Soybean and Other Legume Proteins Exhibit Beneficial Physiological Effects on Metabolic Syndrome and Inflammatory-Related Disorders

There is currently a trend in Western countries to increase the intake of plant proteins. In this chapter, the author explains that this is due to the beneficial physiological functions of plant proteins, based on the latest literature review and our own research results. Among plant proteins, soy protein has been reported to have many beneficial effects on the improvement and prevention of metabolic syndrome. This chapter outlines the excellent effects of soy protein on renal function [improvement of early symptoms of diabetic nephropathy], which is closely related to metabolic syndrome, and the effects of combining these effects as complementary medicine. In addition, recent findings about the anti-inflammatory and immune activation effects of soy protein as hydrolyzed peptides are outlined. A brief introduction of the recent results of other legume-derived proteins that have replaced soy proteins are also explained. By further deepening our understanding of the superior physiological functions of plant proteins, it is hoped that their use expands even further

Structured triacylglycerol containing behenic and oleic acids suppresses triacylglycerol absorption and prevents obesity in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dietary 1(3)-behenoyl-2,3(1)-dioleoyl-<it>rac</it>-glycerol (BOO) has been reported to inhibit pancreatic lipase activity <it>in vitro </it>and suppress postprandial hypertriacylglycerolemia in humans. In the present study, the anti-obesity activities of BOO and its inhibitory effects on lymphatic triacylglycerol (TAG) absorption were investigated in rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In Experiment 1, rats were fed either BOO or soybean oil (SO) diet for 6 weeks. In the BOO diet, 20% of SO was replaced with an experimental oil rich in BOO. In Experiments 2 and 3, rats cannulated in the thoracic duct were administered an emulsions containing trioleoylglycerol (OOO) or an oil mixture (OOO:BOO, 9:1). Tri[1-¹⁴C]oleoylglycerol (¹⁴C-OOO) was added to the emulsions administered in Experiment 3.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No observable differences were detected in food intake or body weight gain between the BOO and SO groups in Experiment 1. Plasma and liver TAG concentrations and visceral fat weights were significantly lower in the BOO group than in the SO group. The apparent absorption rate of fat was significantly lower in the BOO group than in the SO group. In Experiment 2, the lymphatic recovery of oleic and behenic acids was significantly lower at 5 and 6 h after BOO administration than after OOO administration. In Experiment 3, the lymphatic recovery of ¹⁴C-OOO was significantly lower at 5 and 6 h after BOO administration than after OOO administration.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that BOO prevents deposition of visceral fat and hepatic TAG by lowering and delaying intestinal absorption of TAG.</p

Soy Phospholipids Exert a Renoprotective Effect by Inhibiting the Nuclear Factor Kappa B Pathway in Macrophages

Complications associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which involves kidney inflammation, are a major health problem. Soy protein isolate (SPI) reportedly inhibits CKD exacerbation; however, its detailed action mechanism remains obscure. Therefore, the role of the polar lipid component of SPI in suppressing inflammation was investigated. Zucker fatty rats were divided into three groups and fed a diet containing casein, SPI, or casein + SPI ethanol extract (SPIEE) for 16 weeks. The isoflavones and phospholipids of SPIEE were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory effects. Rats in the SPI and casein + SPIEE groups showed reduced levels of the urinary N-acetyl-&beta;-d-glucosaminidase and renal IL-1&beta; mRNA (an inflammatory marker) compared with those in the casein group. In proximal tubular cells, genistein significantly inhibited monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression induced by an IL-1&beta; stimulus. In macrophages, soybean phospholipids suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-1&beta; gene expression by inhibiting the phosphorylation of inhibitor &kappa;B and p65. Phosphatidylinositol (PI) was found to be essential for inhibition of IL-1&beta; expression. SPIEE inhibited the exacerbation of kidney disease. Genistein and soybean phospholipids, especially soybean-specific phospholipids containing PI, effectively inhibited the inflammatory spiral in vitro. Hence, daily soybean intake may be effective for inhibiting chronic inflammation and slowing kidney disease progression

PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ISOLATED SOY PROTEINFEEDING ON RENAL TUBULES IN THE EARLY STAGEOF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY.

Progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is strongly related to the severity of tubulointerstitial damage. Isolated soy protein (ISP) feeding has shown beneficial effects in animal DN models. However, the mechanisms underlying the renal effects of ISP feeding in early disease stages have not been clarified. In this study, 6-week-old obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats and lean control rats were fed 20% casein or 20% ISP diet for either 2 or 24 weeks. In casein-fed fa/fa rats, the levels of urinary markers of tubular injury started to increase 2 weeks after the commencement of experimental feeding, and the increase continued over time. The levels of these markers were significantly lower in ISP-fed fa/fa rats than in casein-fed fa/fa rats. Renal MCP-1, IL-1β, and TNF- α mRNA levels and urinary MCP-1 levels were also lower in ISP-fed fa/fa rats than in casein-fed fa/fa rats after 2 weeks. IL- 1β-induced upregulation of MCP-1 expression in cultured tubular NRK-52E cells was suppressed by ISP peptides produced by digestion with pepsin and trypsin, but not by casein peptides. In conclusion, casein feeding induces tubular damage at the early stage of DN, whereas ISP feeding alleviates it. The renoprotective effects of ISP may be associated with the downregulation of renal inflammatory cytokines

Measurements of deposited dose with induced beta+ activity in proton and heavy-ion therapy

For the effective utilization of the favorable properties of heavy-ion beams in cancer treatment, it is important to evaluate the range of incident ions and the deposited dose distribution in a patient\u27s body. For this purpose, the utilization of positron emitters induced in therapeutic irradiation is, at present, the only feasible method for in situ and non-invasive monitoring of heavy-ion therapy. In this study, we performed irradiation experiments with three species of ions to a water target, and the annihilation gamma-ray distributions were obtained with a positron camera. We applied the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method for the detected distributions to derive the range of incident ions and the deposited dose distribution in the target. As a result, the ranges were determined with a difference between the MLE range RMLE and the experimental range Rexp less than 1.1 mm. The good agreement between the estimated dose distribution with the MLE method and the measured one implies that a deposited dose distribution in a target could be estimated from a detected annihilation gamma-ray distribution

Application of MLE method to range determination with induced beta+ activity in hadron therapy

We proposed to apply the MLE method for determining the range of heavy ions and demonstrated the effectiveness of this method by experiments with 12C beams. We performed irradiation experiments with stable 12C ions of mono-energetic 290 MeV/u to a water, a polyethylene and a PMMA target. The theoretical ranges for 12C ions of 290 MeV/u in these targets are 160.5, 157.9 and 139.8 mm, respectively. The anihilation events from positron emitters generated by 12C ions were detected with a positron camera for 500 s just after the irradiation. To evaluate the range of 12C ions, the MLE method was applied to the annihilation gamma ray distribution. Thederived ranges for the three targets were 160.6, 158.9 and 140.4 mm, respectively. Therefore, we can conclude that the range of 12C ions was determined within an accuracy of 1.0mm for all targets

Experimental determination of particle range and dose distribution in thick targets through fragmentation reactions of stable heavy ions

In radiation therapy with highly energetic heavy ions, the conformal irradiation of a tumour can be achieved by using their advantageous features such as the good dose localization and the high relative biological effectiveness around their mean range. For effective utilization of such properties, it is necessary to evaluate the range of incident ions and the deposited dose distribution in a patient\u27s body. Several methods have been proposed to derive such physical quantities; one of them uses positron emitters generated through projectile fragmentation reactions of incident ions with target nuclei. We have proposed the application of the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method to a detected annihilation gamma-ray distribution for determination of the range of incident ions in a target and we have demonstrated the effectiveness of the method with computer simulations. In this paper, a water, a polyethylene and a polymethyl methacrylate target were each irradiated with stable 12C, 14N, 16O and 20Ne beams. Except for a few combinations of incident beams andtargets, the MLE method could determine the range of incident ions RMLE with a difference between RMLE and the experimental range of less than 2.0 mm under the circumstance that the measurement of annihilation gamma rays was started just after the irradiation of 61.4 s and lasted for 500 s. In the process of evaluating the range of incident ions with the MLE method, we must calculate many physical quantities such as the fluence and the energy of both primary ions and fragments as a function of depth in a target. Consequently, by using them we can obtain the dose distribution. Thus, when themean range of incident ions is determined with the MLE method, the annihilation gamma-ray distribution and the deposited dose distribution can be derived simultaneously. The derived dose distributions in water for the mono-energetic heavy-ion beams of four species were compared with those measured with an ionization chamber. The good agreement between the derived and the measured distributions implies that the deposited dose distribution in a target can be estimated from the detected annihilation gamma-ray distribution with a positron camera

Maximum likelihood estimation of proton irradiated field and deposited dose distribution

In proton therapy, it is important to evaluate the field irradiated with protons and the deposited dose distribution in a patient\u27s body. Positron emitters generated through fragmentation reactions of target nuclei can be used for this purpose. By detecting the annihilation gamma rays from the positron emitters, the annihilation gamma ray distribution can be obtained which has information about the quantities essential to proton therapy. In this study, we performed irradiation experiments with mono-energetic proton beams of 160 MeV and the spread-out Bragg peak beams to three kinds of targets. The annihilation events were detected with a positron camera for 500 s after the irradiation and the annihilation gamma ray distributions were obtained. In order to evaluate the range and the position of distal and proximal edges of the SOBP, the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method was applied to the detected distributions. The evaluated values with the MLE method were compared with those estimated from the measured dose distributions. As a result, the ranges were determined with the difference between the MLE range and the experimental range less than 1.0 mm for all targets. For the SOBP beams, the positions of distal edges were determined with the difference less than 1.0 mm. On the other hand, the difference amounted to 7.9 mm for proximal edges