• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.38-44
• /
• 2001

NAD(P)H:quinone reductase (QR), known as DT-diaphorase, is a kind of detoxifying phase II metabolic enzyme catalyzing hydroquinone formation by two electron reduction pathway from quinone type compounds, and thus facilitating excretion of quinoids from human body. With the usefulness of QR induction activity assay system for the modulation of toxicants, in the course of searching for cancer chemopreventive agents from natural products, the methanolic extracts of approximately two hundreds of oriental medicines were primarily evaluated using the induction potential of quinone reductase (QR) activity in cultured murine Hepa1c1c7 cells. As a result, several extracts including Hordeum vulgare, Momordica cochinchinensis, Strychnos ignatii, Houttuynia cordata, and Polygala japonica were found to significantly induce QR activity. In addition, the methylene chloride fraction of H. vulgare, one major dietary food source, showed potent induction of QR activity $(CD=6.4{\mu}g/ml)$. Further study for isolation of active principles from these lead extracts is warranted for the discovery of novel cancer chemopreventive agents.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.41-51
• /
• 2008

Purpose : This paper reviews evidence supporting adaptive plasticity in skeletal muscle fibers induced by various exercise training and neuromuscular activity. Result : Skeletal muscle fiber demonstrates a remarkable adaptability and can adjust its physiologic and contractile makeup in response to alterations in functional demands. This adaptive plasticity results from the ability of muscle fibers to adjust their molecular, functional, and contractile properties in response to altered physiological demands, such as changes in exercise patterns and mechanical loading. The process of activity-dependent plasticity in skeletal muscle involves a multitude of signalling mechanisms initiating replication of specific genetic sequences, enabling subsequent translation of the genetic message and ultimately generating a series of myosin heavy chain isoform. Conclusions : Knowledge of the mechanisms and interaction of activity-dependent adaptive pathways in skeletal muscle is important for our understanding of the synthesis of muscle myosin protein, maintenance of metabolic and functional capacity with physical activity, and therapeutic intervention for functional improvement.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.597-600
• /
• 2001

Based on the potential cancer chemoprebentive activity of resveratrol, a trihydroxystilbene with the induction of quinone reductase activeity this study was designed to determine if stilbene-related compounds were inducers of phase ll detoxifying metabolic enzyme quinone reductase (QR) in the mouse hepatoma Hepa 1c1c7 cells. Among the thirteen compounds tested, several compounds including 3,4,5,3',5'-pentamethoxy-trans-stibene were found to potentially induce QR activity in this cell line. In addition, substitution with 3-thiofurane ring instead of phenyl ring in the stilbene skeleton also exhibited potential induction of QR activity. This result will give primary information to design the potential inducers of QR activity in the stilbene analogs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.92-97
• /
• 2002

The effects of Pueraria flos (PF) and Pueraria radix (PR) water extract on the hepatic alcohol metabolic enzyme activities were examined in rats that were orally administered ethanol (25% v/v, 5g/kg body weight/day) for 5 weeks. The PF and PR water extract were supplemented in a diet, based on 1.2 g or 2.4 g of raw PF or PR/kg body weight/body. Alcohol administration without the PF or PR supplementation significantly decreased net weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency ratio. However. both dose of the PF of PR supplementation resulted in significant enhancement of growth and suppression of increased relative weight of liver, brain and heart by alcohol administration. Activities of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase and microsomal ethanol oxidizing system were higher in the alcohol treated group than in the normal group, while aldehyde dehydrogenase activity was significantly lowered in the alcohol treated group. The hepatic metabolic enzyme activities altered by alcohol administration were normalized by both doses of PF or PR supplement. Hepatic monoamine oxidase activity and hydrogen peroxide, which were significantly higher in the alcohol treated group than in the normal group, were also decreased by the supplementation with either PF or PR. These results indicate that low-or high-supplementation of either water extract PF or PR may alleviate ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity by altering alcohol metabolic enzyme activities.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.43-50
• /
• 2001

The effects of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion and $\beta$-adrenergic stimulation on metabolic function and energetics were investigated in Lan gendorff-perfused spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) hearts. Sarcoplasmic reticulum {TEX}$Ca^{2+}${/TEX}-dependent ATPase and cardiac lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) are additionally studied. The perfusion medium (1.0 mM {TEX}$Ca^{2+}${/TEX}) contained 5 mM glucose(+5 U/L insulin) and 2 mM pyruvate as substrates. Global ischemia was induced by reducing perfusion pressure of 100 to 40 cm {TEX}$H_{2}${/TEX}O, followed by 20 min reperfusin. Isoproterenol (ISO, 1$\mu$M) was infused for 10 min. Coronary vascular resistance and myocardial oxygen consumption ({TEX}$MVO_{2}${/TEX}) of SHR were increased in parallel with enhanced venous lactate during ischemia and reperfusion compared to those of Sprague Dawley (SD) hearts. Although ischemia-induced increase in venous lactate and combined adenosine plus inosine was abolished, coronary vasodilation produced in SD during reperfusion. In SHR, depressed reactive hyperemia was associated with a fall in cardiac ATP and CrP/Pi ratio and a rise in intracellular lactate/Pyruvate ratio. On the other hand, ISO produced coronary functional hyperemia and an increase in {TEX}$MVO_{2}${/TEX}. However, these responses were less than those in SHR hearts. The ATPase activity of SHR was attenuated in free {TEX}$Ca^{2+}${/TEX} concentrations used under basal condition and with ISO compared to that of SD. Venous lactate output and cardiac LDH activity were augmented in SHR as influenced by ISO. These results demonstrate that coronary reactive and functional hyperemia was dpressed in SHR, which cold be explained by alterations in the cytosolic phosphorylation potential and the cytosolic redox state manipulated by LDH, and by abnormal free calcium handling.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.531-538
• /
• 2017

This study was performed to investigate the effects of garlic on uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) transcriptional regulation of UCP2-luciferase transgenic mice fed on a high fat diet to induce obesity. To examine the transcriptional regulation of UCP2, we generated transgenic mice with a UCP2 promoter (-1,830/+30 bp) containing luciferase as a reporter gene. UCP2-luciferase transgenic mice were fed a 45% high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce obesity. Subsequently, mice were maintained on either a high-fat control diet (TG-CON), or high-fat diets supplemented with 2% (TG-GL2) or 5% (TG-GL5) garlic for a further 8 weeks. Dietary garlic reduced body weight and energy efficiency ratio in the TG-GL5 group, compared to the TG-CON group. Furthermore, garlic supplementation significantly decreased white adipose tissue fat mass and plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and leptin in the TG-GL2 and TG-GL5 groups, compared to the TG-CON group. Specifically, UCP2 promoter activity in metabolic tissues such as liver, white adipose tissue, brown adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle was increased by garlic supplementation. These results suggest that dietary garlic was partially associated with an increase of UCP2 transcriptional activity in metabolic tissues for decreasing obesity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.3559-3563
• /
• 2015

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relative contribution of CYP1A2 isoforms (-3860 G/A, -2467T/delT and -163C/A) in control subjects and breast cancer patients to the metabolism of caffeine in human liver. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified Fragments (PCR-RFLP) was used for the genotyping of CYP1A2 SNPs and HPLC allowed the phenotyping through the measurement of CYP1A2 activity using the 17X + 13X + 37X/137X urinary metabolite ratio (CMR) and plasma caffeine half life (T1/2). The CYP1A2 -3860A genotype was associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. In contrast, distributions of the CYP1A2 -2467T/delT or -2467delT/delT and -163A/C or A/A genotypes among breast cancer patients and controls were similar. When the genotype and phenotype relationship was measured by comparing the mean CMR ratios and caffeine half life within the genotype groups between subjects and breast cancer patients, there were no significant differences except for -3860 A, most of them being homozygous for the -3860 G/G SNP and had a significant higher mean CMR ratio and half life than those with -3860 G/A (P=0.02). The results of this preliminary study show a significant association between CP1A2 -3860 G variant and CYP1A2 phenotype which must be confirmed by further large-size case-control studies.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.140-145
• /
• 2006

We measured activities of the ubiquitous tripeptide non-protein thiol (L-${\gamma}$-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine), glutathione (GSH), which is believed to playa fundamental role in detoxifying xenobiotics in biological systems, as a metabolic biomarker for benzo(${\alpha}$)pyrene and Aroclor 1254 exposure in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Reproductive oysters were exposed to the pollutants for 50 days by the algal vectoring method in which the oysters were fed with concentrated standard algal foods grown in culture media containing Aroclor 1254 (0, 5, 50, 500 ng/g) or benzo(${\alpha}$)pyrene (0, 10, 100, 1,000 ng/g). Both pollutants induced maternal GSH activities in 10 days in a dosage-dependent manner (p<0.05), although Aroclor 1254 was stronger. The pollutant-driven GSH elevation persisted for 20 to 30 days depending on the pollutants and concentrations. Thereafter, a drastic decline in the GSH activity was observed due to metabolic failure, after which the oyster GSH remained at low levels throughout the remainder of the experiment. The pollutant exposures influenced maternal reproductive output in terms of fertilization, hatching, and morphology. These results imply that changes in activity of the GST-catalyzing molecule can be used as an oyster biomarker for Aroclor 1254 and benzo(${\alpha}$)pyrene exposure.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.245-252
• /
• 2018

Heart rate recovery (HRR) is simply an indicator of autonomic balance and is a useful physiological indicator to predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in HRR between metabolically healthy obesity group and metabolically unhealthy obesity and to ascertain whether heart rate recovery is a predictor of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the standards of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Care Panel III. Obesity was assessed according to WHO Asian criteria. It was classified into three groups of metabolically healthy non-obesity group (MHNO, n=113), metabolically healthy obesity group (MHO, n=66), metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO, n=18). Exercise test was performed with Bruce protocol using a treadmill instrument. There was no difference in HRR between MHO and MUO ($32.71{\pm}12.25$ vs $25.53{\pm}8.13$), but there was late HRR in MUO than MHNO ($25.53{\pm}8.13$ vs $34.51{\pm}11.80$). HRR in obese was significantly correlated with BMI (r=-0.342, P=0.004), waist circumference (r=-0.246, P=0.043), triglyceride (r=-0.350, P=0.003), HbA1c (r=-0.315, P=0.009), insulin (r=-0.290, P=0.017) and uric acid (r=-0.303, P=0.012). HRR showed a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-cholesterol in the third tertile than in the first tertile. In conclusion, MHO had no difference in vagal activity compared with MHNO, but MUO had low vagal activity. HRR is associated with metabolic parameters and is a useful predictor of abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-cholesterolemia.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.46-61
• /
• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: An increasing life expectancy in society has burdened healthcare systems substantially because of the rising prevalence of age-related metabolic diseases. This study compared the effects of animal protein hydrolysate (APH) and casein on metabolic diseases using aged mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: Eight-week-old and 50-week-old C57BL/6J mice were used as the non-aged (YC group) and aged controls (NC group), respectively. The aged mice were divided randomly into 3 groups (NC, low-APH [LP], and high-APH [HP] and fed each experimental diet for 12 weeks. In the LP and HP groups, casein in the AIN-93G diet was substituted with 16 kcal% and 24 kcal% APH, respectively. The mice were sacrificed when they were 63-week-old, and plasma and hepatic lipid, white adipose tissue weight, hepatic glucose, lipid, and antioxidant enzyme activities, immunohistochemistry staining, and mRNA expression related to the glucose metabolism on liver and muscle were analyzed. RESULTS: Supplementation of APH in aging mice resulted in a significant decrease in visceral fat (epididymal, perirenal, retroperitoneal, and mesenteric fat) compared to the negative control (NC) group. The intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and area under the curve analysis revealed insulin resistance in the NC group, which was alleviated by APH supplementation. APH supplementation reduced hepatic gluconeogenesis and increased glucose utilization in the liver and muscle. Furthermore, APH supplementation improved hepatic steatosis by reducing the hepatic fatty acid and phosphatidate phosphatase activity while increasing the hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity. Furthermore, in the APH supplementation groups, the red blood cell (RBC) thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hepatic H₂O₂ levels decreased, and the RBC glutathione, hepatic catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities increased. CONCLUSIONS: APH supplementation reduced visceral fat accumulation and alleviated obesity-related metabolic diseases, including insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis, in aged mice. Therefore, high-quality animal protein APH that reduces the molecular weight and enhances the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score has potential as a dietary supplement for healthy aging.