Dose-dependent effects of diallyl disulfide on plasma glucose and free fatty acid levels in rats.

The acute effects of oral administration of diallyl disulfide (DADS), the major organosulfur compound of garlic, on plasma glucose and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations were examined in rats. Male, 10-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into DADS-free and DADS-administered (dose = 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg body weight [BW]) groups. Plasma samples were prepared from whole blood drawn from the tail vein 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 hr after administration.

β2-agonist clenbuterol suppresses bacterial phagocytosis of splenic macrophages expressing high levels of macrophage receptor with collagenous structure.

Splenic marginal zone macrophages expressing macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) contribute to the clearance of blood-borne pathogens. We determined a splenic adherent cell fraction abundantly containing cells expressing a higher level of MARCO by flow cytometry, and examined the effects of daily administration of an anabolic dose of β2-agonist clenbuterol on the phagocytic capacity of the cells in mice. After 6 weeks of clenbuterol (1.

Folate-deficiency induced cell-specific changes in the distribution of lymphocytes and granulocytes in rats.

Objective: Folate (vitamin B(9)) plays key roles in cell growth and proliferation through regulating the synthesis and stabilization of DNA and RNA, and its deficiency leads to lymphocytopenia and granulocytopenia. However, precisely how folate deficiency affects the distribution of a variety of white blood cell subsets, including the minor population of basophils, and the cell specificity of the effects remain unclear. Therefore, we examined the effects of a folate-deficient diet on the circulating number of lymphocyte subsets [T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells] and granulocyte subsets (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils) in rats.