Androgens suppress the sialyltransferases ST3GAL1 and ST3GAL4 and modulate mucin 10 glycosylation in the submandibular gland, related to sex differences in commensal microbiota composition in mice.

Sex differences exist in the commensal microbiota that impact on multiple physiological processes in the host. Here, we examined the mechanism by which the sex differences are formed. In addition to the epithelial ductal cell, the acinar cell mass in the submandibular gland was associated with androgen-androgen receptor (AR) signaling.

A Natural Chalcone Cardamonin Inhibited Transformation of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Through Binding to the Receptor Competitively.

Scope: Chalcones are widely present in most plants and have various health beneficial functions. This study investigates the suppressive effect of 13 natural and synthetic chalcones on transformation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) in a cell-free system, Hepa-1c1c7 cells, and liver of ICR mice.

Methods And Results: In the cell-free system, cardamonin dose-dependently inhibits AhR transformation.

Insulin reduces endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis by decreasing mitochondrial hyperpolarization and caspase-12 in INS-1 pancreatic β-cells.

Pancreatic β-cell mass is a critical determinant of insulin secretion. Severe endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress causes β-cell apoptosis; however, the mechanisms of progression and suppression are not yet fully understood. Here, we report that the autocrine/paracrine function of insulin reduces ER stress-induced β-cell apoptosis.

Mogrol stimulates G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (GPBAR1/TGR5) and insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells and alleviates hyperglycemia in mice.

Target identification is a crucial step in elucidating the mechanisms by which functional food components exert their functions. Here, we identified the G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (GPBAR1, also known as TGR5) as a target of the triterpenoid mogrol, a class of aglycone mogroside derivative from Siraitia grosvenorii. Mogrol, but not mogrosides, activated cAMP-response element-mediated transcription in a TGR5-dependent manner.

Single oral administration of quercetin glycosides prevented acute hyperglycemia by promoting GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscles through the activation of AMPK in mice.

Quercetin is a natural flavonol and has various health beneficial functions. Our pervious study demonstrated that long-term feeding (13 weeks) of quercetin and its glycosides, isoquercitrin, rutin, and enzymatically modified isoquercitrin, which is a mixture of quercetin monoglycoside and its oligoglycosides, prevented hyperglycemia and adiposity in mice fed a high-fat diet but not standard diet. It is, however, unclear whether a single administration of these compounds prevent postprandial hyperglycemia or not.

All- Retinoic Acid-Responsive LGR6 Is Transiently Expressed during Myogenic Differentiation and Is Required for Myoblast Differentiation and Fusion.

All- retinoic acid (ATRA) promotes myoblast differentiation into myotubes. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 6 (LGR6) is a candidate ATRA-responsive gene; however, its role in skeletal muscles remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that during the differentiation of murine C2C12 myoblasts into myotubes, mRNA expression transiently increased before the increase in the expression of the mRNAs encoding myogenic regulatory factors, such as myogenin, myomaker, and myomerger.

Mung bean peptides promote glucose uptake Jak2 activation in L6 myotubes.

Mung beans are among the important edible legumes cultivated in Asia, Southern Europe, and Northern America. Mung beans contain 20-30% proteins with high digestibility and possess biological activities, but detailed health beneficial functions are not fully understood yet. In this study, we report the isolation and identification of active peptides from mung beans which promote glucose uptake and elucidate their mechanism in L6 myotubes.

Aged Garlic Extract Prevents Alcohol-Induced Cytotoxicity through Induction of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 in the Liver of Mice.

Scope: Acetaldehyde is a highly toxic primary metabolite of ethanol, and converts to nontoxic acetic acid by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Accumulation of acetaldehyde causes significant damage to human body. Aged garlic extract (AGE) is a functional food material and possesses various health beneficial effects.

Transport Form and Pathway from the Intestine to the Peripheral Tissues and the Intestinal Absorption and Metabolism Properties of Oleamide.

This study aimed to obtain information on the transport form and pathway from the intestine to the peripheral tissues and on the intestinal absorption and metabolism properties of oleamide (-9-octadecenamide). Oleamide was primarily transported via the portal vein. Density gradient centrifugation indicated that plasma oleamide was enriched in the fractions containing albumin in the portal and peripheral blood.

Androgen receptor suppresses β-adrenoceptor-mediated CREB activation and thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue of male mice.

Thermoregulation is a process by which core body temperature is maintained in mammals. Males typically have a lower body temperature than females. However, the effects of androgens, which show higher levels in males, on adrenergic receptor-mediated thermogenesis remain unclear.

Carotenoid transporter CD36 expression depends on hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in mouse soleus muscles.

Dietary β-carotene induces muscle hypertrophy and prevents muscle atrophy in red slow-twitch soleus muscles, but not in white fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles and gastrocnemius muscles. However, it remains unclear why these beneficial effects of β-carotene are elicited in soleus muscles. To address this issue, we focused on carotenoid transporters in skeletal muscles.

Dietary oleamide attenuates obesity induced by housing mice in small cages.

Physical inactivity due to prolonged sedentary behavior induces obesity. Therefore, we investigated whether housing mice in small cages to mimic sedentary behavior induced obesity and whether dietary oleamide (cis-9,10-octadeceneamide) suppressed the induced obesity. A single oral administration of oleamide (50 mg/kg) to mice resulted in the accumulation of the exogenous oleamide in abdominal visceral fat.

Pectolinarigenin Induces Antioxidant Enzymes through Nrf2/ARE Pathway in HepG2 Cells.

Pectolinarigenin (PG) and its glycoside pectolinarin (PN) were reported to have various health beneficial functions such as anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activities. It has also been reported that PG and PN have radical scavenging ability as direct antioxidant activity. However, the indirect antioxidant activity of PG and PN by inducing antioxidant enzymes in hepatocytes is not fully understood yet.

Curcumin activates G protein-coupled receptor 97 (GPR97) in a manner different from glucocorticoid.

Curcumin is a yellow pigment in turmeric (Curcuma longa) with various physiological effects in the body. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which bioactive compounds exert their function, identification of their molecular targets is crucial. In this study, we show that curcumin activates G protein-coupled receptor 97 (GPR97).

Identification of G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) as a target of curcumin.

The identification of molecular targets of bioactive food components is important to understand the mechanistic aspect of their physiological functions. Here, we have developed a screening system that enables us to determine the activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) by food components and have identified GPR55 as a target for curcumin. Curcumin activated GPR55 and induced serum-response element- and serum-response factor-mediated transcription, which were inhibited by Rho kinase and GPR55 antagonists.

Kaempferol Promotes Glucose Uptake in Myotubes through a JAK2-Dependent Pathway.

Kaempferol possesses various health-promoting functions including antihyperglycemic activity, but its underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood. Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) plays an important role in the uptake of blood glucose into muscle cells after its translocation to the plasma membrane. In this study, we demonstrated that kaempferol at 1.

Oleamide rescues tibialis anterior muscle atrophy of mice housed in small cages.

Skeletal muscle atrophy causes decreased physical activity and increased risk of metabolic diseases. We investigated the effects of oleamide (cis-9,10-octadecanamide) treatment on skeletal muscle health. The plasma concentration of endogenous oleamide was approximately 30 nm in male ddY mice under normal physiological conditions.

Prevention effect of quercetin and its glycosides on obesity and hyperglycemia through activating AMPKα in high-fat diet-fed ICR mice.

Quercetin and its glycosides possess various health beneficial functions, but comparative study of them on energy metabolism in different tissues are not well studied. In this study, we investigated AMP-activated protein kinase regulated glucose metabolism in the skeletal muscle and lipid metabolism in the white adipose tissue and liver to compare the effectiveness of quercetin and its glycosides, namely isoquercitrin, rutin, and enzymatically modified isoquercitrin, in male ICR mice. The mice were fed a standard or high-fat diet supplemented with 0.

Enzymatically synthesized glycogen inhibited degranulation and inflammatory responses through stimulation of intestine.

The patients of type I allergic diseases were increased in the developed countries. Recently, many studies have focused on food factors with anti-allergic activities. Enzymatically synthesized glycogen, a polysaccharide with a multi-branched α-1,4 and α-1,6 linkages, is a commercially available product from natural plant starch, and has immunostimulation activity.

Bisacurone suppresses hepatic lipid accumulation through inhibiting lipogenesis and promoting lipolysis.

Turmeric and its components have various health beneficial functions. However, little is known about function of bisacurone, which is one of the sesquiterpenes in turmeric, at the compound level. In this study, we investigated the preventive effect of bisacurone on hepatic lipid accumulation and its mechanism in HepG2 cells and ICR mice.

Enzymatically synthesized glycogen prevents ultraviolet B-induced cell damage in normal human epidermal keratinocytes.

Enzymatically synthesized glycogen is a product from starch. Enzymatically synthesized glycogen has been reported to possess various health beneficial effects such as anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of enzymatically synthesized glycogen on ultraviolet B-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in normal human epidermal keratinocytes.

Enzymatically synthesized glycogen protects inflammation induced by urban particulate matter in normal human epidermal keratinocytes.

Urban particulate matters (PM) exposure is significantly correlated with extrinsic skin aging signs and skin cancer incidence. PM contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and they act as the agonists of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Activation of AhR promotes generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation.

β-Cryptoxanthin Improves p62 Accumulation and Muscle Atrophy in the Soleus Muscle of Senescence-Accelerated Mouse-Prone 1 Mice.

We investigated the effects of β-cryptoxanthin on skeletal muscle atrophy in senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 1 (SAMP1) mice. For 15 weeks, SAMP1 mice were intragastrically administered vehicle or β-cryptoxanthin. At 35 weeks of age, the skeletal muscle mass in SAMP1 mice was reduced compared with that in control senescence-accelerated mouse-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice.

Kaempferol modulates TCDD- and t-BHQ-induced drug-metabolizing enzymes and luteolin enhances this effect.

The expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes is deeply involved in chemical-induced cancer progression and prevention. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) induces phase I, and certain phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes after the binding of ligands, such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). We have previously demonstrated that luteolin inhibited TCDD-induced AhR transformation, and modulated the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes through not only the AhR, but also the nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2).