Disruption of islet architecture and function.

<p>(A) Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining and (B) immunofluorescent staining for insulin (red) and glucagon (green) were performed to analyze histopathological changes in the pancreatic islets at the end of study. (C) Islet area was determined from at least 5 different islets per pancreas stained with H&E (n = 4). (D) Pancreatic insulin concentration measured by ELISA (n = 6). V, vehicle; BGE, black ginseng extract; RGE, red ginseng extract. Values represent means ± SEM. *<i>P</i> < 0.05; **<i>P</i> < 0.01.</p

Cytokine-induced toxic signaling in β-cells.

<p>(A) Pancreatic protein expressions of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65), phospho-NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were measured by western blotting (n = 4). (B) Pancreatic mRNA expressions of <i>TNF-α</i>, <i>IL-1β</i>, <i>p65</i> and <i>iNOS</i> (n = 6). (C) Nitrite and (D) thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentrations in serum (n = 6). TBARS was expressed in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) equivalents. (E) A potential inhibitory mechanism of STZ-induced β-cell apoptosis by BGE. STZ is taken up by β-cells via GLUT2 and promotes cytokine-initiated apoptotic signaling. BGE may suppress the expressions of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-1β, leading to inhibition of the NF-κB pathway and caspase-3 activation, which ultimately protects the β-cells. Solid lines indicate the stimulatory actions by STZ. Dashed lines indicate the inhibitory actions by BGE. V, vehicle; BGE, black ginseng extract; RGE, red ginseng extract. Values represent means ± SEM. *<i>P</i> < 0.05; **<i>P</i> < 0.01.</p

STZ-induced β-cell apoptosis.

<p>(A) TUNEL (green) and (B) active caspase (red) immunofluorescent staining were performed to measure apoptosis in pancreatic islets at the end of study. Arrows indicate cells with positive signals. At least five different islets per pancreas section were counted to calculate the percentage of (C) TUNEL-positive cells or (D) cleaved caspase-3 positive area. (E) Pancreatic protein expressions of total caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 were measured by western blotting. V, vehicle; BGE, black ginseng extract; RGE, red ginseng extract. Values represent means ± SEM (n = 4). *<i>P</i> < 0.05; ***<i>P</i> < 0.001.</p

Physiological changes of glucose homeostasis.

<p>Mice received the indicated sample treatments for 5 weeks. Diabetes was induced by multiple (for 5 consecutive days) low-dose (50 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injections of STZ. (A) Time line of the study. (B) Body weights and (C) fed blood glucose during the experimental period. (D) Cumulative incidence of diabetes was calculated as a percentage of hyperglycemic mice (glucose level ≥ 300 mg/dL) at each time point. (E) The ratio of fasting insulin (pg/mL) and glucose (mg/dL) at day 32 was used as an index of insulin deficiency in mice. (F) Glucose concentrations during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), (G) area under the curve (AUC) for glucose, (H) insulin concentrations during OGTT and (I) AUC for insulin. V, vehicle; BGE, black ginseng extract; RGE, red ginseng extract. Values represent means ± SEM (n = 6). *<i>P</i> < 0.05.</p

<i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> LRCC 5273 isolated from Kimchi ameliorates diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in C57BL/6 mice

<p>This study was designed to select potent cholesterol-lowering probiotic strains on HepG2 cell and investigate the effect of selected strain, <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> LRCC 5273 and LRCC 5279 in hypercholesterolemic mice. In the results, LP5273 group showed significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol compared to HCD group. In addition to significantly up-regulated hepatic mRNA expression of LXR-α and CYP7A1, intestinal LXR-α and ABCG5 were significantly up-regulated in LP5273 group. With activation of hepatic and intestinal LXR-α and its target genes, fecal cholesterol and bile acid excretion were increased in LP5273 fed mice. These results suggest that LP5273 ameliorates hypercholesterolemia in mice through the activation of hepatic and intestinal LXR-α, resulting in enhancement of fecal cholesterol and bile acids excretion in the small intestine. The results of present study suggest mechanistic evidences for hypocholesterolemic effects of <i>L. plantarum</i> spp., and may contribute to future researches for prevention of hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease.</p> <p>LP5273 ameliorates hypercholesterolemia through the activation of hepatic and intestinal LXR-alpha, resulting in enhancement of fecal cholesterol and bile acids excretion.</p

Preparation of <i>S</i>‑Allylcysteine-Enriched Black Garlic Juice and Its Antidiabetic Effects in Streptozotocin-Induced Insulin-Deficient Mice

<i>S</i>-Allylcysteine (SAC), produced in large amounts during the aging process of garlic via enzymatic hydrolysis, is known as a key compound responsible for the multiple pharmacological activities of aged black garlic. This study investigated the effects of enzyme- and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)-assisted extraction on the content of the bioactive compounds, including SAC, in black garlic juice (BGJ) and evaluated the antidiabetic effects of SAC-enriched BGJ in streptozotocin (STZ)-treated mice. The aging process increased the contents of SAC, total polyphenols, and total flavonoids in garlic juice. More importantly, pretreatment of pectinase cocktail with HHP resulted in a greater increase in those compounds during aging. Enzyme-treated BGJ reduced hyperglycemia and improved islet architecture and β-cell function in STZ-treated mice. Moreover, these effects were more potent than those of BGJ prepared by the conventional aging process. These findings provide useful information for the production of black garlic with improved bioactivities