction of genes related to leukocyte activation in rat peripheral leukocytes.

Aims: Insulin resistance caused by a high-fat diet induces type 2 diabetes and its complications. In this study, we investigated gene expression changes in peripheral leukocytes with insulin resistance by conducting microarray analyses in rats with high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance.

Main Methods: After assessing insulin resistance in rats by an oral glucose tolerance test, we performed microarray analyses using peripheral leukocytes from normal rats and insulin-resistant rats after fasting.

Gene expression of inflammatory cytokines in peripheral leukocytes in db/db mice rose with progression of diabetes.

Fourteen-week-old db/db mice showed significant higher blood glucose levels than 7 week-old mice. The mRNA levels of IL-1beta and S100a4/a6/a9 in peripheral leukocytes were higher in 14 week-old mice than in 7 week-old mice. Together, inflammatory cytokine/cytokine-like factor mRNA levels in peripheral leukocytes were associated with progression of diabetes in db/db mice.

Dietary supplementation with alpha-amylase inhibitor wheat albumin to high-fat diet-induced insulin-resistant rats is associated with increased expression of genes related to fatty acid synthesis in adipose tissue.

It is well-known that insulin resistance induces lipid abnormalities by decreasing insulin actions in adipose tissue. This study examined the effects of inhibiting postprandial hyperglycemia/hyperinsulinemia, using the alpha-amylase inhibitor wheat albumin (WA), on the expression of genes related to fatty acid metabolism in the adipose tissue of high-fat diet-induced insulin-resistant rats. Postprandial glucose and insulin levels were significantly lower after oral starch loading with WA than with inactivated WA in insulin-resistant rats.

Variation in gene expression of inflammatory cytokines in leukocyte-derived cells of high-fat-diet-induced insulin-resistant rats.

A high-fat diet is thought to enhance inflammation in various tissues by increasing insulin resistance. In this study, we determined the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines in leukocyte-derived cells in the blood of rats with high-fat-diet-induced insulin resistance. Feeding rats a high-fat diet for 77 d induced moderate insulin resistance, which was determined by increased plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, following an oral glucose tolerance test.