Effect of Vaccinium ashei reade Leaf Extracts on Lipid Metabolism in Obese OLETF Rats

The effects of a hot water extract and fractional extracts from rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei reade) leaves (BBL) on lipid metabolism were studied in obese Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. Feeding the hot water extract and fractional extracts from BBL alleviated hepatic triglyceride accumulation in the rats. Additionally, feeding with the flavonol glycoside (FG) and proanthocyanidin (PA) fractions lowered serum cholesterol levels in the obese rats. The results from measurements of the hepatic enzyme activity indicate that the hypolipidemic effects of the hot water extract and the PA fraction might be attributable to enhanced lipolysis in the liver. The reduced serum levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory cytokine, by the chlorogenic acid + rutin fraction and FG fraction might be associated with alleviating the metabolic abnormalities in obese rats. These results indicate that the BBL extracts, and especially FG and PA, exerted hypolipidemic effects on obese OLETF rats and suggest that an infusion of BBL can be useful as a dietary hypolipidemic component.     

Effects of Various Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Blood Cholesterol and Eicosanoids in Rats

The hypocholesterolemic efficacy of various polyunsaturated fatty acids was compared in rats given cholesterol-enriched diets with (0.004%) or without indomethacin, the cyclooxygenase inhibitor. Evening primrose oil (EPO, linoleic+ γ-linolenic), safflower oil (SFO, linoleic) or soybean oil (SBO, linoleic + α-linolenic) were added to diets at the 10% level. The serum cholesterol level of the EPO group was consistently lower than the other groups and after 3 weeks, it was significantly different from the SFO group without indomethacin and the SBO group with indomethacin. In rats fed EPO, the aorta tended to produce more prostacyclin whereas the concentration of plasma thromboxane B₂ was much lower than in rats fed SFO or SBO. The effects of indomethacin on these eicosanoids were less evident in rats fed EPO. Thus, in addition to the hypocholesterolemic action of β-linolenic acid (GLA) in preference to linoleic and possibly α-linolenic acid, GLA appears to cultivate an environment suitable for the prevention of carbiovascular disease even in the presence of excess cholesterol in the diet.     

Synthesis and secretion of lipids by long-term cultures of female rat hepatocytes.

The objective of this work was to characterize lipid metabolism in long-term cultures of adult rat hepatocytes from female rats and explore the potential use of this culture system to study the effect of hormones, drugs and toxic chemicals on it. Hepatocytes, seeded on a feeder layer of 3T3 cells, maintained for 2 weeks their typical morphology. The cultures were able to take up [14C]acetic and [14C]oleic acid from the culture medium and incorporate them into lipids. The synthesis and secretion of lipids by [14C]acetic acid-labeled cultures had a maximum value after 11 and 13 days in culture. Triacylglycerols were the main lipidic species synthesized and secreted by hepatocytes (up to 67% of the total lipids); they also synthesized and secreted phospholipids, cholesterol and cholesterol esters from [14C]acetic acid. Similarly, [14C]oleic acid-labeled cultures synthesized and secreted mostly triacylglycerols (up to 60-70% of the total lipids), but they were also able to incorporate the labeled precursor into both cellular and secreted phospholipids and cholesterol esters. The activity of glycerol-phosphate-dehydrogenase, marker enzyme of glycerolipid synthesis, decreased slightly during the culture time whereas the activity of malic enzyme, marker of fatty acid synthesis, increased. Our results show that long-term cultures of female rat hepatocytes are able to synthesize and secrete several lipids, specially triacylglycerols, from both [14C]acetic and [14C]oleic acid for at least 2 weeks and that they maintain enzyme activities related with the synthetic pathways of glycerolipids and fatty acids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

兔眼越桔(杜鹃花科)花粉形态——兼谈用极坐标测量四合体花粉的一种新方法

扫描电镜下,兔眼越桔花粉为四合体,外形为准四面体,中等大小,表面具不规则皱波状纹饰,并有多处凹陷。萌发孔沟多为3对(顶分体3条,侧分体各对应1条),以四面体几何中轴为中心,中心对称分布于四面体的3个侧面。萌发孔沟的长度、宽度、孔盖长与宽、孔盖的形状、突起的程度等,在个体间有差异,尤其是一些具有多处凹陷的花粉粒,可能是导致花粉萌发率不同的生态类型。用极坐标法描述四合体花粉的新方法可以表现其饱满度,比较传统上用极轴、赤道轴的长短表现花粉平面大小的方法,更加准确而直观。     

Early induction of a brown-like phenotype by rosiglitazone in the epicardial adipose tissue of fatty Zucker rats

The epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is “hypertrophied” in the obese. Thiazolidinediones are anti-diabetic, hypolipidemic drugs and are selective agonists for the gamma isoform of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ). We evaluated the short-term effects of the prototype rosiglitazone (RSG, 5 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ for 4 days) on the expression of the genes and proteins (by real-time PCR and Western blot) involved in fatty acid (FA) metabolism in EAT of the obese fatty Zucker rat and compared the levels of expression with those in retroperitoneal adipose tissue (RAT). The glyceroneogenic flux leading to fatty acid re-esterification was assessed by the incorporation of 14C from [1-14C]-pyruvate into neutral lipids. RSG upregulated the mRNA for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4, glycerol kinase, adipocyte lipid binding protein, adipose tissue triglyceride lipase and lipoprotein lipase in both RAT and EAT with a resulting increase in glyceroneogenesis that, however, was more pronounced in EAT than in RAT. Under RSG, fatty acid output was decreased in both tissues but unexpectedly less so in EAT than in RAT. RSG also induced the expression of the key genes for fatty acid oxidation [carnitinepalmitoyl transferase-1, medium chain acyl dehydrogenase and very long chain acyl dehydrogenase (VLCAD)]in EAT and RAT with a resulting significant rise of  the expression of VLCAD protein. In addition, the expression of the genes encoding proteins involved in mitochondrial processing and density PPARγ coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), NADH dehydrogenase 1 and cytochrome oxidase (COX4) were increased by RSG treatment only in EAT, with a resulting significant up-regulation of PGC1-α and COX4 protein. This was accompanied by a rise in the expression of PR domain containing 16 and uncoupling protein 1, two brown adipose tissue-specific proteins. In conclusion, this study reveals that PPAR-γ agonist could induce a rapid browning of the EAT that probably contributes to the increase in lipid turnover.     

Use of forested field edges by a blueberry insect pest,Rhagoletis mendax (Diptera: Tephritidae)

1. The blueberry maggot fly, Rhagoletis mendax Curran, is a pest of wild and highbush blueberries. In wild blueberries, most flies colonize fields from forest edges annually. Flies were associated with forest canopies adjacent to colonized fields.
2. Flies were captured up to 6 m high (limited by trap placement height) and may occur at greater tree heights. Fly abundance relative to tree species was highest in red oak.
3. Releases of marked flies from tree canopies showed that release height had no effect on distance into the field that flies dispersed. This is important because the main fly control tactic is the application of a 25- to 30-m-wide swath of insecticide along field perimeters.
4. In the laboratory, flies preferred leaves and leaf extracts of red oak compared to other leaf tree and shrub species, including blueberry. Electroantennographs demonstrated that the female antennae consistently responded to compounds extracted from red oak leaves. Mass spectra and gas chromatograph retention times of five antenna-active compounds matched those of (i) trans-β-ocimene, (ii) linalool, (iii) 4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, (iv) indole, and (v) trans-nerolidol.
5. We speculate flies recruit to trees before movement into blueberry fields primarily for food, as supported by their arrestment response to leaf extracts.

     

有氧运动联合破壁蛋白核小球藻对高脂膳食大鼠脂代谢某些指标的影响

目的：研究有氧运动联合破壁蛋白核小球藻对高脂膳食大鼠脂代谢某些指标的影响。方法：55只雄性Wistar大鼠经过适应性饲养4 d后进行3 d、20 min/d的无负重游泳训练,筛选淘汰5只不适应游泳训练的大鼠后,按体重以数字随机分组法分为5组：普通膳食+安静对照组（C组）、高脂膳食+安静对照组（H组）、高脂膳食+小球藻+安静对照组（HC组）、高脂膳食+有氧运动组（HM组）、高脂膳食+有氧运动+小球藻组（HMC）,每组10只。HM组和HMC组进行6周每周6次60 min/d的无负重游泳训练。C组大鼠以普通饲料常规喂养;其余各组以高脂饲料喂养;HC组和HMC组大鼠灌胃破壁小球藻1次,灌胃剂量为3.9 g/（kg·d）,灌胃体积为5 ml/kg,其余各组ig等量生理盐水。6周后,测定大鼠Lee’s指数,取血、肝脏检测相关生化指标。结果：与C组比较,H组Lee’s指数,血清FFA、IL-6、TNF-α、TC、TG、LDL-c,肝脏FFA、IL-10显著升高（P<0.01）;血清HDL-c水平显著降低（P< 0.01）。与H组比较,HC、HM、HMC组Lee’s指数,血清FFA、IL-6、TNF-α、TC、TG、LDL-c,肝脏FFA、IL-10显著降低（P<0.05或P<0.01）;血清HDL-c水平显著升高（P<0.05或P<0.01）。与HC、HM组比较,HMC组Lee’s指数,血清FFA、IL-6、TNF-α、TC、TG、LDL-c,肝脏FFA、IL-10显著降低（P<0.05）;血清HDL-c水平显著升高（P<0.05）。结论：有氧运动和破壁蛋白核小球藻干预能够不同程度改善高脂膳食大鼠脂代谢,降低肥胖对肝脏造成的脂毒性。其中联合干预较单一干预更为有效。     

Proteomics of rat biological fluids--the tenth anniversary update

In addition to a remarkable sexual dimorphism of serum and urine proteomes, the rat is exceptional for the wide difference between the serum patterns during an acute phase reaction vs baseline conditions. This feature allows monitoring with high sensitivity onset and progression of any pathological state that involves an inflammatory component as well as assessing the outcome of any therapeutic intervention. Reference maps have been defined for the proteomes of serum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. For both serum and urine most of the proteomic investigations have dealt with toxicological testing, for BALF with allergic or irritative reactions, whereas with CSF the main aim was the characterization of rat models of neurological disorders. When surveying more than ten years of literature on rat biological fluid proteomics, it is puzzling to see how seldom a consistent analytical plan has been set up for the comparative investigation on two or more types of sample, whether to fully characterize a disease model or to evaluate pharmacological/toxicological effects of a drug. It is also regrettable that in several cases only a negligible part of the results is discussed at length whereas most data are not even made known to the scientific community.     

Induction of metallothionein in rat tissues following subchronic exposure to mercury shown by radioimmunoassay

Although the analysis of metallothionein (MT) by radioimmunoassay (RIA) is not a common technique, its use is preferred over other methods since it offers the advantages of sensitivity and specificity. In this paper we present data on the basal levels of MT in rat tissues and physiological fluids of female Sprague-Dawley rats. The mean basal MT concentrations of the following organs and fluids were determined by RIA to be: liver (9.8 μg/g), kidney (68 μ/g), brain (0.8 μg/g), spleen (1.0 μg/g), heart (5.4 μg/g), plasma (11 ng/ml), and urine (200–300 μg/g creatinine). Following subcutaneous exposure to inorganic mercury (0.2 μmol/kg/d, 5 d a week for up to 4 wk), the metal accumulated primarily in the kidney. There was also a simultaneous accumulation of zinc in the liver and of zinc and copper in the kidney. Induction of MT did take place in liver, kidney, brain, and spleen. No increases in the MT contents of blood and urine were noted. The excess zinc and copper in the kidney of exposed animals were found to be associated predominantly with MT. No overt signs of mercury toxicity were noted in these animals and the incidence of proteinurea was nil. The data are discussed with reference to methods of MT determination in animal tissues and in relation to mercury metabolism and toxicity.     

SWI/SNF染色质重塑复合物亚基Baf60a调控能量代谢稳态的研究进展

代谢综合征是一种全球性的慢性流行病,其发病机理由遗传与环境等因素共同决定.表观遗传修饰是在基因的核苷酸序列不发生改变的情况下,通过可遗传的变化调控基因表达.近年来研究发现,表观遗传修饰能够应答于环境因素、调控基因表达和信号转导进程.其中,染色质重塑复合物SWI/SNF(SWItch/Sucrose non fermen...     

Induction of oxidative cell damage by photo-treatment with zinc meta N-methylpyridylporphyrin

We have previously reported that isomeric Zn(II) N-methylpyridylporphyrins (ZnTM-2(3,4)-PyP^4 + ) can act as photosensitizers with efficacy comparable to that of hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD) in preventing cell proliferation and causing cell death in vitro. To better understand the biochemical basis of this activity, the effects of photo-activated ZnTM-3-PyP^4 +  on GSH/GSSG ratio, lipid peroxidation, membrane permeability, oxidative DNA damage, and the activities of SOD, catalase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase were evaluated. Light exposure of ZnTM-3-PyP^4 + -treated colon adenocarcinoma cells caused a wide spectrum of oxidative damage including depletion of GSH, inactivation of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase, oxidative DNA damage and peroxidation of membrane lipids. Cell staining with Hoechst-33342 showed morphological changes consistent with both necrotic and apoptotic death sequences, depending upon the presence of oxygen.     

Administration of a maple syrup extract to mitigate their hepatic inflammation induced by a high-fat diet: a transcriptome analysis

Effects of the administration of maple syrup extract (MSX) on hepatic gene expression were investigated in mice fed a high-fat diet. Gene annotation enrichment analysis based on gene ontology revealed some changes in the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and the immune response in MSX-fed mice. Detailed analysis of these data indicated that MSX ingestion mitigates hepatic inflammation.     

Induction of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana by long days through a light-dosage effect

Given the influence of photoperiod on reproductive development and whole-plant senescence in monocarpic plants, one would suspect that leaf senescence in these plants might be under photoperiodic control. In Arabidopsis thaliana , which is monocarpic and also a nonobligate long-day (LD) plant, LDs (16 h, 300 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) caused leaves to die earlier than did short days (SDs, 10 h). Since leaf longevity was not paralleled by the reproductive development in the present study, the reproductive structures did not seem to be the primary controls of leaf senescence. The LD effect appeared to depend on the amount of light rather than on day length, for leaves given LDs at reduced light intensity (180 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) lived longer than those in LDs with full light. In addition, the higher light intensity promoted chlorophyll loss and anthocyanin accumulation in LDs. Thus, senescence of these leaves seems to be governed by light dosage rather than photoperiod. Light may play a natural role in promoting the senescence of A. thaliana leaves.     

Comparison of acetate- and pyruvate-dependent fatty-acid synthesis by spinach chloroplasts

In recent studies using intact chloroplasts of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) to investigate the accumulation of acetyl-CoA produced by the activity of either acetyl-CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.1) or the pyruvate-dehydrogenase complex, this product was not detectable. These results in combination with new information on the physiological levels of acetate and pyruvate in spinach chloroplasts (H.-J. Treede et al. 1986, Z. Naturforsch. 41 C, 733–740) prompted a reinvestigation of the incorporation of [1-¹⁴C] acetate and [2-¹⁴C] pyruvate into fatty acids at physiological concentrations.The K _m for the incorporation into fatty acids was about 0.1 mM for both metabolites and thus agreed with the values obtained by H.-J. Treede et al. (1986) for acetyl-CoA synthetase and the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. However, acetate was incorporated with a threefold higher V _max. Saturation for pyruvate incorporation into the fattyacid fraction was achieved only at physiological pyruvate concentrations (<1.0 mM). The diffusion kinetics observed at higher concentrations may be the result of contamination with derivates of the labeled substrate. Competition as well as double-labeling experiments with [³H]acetate and [2-¹⁴C]pyruvate support the notion that, at least in spinach, chloroplastic acetate is the preferred substrate for fatty-acid synthesis when both substrates are supplied concurrently (P.G. Roughan et al., 1979 b, Biochem. J. 184, 565–569).Experiments with spinach leaf discs confirmed the predominance of fatty-acid incorporation from acetate. Radioactivity from [1-¹⁴C]acetate appeared to accumulate in glycerolipids while that from [2-¹⁴C]pyruvate was apparently shifted in favor of the products of prenyl metabolism.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - TLC thin-layer chromatography     

Asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 is a novel PCSK9-independent ligand of liver LDLR cleaved by furin

The hepatic carbohydrate-recognizing asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR1) mediates the endocytosis/lysosomal degradation of desialylated glycoproteins following binding to terminal galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine. Human heterozygote carriers of ASGR1 deletions exhibit ∼34% lower risk of coronary artery disease and ∼10% to 14% reduction of non-HDL cholesterol. Since the proprotein convertase PCSK9 is a major degrader of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), we investigated the degradation and functionality of LDLR and/or PCSK9 by endogenous/overexpressed ASGR1 using Western blot and immunofluorescence in HepG2-naïve and HepG2-PCSK9-knockout cells. ASGR1, like PCSK9, targets LDLR, and both independently interact with/enhance the degradation of the receptor. This lack of cooperativity between PCSK9 and ASGR1 was confirmed in livers of wildtype (WT) and Pcsk9^−/− mice. ASGR1 knockdown in HepG2-naïve cells significantly increased total (∼1.2-fold) and cell-surface (∼4-fold) LDLR protein. In HepG2-PCSK9-knockout cells, ASGR1 silencing led to ∼2-fold higher levels of LDLR protein and DiI (1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate)-LDL uptake associated with ∼9-fold increased cell-surface LDLR. Overexpression of WT-ASGR1/2 primarily reduced levels of immature non-O-glycosylated LDLR (∼110 kDa), whereas the triple Ala-mutant of Gln240/Trp244/Glu253 (characterized by loss of carbohydrate binding) reduced expression of the mature form of LDLR (∼150 kDa), suggesting that ASGR1 binds the LDLR in both a sugar-dependent and -independent fashion. The protease furin cleaves ASGR1 at the RKMK¹⁰³↓ motif into a secreted form, likely resulting in a loss of function on LDLR. Altogether, we demonstrate that LDLR is the first example of a liver-receptor ligand of ASGR1. We conclude that silencing of ASGR1 and PCSK9 may lead to higher LDL uptake by hepatocytes, thereby providing a novel approach to further reduce LDL cholesterol levels.     

高果糖引起的脂肪肝大鼠肾脏脂质合成相关基因和蛋白的表达

大量研究表明,高果糖可引起脂肪肝,但对肾脏脂质代谢的影响尚不清楚。该实验研究给予10％果糖水5周后诱导的脂肪肝大鼠肾脏的脂质代谢情况,并探讨其可能机制。将16只雄性SD大鼠随机分为正常组（con）和果糖组（fru）,果糖组给予10％（W／V）果糖水,第5N末称体重、取血、处死,检测血浆GLU、TG、TC和INSULIN含量。取肾脏、肝脏和白色脂肪称重,采用形态学方法观察肝脏和肾脏脂质沉积情况,酶法测其TG、TC含量,以Real time—PCR检测肾脏、肝脏中脂质合成和脂质氧化相关基因水平,以Westemblot检测肾、肝细胞核脂质合成转录因子的蛋白表达。结果显示,果糖组大鼠血浆TG、INSULIN明显升高,并出现肥胖体征,肝脏脂质沉积严重,其调控脂质合成的两个关键的转录因子ChREBP和SREBPlcmRNA和核蛋白表达都明显升高,并且它们靶向的脂质合成相关酶FAS、ACCl、SCDlmRNA表达也显著增加。但是,在肾脏中,高果糖没有引起TG含量的变化,调控脂质重新合成的基因和蛋白的表达也未发生变化。因此,与果糖致脂肪肝不同,高果糖饮食并没有造成肾脏的脂质沉积和脂质合成相关基因、蛋白的变化。     

Dipeptidase activities in rat brain synaptosomes can be distinguished on the basis of inhibition by bestatin and amastatin: Identification of a kyotorphin (Tyr-Arg)-degrading enzyme

The neuropeptide kyotorphin (Tyr-Arg) was degraded by rat brain synaptosomes via a synaptic membrane-bound peptidase which was inhibited by bestatin but not by amastatin. The K_m for kyotorphin was 8×10^–6 M and the K_i for bestatin was 1×10^–7 M. The kyotorphin-degrading enzyme was distinguished from at least one other dipeptide-hydrolyzing activity in synaptosomes which was inhibited by both bestatin and amastatin. Gel permeation chromatography of detergentextracted synaptosomes resulted in the separation of the dipeptide-hydrolyzing activities. A single kyotorphin-degrading enzyme peak was observed which had a M_r=52,000. The activity peak could degrade other dipeptides including Phe-Arg, a synaptic membrane-generated metabolic of bradykinin. The kyotorphin-degrading enzyme appears to be novel and can be distinguished from other known dipeptidases on the basis of substrate specificity, subcellular localization, and inhibition profile.