Effects of xylitol on metabolic parameters and visceral fat accumulation

Xylitol is widely used as a sweetener in foods and medications. Xylitol ingestion causes a small blood glucose rise, and it is commonly used as an alternative to high-energy supplements in diabetics. In previous studies, a xylitol metabolite, xylulose-5-phosphate, was shown to activate carbohydrate response element binding protein, and to promote lipogenic enzyme gene transcription in vitro; however, the effects of xylitol in vivo are not understood. Here we investigated the effects of dietary xylitol on lipid metabolism and visceral fat accumulation in rats fed a high-fat diet. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet containing 0 g (control), 1.0 g/100 kcal (X1) or 2.0 g/100 kcal (X2) of xylitol. After the 8-week feeding period, visceral fat mass and plasma insulin and lipid concentrations were significantly lower in xylitol-fed rats than those in high-fat diet rats. Gene expression levels of ChREBP and lipogenic enzymes were higher, whereas the expression of sterol regulatory-element binding protein 1c was lower and fatty acid oxidation-related genes were significantly higher in the liver of xylitol-fed rats as compared with high-fat diet rats. In conclusion, intake of xylitol may be beneficial in preventing the development of obesity and metabolic abnormalities in rats with diet-induced obesity

Effects of Prolonged High Phosphorus Diet on Phosphorus and Calcium Balance in Rats

The amount of phosphorus contained in food as food additives is currently increasing and a high intake of phosphorus can cause various diseases. To determine the effects of a prolonged high phosphorus diet, here we investigated the phosphorus and calcium balance and expression of type IIa sodium-dependent phosphate transporter (Npt IIa) in mature rats. Wistar male rats (8-weeks old) were divided into five groups and fed diets containing 0.6% calcium plus 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 or 1.5% phosphorus for 4 weeks. Urinary and fecal phosphorus excretions were significantly increased by the high phosphorus diets (from 0.6 to 1.5%), dependent on the amount of dietary phosphorus. The net absorption of intestinal phosphorus was also significantly increased by high phosphorus diets. As a result, a negative phosphorus balance was observed in rats given the 1.2% or 1.5% phosphorus diets. Serum parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations were increased by high phosphorus diets. In addition, high phosphorus diets decreased the expression of Npt IIa mRNA and protein in the renal brush border membrane. Taken together, these results suggest that diets containing 1.2 or 1.5% phosphorus plus 0.6% calcium have potentially adverse effects on phosphorus homeostasis in mature rat

Two types of antigorite serpentinite controlling heterogeneous slow-slip behaviours of slab-mantle interface

It is known that plate boundaries in subduction zones show heterogeneous slip nature with strongly coupled seismogenic zones and various types of episodic tremor and slip (ETS) zones. In order to examine the petrological controls on the large-scale structure, we compared recent geophysical observations in the Shikoku area, southwest Japan with petrological models of the hanging wall mantle wedge. As a result, we found a close relationship between mineral assemblages in the mantle wedge and the characteristics of slow slip behaviour recorded in the Shikoku area: Short-term ETSs take place in the antigorite + olivine stability field and silent long-term slow slip events (SSEs) take place in the antigorite+brucite stability field. Based on observations of natural antigorite serpentinites, we propose a model that the dominant serpentinization reaction in the mantle wedge changes with increasing depth resulting in variable extents of pore fluid pressures along slip planes. The serpentinization reaction in the antigorite+brucite stability field (olivine + H2O → antigorite + brucite) proceeds at the expense of water. This is consistent with moderately elevated pore pressures inferred for long-term SSEs. The existence of weak brucite enhances the development of shear zones oblique to the main foliation. The resultant anastomosing network provides fluid pathways that may help reduce pore pressures on slip planes. In contrast, progress of the serpentinization reaction in the antigorite + olivine stability field (olivine + H2O + SiO2 → antigorite) results in a large amount of residual water that contributes to further increase pore fluid pressures on slip planes of short-term SSEs. Our results imply that understanding of serpentinization reactions and their contributions to fluid networks in mantle wedge is important in constructing quantitative 3-D models for strain evolutions along plate boundaries. © 2014 Elsevier B.V

The Anti-Obesity Effect of the Palatinose-Based Formula Inslow is Likely due to an Increase in the Hepatic PPAR-α and Adipocyte PPAR-γ Gene Expressions

Abdominal obesity is a principal risk factor in the development of metabolic syndrome. Previously, we showed that a palatinose-based liquid formula, Inslow/MHN-01, suppressed postprandial plasma glucose level and reduced visceral fat accumulation better than the standard formula (SF). To elucidate the mechanism of Inslow-mediated anti-obesity effect, expression levels of genes involved in the glucose and lipid metabolism were compared in Inslow- and SF-fed rats. Both fasting plasma insulin level and average islet sizes were reduced in the Inslow group. We also found less abdominal fat accumulation and reduced hepatic triacylglycerol content in the Inslow group. Expression of the β-oxidation enzymes and uncoupling potein-2 (UCP-2) mRNAs in the liver of the Inslow group were higher than the SF group, which was due to a concomitant higher expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α mRNA in the former. Furthermore, expression of the UCP-2 and adiponectin mRNAs in the epididymal fat were higher in the Inslow group than the SF group, and were stimulated by a concomitant increase of the PPAR-γ gene expression in the former. These results strongly suggested that the anti-obesity effect of Inslow was due to an increase in the hepatic PPAR-α and adipocyte PPAR-γ gene expressions

The polymorphism in the caudal-related homeodomain protein Cdx-2 binding element in the human vitamin D receptor gene

The major physiological activity of 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) is the regulation of calcium absorption in the small intestine, and the level of vitamin D receptor (VDR) is an important factor in this regulation. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the caudal-related homeodomain Cdx-2 played an important role in the intestine-specific transcription of the human VDR gene. In the present study, the polymorphism was identified in the core sequence 5'-ATAAAAACTTAT-3' in the Cdx-2 binding site in the VDR gene promoter. In 261 Japanese women with genotyped VDR polymorphisms, 48 were genotype Cdx-A (adenine at-3731 nt relative to the transcription start site of human VDR gene, 5'-A_TAAAAACTTAT'-3'), 82 were genotype Cdx-G (guanine at-3731 nt, 5'-G_TAAAAACTTAT-3'), 131 were genotype Cdx-A/G (heterozygote). The bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine (L2-4) with the Cdx-A homozygote was 12% lower than that with the Cdx-G homozygote (P<0.05). In electropholertic gel mobility shift assay, the oligonucleotide with Cdx-G allele markedly decreased the binding to Cdx-2 compared with that in the Cdx-A allele. The transcriptional activity of the VDR promoter with Cdx-G allele was decreased to 70% of the Cdx-A allele. In addition, in the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter, the Cdx-2 binding element with the G allele showed significantly lower transcriptional activity than that of the A allele. Thus, the polymorphism in the Cdx-2 binding site of the VDR gene (Cdx-polymorphism) would affect the expression of VDR in the small intestine. In addition, this polymorphism may modulate BMD in postmenopausal Japanese women

Nutritional treatment of a patient with hepatic cirrhosis with the novel low glycemic index liquid food (Inslow)

A sixty-six year-old patient with liver cirrhosis and diabetes was nutritionally treated by administration of the low glycemic index liquid food (Inslow) as a late evening sack (LES) for 6 weeks. The mean energy intake increased from 825±48 kcal/d to 1567±66 kcal/d after the 6-week treatment period. The fasting glucose level did not change, remaining at about 100 mg/dl throughout this period. Interestingly, the amount of insulin administered was reduced from 38 units before treatment to 28 units in the fifth week of treatment without a change in the fasting glucose level. This indicates a marked improvement in insulin sensitivity due to Inslow administration in this patient. In conclusion, the long-term administration of Inslow as an LES may be an effective treatment for cirrhotic patients

The radial curvature of an end that makes eigenvalues vanish in the essential spectrum II

Under the quadratic-decay-conditions of the radial curvatures of an end, we shall derive growth estimates of solutions to the eigenvalue equation and show the absence of eigenvalues.Comment: "$\ge$" in the conditions $(*_4)$ and $(*_5)$ should be replaced by "$>$". $\gamma \ge \frac{n-1}{2}(b-a)$ in the conclusion of Theorem 1.3 should be replaced by $\gamma > \frac{n-1}{2}(b-a)$; trivial miss-calculatio