• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.109-114
• /
• 2013

We compared the preventive capacity of high intakes of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) on oxidative stress and liver toxicity in rats fed a low-fat ethanol diet. Thirty-two Wistar rats received the low fat (10% of total calories) Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet as follows: either ethanol alone (Alc group, 36% of total calories) or ethanol in combination with VC (Alc + VC group, 40 mg VC/100 g body weight) or VE (Alc + VE group, 0.8 mg VE/100 g body weight). Control rats were pair-fed a liquid diet with the Alc group. Ethanol administration induced a modest increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), conjugated dienes (CD), and triglycerides but decreased total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) in plasma. VE supplementation to alcohol-fed rats restored the plasma levels of AST, CD, and TRAP to control levels. However, VC supplementation did not significantly influence plasma ALT, AST, or CD. In addition, a significant increase in plasma aminothiols such as homocysteine and cysteine was observed in the Alc group, but cysteinylglycine and glutathione (GSH) did not change by ethanol feeding. Supplementing alcohol-fed rats with VC increased plasma GSH and hepatic S-adenosylmethionine, but plasma levels of aminothiols, except GSH, were not influenced by either VC or VE supplementation in ethanol-fed rats. These results indicate that a low-fat ethanol diet induces oxidative stress and consequent liver toxicity similar to a high-fat ethanol diet and that VE supplementation has a protective effect on ethanol-induced oxidative stress and liver toxicity.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.1-1
• /
• 1995

Casein or soybean protein was subjected to there action with caffeic acidtyrosinase system at 30-35$\circ$C, pH 6.8 with aeration for 5hr. The resulting brown proteins were washed with acetone until the washings were on longer colored. However, modified protein still retained a light brown. The effects of the modified proteins and brown compounds on male Wistar strain rats were studied by pair-feeding of a cholesterol-free diet for 14days. Significant decrease in protein digestibility for the rats fed with the modified proteins were observed. Weight gain and protein digestibility were not influenced by feeding brown compounds, but the feeding of brown compound from casein caused an enlargement of caecum. The concentrations of serum cholesterol and triglyceride in the rats fed with modified proteins and brown compounds were mostly unchanged against the rats fed with untreated proteins. These results suggest that the decrease in protein digestibility induced by enzymic browning-reaction did not cause the decrease in concentration of serum cholesterol.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.263-272
• /
• 1983

Effects of dietary protein qualify, energy restriction, and subsequent rehabilitation were studied in the weanling rats. Rats were devided into the six experimental diet groups. Rats in AC (casein- containing diet ), AS (soyprotein-containing diet), and AG(gluten-containing diet) group consumed their diets ad libitum, and rats in PC, PS, PG groups were pair-fed in 60% of the of amounts eaten by corresponding rats in the AC, AS, AG groups, respectively. After 3 weeks of nutritional restriction, all rats were switched to the AC diet for 14 days. At the end of restriction period, body weight, weight gain, food intake, and FER were higher in casein- fed rats than other groups of rats. The differences were, however, disappeared with rehabilitation diet, except body weights which were not fully recovered until the end of experiment. The weights of liver, gastrocnemius muscle, kidney, small intestine, spleen, and lung were the highest in the casein group, and the lowest in gluten group at the end of restriction period. The recovery with rehabilitation diet were differ in different organs. The muscle and liver seemed to be the most affected organs by dietary protein quality and energy restriction. There were no differences in brain weights among the experimental groups during the restriction period, however, after 2 weeks of rehabilitation, rats in AC group showed lower brain weight compared to AC and AS groups, and the brain weight of PC group was lower than AC group. Protein contents in liver and muscle showed the same trends as their weights. Gluten-fed rats showed low serum protein concentration, but recovered fully with rehabilitation diet for 3 days.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.7
• /
• pp.21-27
• /
• 1966

This experiment was performed to investigate the effect of the frequency of meals on the metatolism and the body composition of rats when equal amount of purified diet was ingested. Thirty approximately days old rats weighing 290 g and thirty-two about 40 days old rats weighing 180 g were employed for the period of 34 days. Rats fed ad libitum (10 to 15 meals per day) and two-meal per day were pair-fed and equal amount of diet was fed to each rat in pair. The experimental results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. Frequency of meal did not exert any effect on the body weight gain. However, rats fed two-meal per· day gained significantly (p <0.005) more fat and energy than ad libitum group. The rate of gain of protein in ad libitum group was higher than that of two-meal group. No difference was observed for the mineral deposition of rat body. 2. From the preperation of rat liver it was found that the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was much higher for the rats fed two-meals per day than those fed ad libitum. Therefore, it is suggested that the metabolic pathway of carbohydrate for two-meal group has been shifted from glycolysis to Hexose Monophosphate Shunt and produced more NADPH which would be the essential cofactor of fatty acids synthesis. 3. The rate of excretion of urinary nitrogen for two-meal group was significantly (p<0.005) higher than that of ad libitum group. It is apparent that considerable amount of over-loaded amino acids by feeding two-big-meal daily· could not be used for the protein biosynthesis all at once and excreted following deamination through urine. The residual carbon chain could be served as a precursor of fatty acids synthesis. 4. The heat production rate of rats fed two-meal group was significantly (p<0.005) lower than that of ad libitum group. It seems possible that the activity of thyroid gland (and consequently BMR) can be depressed by the frequency of meal.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.716-721
• /
• 2005

Fluoxetine is an anorexic agent known to reduce food intake and weight gain. However, the molecular mechanism by which fluoxetine induces anorexia has not been well-established. We examined mRNA expression levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in the brain regions of rats using RT-PCR and in situ hybridization techniques after 2 weeks of administering fluoxetine daily. Fluoxetine persistently suppressed food intake and weight gain during the experimental period. The pair-fed group confirmed that the reduction in body weight in the fluoxetine treated rats resulted primarily from decreased food intake. RT-PCR analyses showed that mRNA expression levels of both NPY and POMC were markedly reduced by fluoxetine treatment in all parts of the brain examined, including the hypothalamus. POMC mRNA in situ signals were significantly decreased, NPY levels tended to increase in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of fluoxetine treated rats (compared to the vehicle controls). In the pair-fed group, NPY mRNA levels did not change, but the POMC levels decreased (compared with the vehicle controls). These results reveal that the chronic administration of fluoxetine decreases expression levels in both NPY and POMC in the brain, and suggests that fluoxetine-induced anorexia may not be mediated by changes in the ARC expression of either NPY or POMC. It is possible that a fluoxetine raised level of 5-HT play an inhibitory role in the orectic action caused by a reduced expression of ARC POMC ($\alpha$-MSH).

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.503-512
• /
• 2017

Background: Chronic heavy alcohol consumption may raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Saponins inhibit apoptosis of pancreatic islet cells and reduce lipid parameters. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of saponin on chronic ethanol-treated diabetic rats. Methods: Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (LETO) and Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats were pair-fed a Lieber-DeCarli diet with and without 5% ethanol for 12 wks. Two weeks after starting the pair-feeding with the Lieber-DeCarli diet, intraperitoneal injection of saponin was performed for 10 wks. To perform the experiments, rats were divided as follows: LETO-Control (LC), LETO-Ethanol (LE), LETO-Ethanol-Saponin (LES), OLETF-Control (OC), OLETF-Ethanol (OE), and OLETF-Ethanol-Saponin (OES). Results: The weights of epididymal and mesenteric fat tissue in LES and OES rats were the lightest from among the LETO and OLETF groups, respectively. The secretion of alanine aminotransferase and cholesterol in OES rats decreased significantly compared to their secretion in OC and OE rats, respectively. The islets of the pancreas in LE and OE rats showed clean, unclear, and smaller morphology compared to those of LC, LES, OC, and OES rats. In addition, the expression of insulin in the islets of the pancreas in LC, LES, OC, and OES rats was higher than in LE and OE rats. Conclusion: Saponin may not only be helpful in alleviating the rapid progress of diabetes due to chronic alcohol consumption in diabetic patients, but may also show potential as an antidiabetic drug candidate for diabetic patients who chronically consume alcohol.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.173-181
• /
• 2015

This study investigated the effects of scopoletin (6-methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin) supplementation on insulin resistance and the antioxidant defense system in chronic alcohol-fed rats. Rats were fed a Lieber-Decarli liquid diet containing 5% ethanol with or without two doses of scopoletin (0.01 and 0.05 g/L) for 8 weeks. Pair-fed rats received an isocaloric carbohydrate liquid diet. Chronic alcohol did not affect fasting serum glucose levels, although it induced glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia compared with the pair-fed group and led to insulin resistance. Both doses of scopoletin similarly improved glucose intolerance, serum insulin level, and insulin resistance. Scopoletin supplementation significantly activated phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase, which was inhibited by chronic alcohol. Two doses of scopoletin up-regulated hepatic mRNA expression and activity of glucokinase as well as down-regulated mRNA expression and activity of glucose-6-phosphatase compared with the alcohol control group. Both doses of scopoletin significantly reduced cytochrome P450 2E1 activity and elevated aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activity, resulting in a lower serum acetaldehyde level compared with the alcohol control group. Chronic alcohol suppressed hepatic mRNA expression and activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase; however, they were reversed by scopoletin supplementation, which reduced hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxide levels in the liver. These results indicate that dietary scopoletin attenuated chronic alcohol-induced insulin resistance and activated the antioxidant defense system through regulation of hepatic gene expression in glucose and antioxidant metabolism.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.29 no.7
• /
• pp.721-728
• /
• 1996

The level of oxidative tissue damage caused by free radicals generated from ethanol oxidation was determined in the myocardium of chronic ethanol fed-rats and the protective action of various radical scavenging enzymes was monitored, also. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were given ethanol in an amount of 36% of total calories via Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet for 6 weeks. Control group was pair-fed with the diet containing isocaloric amount of dextrin-maltose instead of ethanol. Chronic ethanol administration resulted in the increased amount of myocardial thiobarbituric acid reactive substance(TBARS), th parameter of lipid peroxidation, under our experimental condition. Chronic ethanol ingestion did not cause any change in activities of either glutathione peroxidase or glutathione reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were decreased after ethanol treatment. Therefore, chronic ethanol administration seemed to cause considerble changes in cellular defense function against oxidative tissue damage in rat myocardium through glutathione utilizing system and radical generation system. However the ultimate net result of chronic ethanol inestion on the myocardium of rat was the oxidative tissue damage revealed by increased TBARS content.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.276-279
• /
• 2001

The effect of helminthiasis on zinc metabolism was monitored using endogenous $^{65}Zn$ after intraperitoneal injection of 1 g of $^{65}Zn$ as zinc chloride. In the first experiment zinc turnover was investigated in 18 male weanling rats, which were randomly divided into 3 groups. One group was infected with 73 third stage larvae of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis per gram body weight ; the other groups were the pair-fed and ad lib-fed controls. The route of loss of zinc was investigated in the second experiment with the same design using 18 animals with a lower dose of infection (33 larvae per gram body weight). The biological half life of endogenous $^{65}Zn$ was lower (p<0.05) in the infected group as compared to the controls. In the later phase of infection (9th to 16th day) there was reduced retention of $^{65}Zn$ and increased loss (p<0.05) of $^{65}Zn$ from the body though urine and faeces. It was concluded that infection of N. brasiliensis was accompanied by increased loss of endogenous Zn through faeces and urine.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.37-50
• /
• 1972

An analysis of the free amino acid contained in the plasma and erythrocytes of the six groups of Wistar Strain male adult rats(body weight 200-300g) having fasted for sixteen hours was made by means of the HITACHI Amino Acid Autoanalyzer and the result of which was corrected with RC-24 B TOMY Micro Hematocrit Centrifuge. There was a depression of the plasma and erythrocytes free amino acid level on the noprotein diet with ad libitum feeding. But on the 20% casein diet there was an elevation in the levels of free amino acid and consequently alanine, glysine, lysine, serine and arginine level in the erythrocytes and threonine glutamic acid and taurine level in the plasma increased on the high protein diet. There was more plasma and erythrocytes free amino acid level on the 5% casein-30% fat diet than on the 5% casein-no fat diet with pair-feeding. In comparison, on the low calorie diet more free amino acids were found in plasma than in erythrocytes, but on the higher calorie diet more free amino acids were found in the erythrocytes than in the plasma. On the 20% casein-30% fat diet with pair-feeding the erythrocytes free amino acids level increased but in plasma free amino acids level decreased. Such as an opposite result was given in plasma and erythrocytes free amino acids level. In the pair-fed four groups, erythrocytes per plasma generally increased in the rate of less than 10.0 as the calorie increased. The essential amino acid per non essential amino acid generally increased in the ratio as protein level and calorie increased, and that ratio range was from 0.2 to 0.7. And essential amino acid per non essential amino acid of plasma was higher than that of erythrocytes.