Localization of HSP47 mRNA in murine bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) is a collagen-specific molecular chaperone that has been shown to play a major role in the processing and/or secretion of procollagen. However, the knowledge on which cells are actually synthesizing HSP47 in the lung parenchyma in pulmonary fibrosis was only limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the localization of HSP47 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in normal lung and in the lungs of mice in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, using in situ hybridization. For the purpose, ICR mice were intravenously injected with 10 mg/kg per day of bleomycin for five consecutive days. The lung cells expressing HSP47 mRNA were identified in control (saline alone) and bleomycin-treated mice by in situ hybridization. The signal for HSP47 mRNA was markedly increased in bleomycin-treated lungs compared with that of controls. HSP47 mRNA was localized in alpha-smooth-muscle-actin-positive myofibroblasts, surfactant-protein-A-positive type II pneumocytes, and F4/80-positive macrophages in the active fibrotic areas. These results suggest that these cells may synthesize procollagen in the fibrotic process of bleomycin-treated lungs through upregulation of HSP47 mRNA and play an important role in fibrogenesis

DRIED FRUITS, ESPECIALLY DATES, INCREASE THE LIFESPAN OF CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS

The effects of five commercially available dried fruits on the longevity of nematodes were investigated. All five dried fruits significantly increased the lifespans relative to the control. In particular, dates extended the lifespan significantly more than the control and the other four dried fruits. The mean lifespan and maximum lifespan of the nematodes that consumed dates were 40.9 and 21% longer than those of the control group, respectively. The total concentration of polyphenol compounds was measured to investigate whether the lifespan-extending effect of dates was due to antioxidants. The results showed that the polyphenol contents of dates and prunes were higher than those of the other dried fruits. However, there was no significant difference in the total polyphenol concentrations between dates and prunes. Therefore, dates may contain substances other than polyphenol-related compounds that are responsible for their lifespan-extending effects, or which may promote the activities of polyphenols

Inhibitory Effect of Various Breads on DMH-Induced Aberrant Crypt Foci and Colorectal Tumours in Rats

Bread is rich in dietary fibre and many phytochemical compounds, which may influence chemoprevention of colon cancer. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of three kinds of bread on DMH-induced colorectal tumours in F344 rats. F344 rats were divided into four groups (Steinmetz Three-Grain bread, Steinmetz Country bread, White bread, and MF). All groups were injected with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH, 20 mg/kg body weight) once a week for 8 consecutive weeks from 5 weeks of age. To investigate the antioxidant effect of bread, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging rate of bread and the serum levels of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in rats were examined. The number of colorectal aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and the incidence of colorectal tumours were studied after 34 weeks of DMH treatment. The Steinmetz Three-Grain and Steinmetz Country bread groups had higher scavenging rates of the DPPH free radical and lower serum levels of 8-OHdG and incidence of ACF, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas of colon than the White bread and MF group. Steinmetz Three-Grain bread and Steinmetz Country bread have various ingredient combinations that may inhibit colorectal cancer progression