A single consumption of curry improved postprandial endothelial function in healthy male subjects: a randomized, controlled crossover trial.

Background: Curry, one of the most popular foods in Japan, contains spices that are rich in potentially antioxidative compounds, such as curcumin and eugenol. Oxidative stress is thought to impair endothelial function associated with atherosclerosis, a leading cause of cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to determine whether a single consumption of curry meal would improve endothelial function in healthy men.

Inhibition of membrane-type serine protease 1/matriptase by natural and synthetic protease inhibitors.

Membrane-type serine protease 1 (MT-SP1), identical to matriptase, is a recently identified type II transmembrane serine protease. MT-SP1/matriptase is of considerable interest for the development, homeostasis, and cancer invasion and metastasis of epithelial tissues. The administration of inhibitors for MT-SP1/matriptase may be effective to suppress the development of tumors where the enzyme may be involved.

Purification and identification of a binding protein for pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor: a novel role of the inhibitor as an anti-granzyme A.

Pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI) is a potent trypsin inhibitor that is mainly found in pancreatic juice. PSTI has been shown to bind specifically to a protein, distinct from trypsin, on the surface of dispersed cells obtained from tissues such as small intestine. In the present study, we affinity-purified the binding protein from the 2% (w/v) Triton X-100-soluble fraction of dispersed rat small-intestinal cells using recombinant rat PSTI.