Ingestion of raffinose promotes calcium absorption in the large intestine of rats.

We examined the effects of feeding raffinose on intestinal calcium absorption in ovariectomized rats by two separate experiments. In experiment 1, female Sprague-Dawley rats (6 wk old) were divided into two groups: sham operation and ovariectomy, and fed diets with or without raffinose (30 g/kg diet) for 4 wk. In experiment 2, ovariectomized rats with cecocolonectomy or transsection and reanastomosis (sham) were divided into two groups as in experiment 1 and fed the same diets for 3 wk.

Excess dietary histidine decreases the liver copper level and serum alanine aminotransferase activity in Long-Evans Cinnamon rats.

Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats spontaneously develop fulminant hepatitis, associated with excess Cu accumulation in the liver: thus, they are considered an animal model of Wilson's disease. In the present study, we investigated the ability of excess dietary histidine to reduce the excess accumulation of liver Cu in LEC rats by comparing them with Fischer rats. The results clearly showed that the excess-histidine diet markedly stimulated the Cu excretion in urine, and significantly decreased the liver Cu content in LEC rats by 47.

Enteral administration of soybean lecithin enhanced lymphatic absorption of triacylglycerol in rats.

As the physiological roles of dietary lecithin have not yet been clearly defined, we examined the effects of lecithin on lipid absorption in male Wistar rats with a mesenteric lymph cannula. Lymphatic absorption was observed after the infusion of 1 ml emulsion containing 100 mg test oil emulsified with sodium taurocholate (10 g/l) in three separate experiments. Test oils (100 mg) were: soyabean oil (triacylglycerol (TG) source, SO) and soyabean oil+lecithin (75 mg soyabean oil+25 mg lecithin, LE) in Expt 1; SO, LE or soyabean oil+lysolecithin (75 mg soyabean oil plus 25 mg lysolecithin, LY) in Expt 2; hydrolysed soyabean oil (HSO) or HSO+lysolecithin (75 mg HSO+25 mg lysolecithin, HLY) in Expt 3.

Casein binds to the cell membrane and induces intracellular calcium signals in the enteroendocrine cell: a brief communication.

Dietary protein but not amino acids stimulates cholecystokinin (CCK) secretion in rat mucosal cells. However, the dietary protein sensory mechanisms and the intracellular signal pathway in the enteroendocrine cells have not yet been clarified. The relationship between dietary protein binding to cell membrane and intracellular calcium responses were examined in the CCK-producing enteroendocrine cell line STC-1.

Lymphatic absorption of plasmalogen in rats.

Plasmalogen is a subclass of phospholipids that is widely distributed in man and animals. Many physiological roles have been proposed for this lipid; however, there have been no reports on the intestinal absorption of plasmalogen. In the present study, we examined lymphatic absorption of plasmalogen after the duodenal infusion of emulsified brain phospholipids (BPL) containing plasmalogen (22 mol % of total phospholipids) and soyabean lecithin (SPL) (100 g emulsified phospholipid/l).

The addition of soybean phosphatidylcholine to triglyceride increases suppressive effects on food intake and gastric emptying in rats.

The physiologic roles of dietary lecithin have not yet been clearly defined. We examined the effects of soybean lecithin on gastric emptying (Experiments 1 and 2) and food intake (Experiment 3) in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed 2 g of a 20 g lipid/100 g diet containing various levels of lecithin after 24 h of food deprivation; gastric contents were collected 3 h after feeding (Experiment 1).

6-hydroxyflavonoids as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors from marjoram (Origanum majorana) leaves.

A methanol extract of marjoram leaves strongly inhibited rat intestinal alpha-glucosidase. Five 6-hydroxyflavonoids, 6-hydroxyapigenin (scutellarein; IC50 for sucrose hydrolysis by rat intestinal alpha-glucosidase, 12 microM), 6-hydroxyapigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (> 500 microM), 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (300 microM), 6-hydroxyapigenin-7-O-(6-O-feruloyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (>500 microM), and 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-O-(6-O-feruloyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (> 500 microM), were isolated as active principles and related compounds. The two feruloylglucosides are novel compounds.

Effects of adding some dietary fibers to a cystine diet on the activities of liver antioxidant enzymes and serum enzymes in rats.

This study investigates whether some dietary fibers can the toxicity due to cystine added to the diet. Wistar rats were investigated for the effects of adding pectin, sugar beet fiber or konjac mannan to a cystine diet on the growth rate and on the activities of liver antioxidant enzymes and serum enzymes. The addition of pectin, sugar beet fiber or konjac mannan to the cystine diet resulted in a significant increase in both the food intake and body weight gain.

Ingestion of water-soluble soybean fiber prevents gastrectomy-induced iron malabsorption, anemia and impairment of voluntary running exercise performance in rats.

We examined the effects of feeding water-soluble soybean fiber (WSSF), a highly fermentable dietary fiber, on gastrectomy-induced iron malabsorption, anemia and impairment of exercise performance in rats in two separate experiments. The study was designed as a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with operation (total gastrectomy) and diet (WSSF) under sedentary (Experiment 1) and exercised (Experiment 2) conditions. In Experiment 1, gastrectomy reduced net iron absorption, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit and hemoglobin regeneration efficiency (P < 0.

Ingestion of water-soluble soybean fiber prevents osteopenia and hypercholesterolemia induced by ovariectomy in rats.

This study examined the effects of feeding water-soluble soybean fiber (WSSF), a highly fermentable dietary fiber with low viscosity, on intestinal calcium (Ca) absorption, bone mineral content, and serum total cholesterol levels using female Sprague-Dawley rats (5 weeks old) with or without ovariectomy (OVX). The rats in each group were fed a WSSF (50 g/kg of diet) or WSSF-free diet for 4 weeks. Ca absorption was higher in OVX rats fed the WSSF diet than in OVX rats fed the WSSF-free diet.

Influence of dietary methionine level on the liver metallothionein mRNA level in rats.

The effects of some methyl-containing compounds added to a choline-deficient diet on the metallothionein mRNA level in the rat liver were studied. The addition of choline or carnitine to the choline-deficient diet did not induce a gain in body weight, while the addition of either betaine or methionine to the choline-deficient diet, or of methionine to the choline-deficient diet with choline significantly increased the body weight. The metallothionein mRNA level in the liver of rats fed on the choline-deficient diet was similar to that of rats fed on the choline-deficient diet with choline, betaine or carnitine.

Supplemental feeding of difructose anhydride III restores calcium absorption impaired by ovariectomy in rats.

In three separate experiments, we examined the effects of feeding difructose anhydride III (DFAIII) on intestinal calcium (Ca) absorption using female Sprague-Dawley rats (6 wk old) with or without ovariectomy (OVX). In Experiment 1, we showed that Ca absorption was lower in OVX rats fed the 2.0 and 3.

Dietary orotic acid affects antioxidant enzyme mRNA levels and oxidative damage to lipids and proteins in rat liver.

We investigated the effects of the dietary addition of orotic acid on liver antioxidant enzymes, mRNA levels of these enzymes, and peroxidative products by comparing casein with soy protein as the source of dietary protein. Rats fed the casein diet accumulated more liver lipids than those fed the soy protein diet when orotic acid was added. The addition of orotic acid lowered both the activity of liver Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase and the level of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase mRNA.

Ingestion of water-soluble soybean fiber improves gastrectomy-induced calcium malabsorption and osteopenia in rats.

Objective: Total gastrectomy produces calcium malabsorption and osteopenia. We examined the effects of feeding water-soluble soybean fiber (WSSF), a highly fermentable dietary fiber with low viscosity, on calcium absorption and bone characteristics in totally gastrectomized rats.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to two groups: sham operation and gastrectomy.

Dietary orotic acid increases 1 ,2-diacylglycerol level and lowers superoxide dismutase activity in rat liver.

The effects of the dietary addition of orotic acid were studied on lipid levels in the rat liver and serum, 1,2-diacylglycerol levels in some organs, activities of antioxidant liver enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase), and serum enzyme activities (ornithine carbamoyltransferase and alanine aminotransferase), after feeding for 0, 7, 14, and 21 d, respectively. Rats on the orotic acid diet accumulated more liver total lipids, triacylglycerol, and phospholipids than those on the basal diet. However, the levels of serum triacylglycerol and phospholipids of those rats were markedly decreased after 7, 14, and 21 d on the diet.

Dietary iron-deficiency up-regulates hephaestin mRNA level in small intestine of rats.

Hephaestin is a protein, recently found from the study of sla (sex-linked anemia) mouse. Hephaestin is suggested to transport iron from intestinal enterocytes into the circulation. Iron is essential for living and for humans to maintain a constant total iron concentration in whole body.

Metallothionein mRNA levels are influenced by dietary cyclodextrins in rats.

The relationship between metallothionein mRNA levels and the amounts of copper and zinc in liver, kidney and small intestine by feeding dietary cyclodextrin was examined in growing Wistar rats. alpha-, beta- or gamma-cyclodextrin was fed at 50 g/kg of diet for a 7-days period (ad libitum). After feeding, the liver zinc of rats fed beta-cyclodextrin was greater than those of rats fed the other three diets.