• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.225-235
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the potential of freeze-dried persimmon powder (Diospyros kaki Thumb.) to protect against dyslipidemia induced by a high-fat/cholesterol diet (HFD) in a rat model. Methods: Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control (NC), high-fat/cholesterol control (HC), tannin in HFD (HT, 1% of diet), immature persimmon in HFD (HI, 7% of diet), and mature persimmon in HFD (HM, 7% of diet). Tannin was used as a positive control. Biochemical, molecular, and histopathological changes were observed in the blood and liver. Results: We confirmed that a high fat/cholesterol diet successfully induced dyslipidemia, which was characterized by significantly altered lipid profiles in the plasma and liver. However, oxidized low-density lipoprotein levels, histopathological damage in the liver, and hepatic triglyceride levels were significantly reduced in all HT, HI, and HM groups compared to those in the HF group. In contrast, plasma apolipoprotein B level was significantly reduced only in the HT and HM groups, whereas reduction of the LDL-C level was detected only in the HI group. Although HF-induced sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) gene expression was significantly reduced in all treated groups, downstream gene expression levels varied among the different groups; significant reduction of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMGCR) gene expression was detected only in the HI group, whereas cholesterol $7{\alpha}$-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) gene expression was significantly elevated only in the HM group. Conclusion: Taken together, the data suggest that protection of LDL oxidation and hepatic lipogenesis might be, at least partly, attributed to tannin in persimmons. However, the identified mechanisms varied up to the maturation stage of persimmon. In the case of immature persimmon, modulation of FAS and HMGCR gene expression was prominent, whereas in the case of mature persimmon, modulation of CYP7A1 gene expression was prominent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.40 no.11
• /
• pp.1556-1561
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate antioxidant enzyme activity and vitamin E concentrationin in Sprague-Dawley rat after being fed various extracts of Hizikia fusiforme. There were six experimental groups: control group (C), H. fusiforme ethanol extract group (EtOH), H. fusiforme dichloromethane fraction group ($CH_2Cl_2$), H. fusiforme ethylacetate fraction group (EtOAc), H. fusiforme butanol fraction group (n-BuOH), H. fusiforme water fraction group ($H_2O$). H. fusiforme extracts (400 mg/kg B.W) were orally administrated to the rats every day for 4 weeks. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and vitamin E in the liver and blood were measured. The activity of SOD in the liver was significantly higher in the $CH_2Cl_2$ and $H_2O$ groups (p<0.05) than in the control and other extract groups. The SOD activity in serum increased significantly in all H. fusiforme groups (p<0.05) compared to the control group and it was also significantly higher in the EtOH and $H_2O$ groups (p<0.05) than in other extract groups. The serum catalase activity increased significantly in the n-BuOH group (p<0.05) compared to the control and other extract groups. The plasma MDA concentration decreased significantly in the n-BuOH and $H_2O$ group (p<0.05) compared to the control group. Serum concentration of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol showed no significant differences in most of the experimental groups, but it was significantly higher in the EtOAc group (p<0.05). The ${\alpha}$-tocopherol concentrations in the liver showed a significant increase in the $CH_2Cl_2$ and $H_2O$ groups (p<0.05) compared to the control and other extract groups. The liver ${\gamma}$-tocopherol concentrations in H. fusiforme extract groups showed a tendency to increase compared to the control group and it was significantly higher in the $H_2O$ group (p<0.05) than in other extract groups. These results suggest that supplementation of water extracts of H. fusiforme extract could be effective in improving the antioxidant system.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.43-54
• /
• 1982

Bile formation is a complex process comprised of three separate physiologic mechanism operating at two anatomical sites. At present time, it was known that at least two processes are responsible for total canalicular secretion at the bile canaliculus. One of the processes is bile salt-dependent secretion (BSDS) hypothesis that the active transport of bile salts from plasma to bile provided a primary stimulus for bile formation: the osmotic effect of actively transported bile acid was responsible for the movement of water and ions into bile. The other process is bile salt-independent secretion (ESIS), which is unrelated to bile salt secretion at the canaliculus and which may involve the active transport of sodium. The third process for bile formation involves the biliary ductal epithelium. Secretin-stimulated bile characteristically contained bicarbonate in high concentration. Therefor, it was suggested that secretin stimulated water and bicarbonate secretion from the biliary ductules. One the other hand, it was found that a large amounts of cAMP was present in canine bile but no apparent relationship between bile salt secretion and cAMP content in dog bile. However, bile flow studies in human have demonstrated that secretin and glucagon increase bile cAMP secretion as does secretin in baboons. Secretin increases baboon bile duct mucosal cAMP levels in addition to bile CAMP levels suggesting that in that species secretin-stimulated bile flow may be cAMP mediated. It has been postulated that glucagon and theophylline which increase the bile salt-independent secretion in dogs might act through an increased in liver cAMP content. In a few studies, the possible role of cAMP on bile formation has teen tested by administration of an exogenous derivative of cAMP, dibutyryl cAMP. In the rat, DB cAMP did not modify bile flow, but injection of DB cAMP in the dog promoted an increase in the bile salt-independent secretion. Because of these contradictory results, this study was carried out to examine the relationship between cyclic nucleotides and bile flow due to various bile salts as well as secretin or theophylline. Experiments were performed in rabbits with anesthesia produced by the injection of seconal(30 mg/kg). Rabbits had the cystic duct ligated and the proximal end of the divided common duct cannulated with an appropriately sized polyethylene catheter. A similar catheter was placed into the inferior vena cava for administration of drugs. Bile was collected for determination of cyclic nucleotides and total cholate in 15 min. intervals for a few hours. The results are summerized as followings. 1) Administrations of taurocholic acid or chenodeoxycholic acid increased significantly the concentrations of cAMP and cGMP in bile of rabbits. 2) Concentration of cAMP in bile during the continuous infusion of ursodeoxycholic acid, was remarkedly increased in accordance with the increase of bile flow, while on the contrary concentration of cGMP in bile was decreased significantly. 3) Dehydrocholic acid and deoxycholic acid significantly increased bile flow, total cholate output and cyclic nucleotides in bile. 4) Only cAMP concentration in bile was significantly increased from control value by secretin, while theophylline increased cAMP as well as cGMP in rabbit bile. 5) In addition, the administration of secretin to taurocholic acid-stimulated bile flow increased cAMP while theophylline produced the increases of cAMP and cGMP in bile. 6) The administration of insulin to taurocholic acid-stimulated bile flow decreased cAMP concentration, while on the contrary cGMP was remarkedly increased in rabbit bile.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.456-464
• /
• 2002

This study was designed to investigates the effects of Korean pueraris radix water extract in Cd(cadmium) administered rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing $100{\pm}10g$ were used for this experiment and divided into following 4 groups; control group, 3% pueraria radix in water extract group, 50 ppm Cd group, 50ppm Cd group with 3% pueraria radix in water extract group. The Cd administered rats were given 50 ppm of $CdCl_2\;{\cdot}\;2H_2O$ disolved in the distilled water. The Cd content in the rats tissue of Cd administered group was lower than in the rats tissue of Cd group with 3% pueraria radix in water extract group. Plasma levels of renin activity was increased by Cd administration group, compared with 3% pueraria radix in water extract group and Cd administred group. Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase(GOT) and Glutamate pyruvate transaminase(GPT) were increased in Cd-administered group and lower in the 3% extracts of pueraria radix in water extract group. Lactate dehydrogenase(LDHase) was lower in the 3% extracts of pueraria radix-Cd group than in the Cd group. This results suggested that pueraria radix in water extract group, has a lowering effects on the accumulation of Cd and it is belived that the pueraria radix in water extract group has some protective effects to Cd administered in rats, but the mechanism of these effects was obscure.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.113-118
• /
• 2016

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), is a protein mainly secreted by a liver. The PCSK9 plays an important role in low density lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism acting as a repressor of LDL receptor through transportation of the LDLR to the lysosome for degradation. Thus, the PCSK9 inhibitor suppresses PCSK9-regulated degradation of the LDL receptor as a LDL-lowering medicine. However, little is known about the role of PCSK9 in the reproductive system. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated Pcsk9 expression in male reproductive tracts including penises, prostates and testes using rats in response to their diets between a normal diet and a high-fat diet with cholesterol. Based on our previous study, the high-fat diet elevates concentration of total cholesterol and LDL in serum whereas it reduces the concentration of plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL). In addition, it dramatically affects to morphological changes of the male reproductive organs. Consistent with these results, the expression of Pcsk9 was substantially decreased in the penile tissues (P < 0.001) from rats fed a high fat diet as compared to a normal diet. Moreover, it slightly reduced in the prostate and testes (P < 0.05) of rats in response to a high fat diet. Localization of Pcsk9 was predominantly detected in urethral epithelium of penises, cylinder-shaped cells of prostate glands, and spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatid of testes of rats. Collectively, results of current study provide invaluable insights into the Pcsk9 gene with respect to its tissue- and cell-specific expression by a high fat diet with cholesterol.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.5-13
• /
• 2009

Mushrooms have become a largely untapped source of powerful new pharmaceutical products that poses anti-inflammatory, and antimutagenic, and antioxidant activities. The antioxidant effects of the mushroom may be partly explained by protecting cellular components against free radical. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of chaga mushroom against diabetes, via the mitigation of oxidative stress and reduction of blood glucose, in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Rats were rendered diabetic by intravenous administration of STZ through tail at a dose of 50 mg/kg. Animals were allocated into four groups with 8 rats each. The control and diabetic control group were fed with standard rat feed. The other diabeic groups, the low chaga extract group and the high chaga extract group were fed ad libitum using 0.5 g/kg and 5 g/kg of chaga mushroom extract, respectively, for 4 weeks. The blood glucose levels in the two chaga extract groups showed a tendency to decrease but did not reach statistical significance after the supplementation. Leukocyte DNA damage, expressed as tail length, was found to be significantly lower in the high chaga extract group than in the diabetic control group (p > 0.05). Plasma level of total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) was tend to be higher in the high chaga extract group compared with the diabetic control group. Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities of two groups did not differ. Although we did not obtain beneficial effect on lowering blood glucose levels in the STZ-induced diabetic rats, this results suggest that the chaga mushroom extracts may initially act on protecting endogenous DNA damage in the short-term experiment.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.303-311
• /
• 1986

This work was designed as basic studies on the development of diet for the treatment of obesity. The effect of alginic acid which is the major component of brown algae was investigated by comparing with agar, cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), chitin, and lignin as dietary fibers. These dietary fibers ($10\%$) supplemented to basic diet were fed ad libitum to Sprague Dawley rat for 4 weeks, and the inhibitory effects on obesity were evaluated by measuring body weight gain and feed efficiency, the content of glucose and cholesterol in serum, lipase activity in serum, lipid content in liver, adipose tissue around epididymis and ovarium, and Lee index etc. Among the inhibitory effect of these dietary fibers on obesity, lignin was the most effective (p<0.001), followed by Na-alginate (p<0.01) for body weight gain, but lignin was the most effective, followed by CMC, and followed by Na-alginate for feed efficiency (p<0.001). In the inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation in liver and adipose tissue around epididymis and ovarium, lignin and Na-alginate group among these dietary fibers were more effective than others, but there was no significant difference between male and female. The inhibitory effect on obesity evaluated by Lee index was effective in the order of Na-alginate>lignin>CMC>chitin>cellulose (p<0.001). The decreasing effects of lipid content in liver by dietary fibers were found in the order of agar>CMC>cellulose>Na-alginate>chitin>lignin (p<0.001). Glucose content in serum was significantly decreased in cases of CMC, lignin and Na-alginate, whereas a slight difference was found in chitin, but cholesterol content in serum was decreased for all dietary fibers examined except cellulose group. The increasing effect of lipase activity in plasma was found in cases of Na-alginate and chitin, while cellulose, CMC and lignin groups were decreased.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.710-718
• /
• 2002

It is reported that Pueraria Radix contains phtoestrogens whereas flower, and bud of Pueraria lobata Ohwi were not known. In the present study, we determined the amount of phytoestrogen in each portion of P. lobata Ohwi and carried out therapeutic effects of osteoporosis. The amounts of genistein, daidzein, and formononetin in Pueraria Radix (PR), Pueraria Flos (PF), and young Pueratia Folium (PL) were quantitated using a HPLC system. Proliferation of osteoblast and growth inhibitory effect on osteoclast were measured in order to screen their effects on osteoporosis. Proliferation of osteoblast-like cells (Saos-2) was analyzed by both MTT methods and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assays. Growth inhibitory effect on osteoclast was also detected as Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) assay. Ovariectomized rat as an in vivo animal model was selected and administrations of PR were 1 g/kg/day (PR-1) and 5 g/kg/day (PR-5) for 9 weeks, respectively. Trabecular bone areas (TBAs) of tibia and lumbar were analyzed usibg histomorphological methods. Results show that PR contains the highest level of daidzein ($10435{\pm}2143\;mg/kg$ of dried herb) and stimulated ALP activity, approximately 160% of the control. Growth inhibitory effect on osteoclast by both PR and daidzein were almost identical with control although $IC_{50}$ of genistein was $5.81{\times}10^{-7}$ M. Increases in body weight of OVX rats were suppressed by administration of PR but wet weights of uterus in PR-5 group were increased (p<0.05). Plasma ALP and HDL-cholesterol levels were decreased following ages (p<0.01), and LDL-cholesterol level was also decreased in PR-5 group at 20 week of age (p<0.01). TBAs of tibia and lumbar in PR-1 and PR-5 groups were higher than those of the control although the values were less than those of the sham group (each p<0.01) In conclusion, administrations of PR prevented loss of TBAs of tibia and lumber in OVX rats, while PL and PF did not (p<0.01).