Effects of Dietary Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Protein Level on Liver and Serum Lipid Metabolism of Rats

The effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dietary protein level on the liver and serum lipid metabolism of rats were studied. Rats were fed an experimental diet containing 7 or 30% casein with or without 0.1 % PCB for 24 days. Dietary PCB increased the level of triglyceride, phospholipid and cholesterol in the liver. The accumulation of triglyceride and cholesterol in liver was markedly increased with a low protein diet. The incorporation of injected ³H₂O into liver cholesterol was increased by PCB, but not affected by the dietary level of protein. The incorporation of the tracer into liver fatty acids was not increased by PCB intake. Dietary PCB also raised serum cholesterol and phospholipid, while PCB decreased triglyceride level, especially in rats on low protein diet. In addition, PCB intake clearly raised serum high density lipoprotein and diminished very low density lipoprotein. In the low protein group, PCB markedly repressed the incorporation of ³H₂O into serum lipids. The results suggest that the hepatic lipids accumulation by the addition of 0.1 % PCB to a low protein diet might be mainly ascribed to a repression in the transport of triglyceride from liver to blood. KEY WORDS: PCB, dietary protein, liver lipids, serum lipoprotein.     

Ganoderiol A and B,New Triterpenoids from the Fungus Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)

Two new lanostane-type triterpenoids, ganoderiol A (1) and ganoderiol B (2) were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum, together with known ganodermanontriol (3) and ganodermatriol (4). The compounds were identified as 5α-lanosta-7,9(11)-dien-3β,24,25,26-tetraol (1), 15α,26,27-trihydroxy-5α-lanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-3-one (2), 24,25,26-trihydroxy-5α-lanosta-7,9(11)-dien-3-one (3) and 5α-lanosta-7,9(ll),24-trien-3β,26,27-triol (4), respectively.     

Isolation and Identification of Physcion, 4,5-Dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2-methylanthraquinone,from the Mycelium of Alternaria porri

Leaf aldehyde, (E)-2-hexenal, in diethyl ether, was converted to an ether adduct, 3-(1-ethoxyethyl)-hexanal (diastereomeric mixture) regioselectively, by irradiation with a 100 W high-pressure lamp.     

Composition of Polar Lipids of Methanobrevibacter arboriphilicus and Structure Determination of the Signature Phosphoglycolipid of Methanobacteriaceae

Total lipid was extracted effectively by the acidified Blight and Dyer solvent system from Methanobrevibacter arboriphilicus A2 cells. The lipid content was 5.8% of dry cell weight. Cell disruption was required for the maximum yield of lipid from the cells. Eighteen polar lipids were detected and their composition was measured. Phosphoglycolipids from several species of Methanobacteriaceae which had the similar mobilities on thin-layer chromatograms were suggested as the common lipid of the family. The phosphoglycolipid (PGL1, 30%) from M. arboriphilicus was identified as gentiobiosyl caldarchaetidylinositol, which was identical to PGL1 of Methanobacterium thermautotrophicum. This confirmed that the lipid could be designated as the signature lipid of the family. The structure of the other major polar lipids were also identified as follows: gentiobiosyl caldarchaeol (GLla, 9.9%), gentiobiosyl archaeol (GLlb, 12.6%), caldar-chaetidylinositol (PL2a, 10.6%) and archaetidylinositol (PL2b, 3.1%).     

Antioxidant activities of 5-hydroxyoxindole and its 3-hydroxy-3-phenacyl derivatives: The suppression of lipid peroxidation and intracellular oxidative stress

The antioxidant activities of 5-hydroxyoxindole (1) and newly synthesized 3,5-dihydroxy-3-phenacyl-2-oxindole derivatives against rat liver microsome/tert-butylhydroperoxide system-induced lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide-induced intracellular oxidative stress were investigated. Compound 1 and its derivatives showed significant suppression of lipid peroxidation and an intracellular oxidative stress. The effects of the more lipophilic derivatives tended to be greater than that of the original compound 1. The cytotoxicity of all of the oxindole derivatives on human promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cells was lower than that of 2,6-di(tert-butyl)-4-hydroxytoluene (BHT), a widely used phenolic antioxidant. These results show that compound 1 and its 3-substituted derivatives could be good lead candidates for future novel antioxidant therapeutics.     

Physical sensor difference-based method and virtual sensor difference-based method for visual and quantitative estimation of lower limb 3D gait posture using accelerometers and magnetometers

An approach using a physical sensor difference-based algorithm and a virtual sensor difference-based algorithm to visually and quantitatively confirm lower limb posture was proposed. Three accelerometers and two MAG³s (inertial sensor module) were used to measure the accelerations and magnetic field data for the calculation of flexion/extension (FE) and abduction/adduction (AA) angles of hip joint and FE, AA and internal/external rotation (IE) angles of knee joint; then, the trajectories of knee and ankle joints were obtained with the joint angles and segment lengths. There was no integration of acceleration or angular velocity for the joint rotations and positions, which is an improvement on the previous method in recent literature. Compared with the camera motion capture system, the correlation coefficients in five trials were above 0.91 and 0.92 for the hip FE and AA, respectively, and higher than 0.94, 0.93 and 0.93 for the knee joint FE, AA and IE, respectively.     

Lrrn1 is required for formation of the midbrain-hindbrain boundary and organiser through regulation of affinity differences between midbrain and hindbrain cells in chick

The midbrain–hindbrain boundary (MHB) acts as an organiser/signalling centre to pattern tectal and cerebellar compartments. Cells in adjacent compartments must be distinct from each other for boundary formation to occur at the interface. Here we have identified the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) neuronal 1 (Lrrn1) protein as a key regulator of this process in chick. The Lrrn family is orthologous to the Drosophila tartan/capricious (trn/caps) family. Differential expression of trn/caps promotes an affinity difference and boundary formation between adjacent compartments in a number of contexts; for example, in the wing, leg and eye imaginal discs. Here we show that Lrrn1 is expressed in midbrain cells but not in anterior hindbrain cells. Lrrn1 is down-regulated in the anterior hindbrain by the organiser signalling molecule FGF8, thereby creating a differential affinity between these two compartments. Lrrn1 is required for the formation of MHB — loss of function leads to a loss of the morphological constriction and loss of Fgf8. Cells overexpressing Lrrn1 violate the boundary and result in a loss of cell restriction between midbrain and hindbrain compartments. Lrrn1 also regulates the glycosyltransferase Lunatic Fringe, a modulator of Notch signalling, maintaining its expression in midbrain cells which is instrumental in MHB boundary formation. Thus, Lrrn1 provides a link between cell affinity/compartment segregation, and cell signalling to specify boundary cell fate.