Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs)-independent functions of fish oil on glucose and lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fish oil is known to improve lifestyle-related diseases. These effects occur partly via activation of PPARs by the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids included abundantly in fish oil. We investigated fish oil functions on glucose and lipid metabolism that are both dependent on and independent of PPARs pathway.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Mice were fed a diet containing 30 en% beef tallow (B diet) for twelve weeks to induce obesity. The mice were then divided into two groups which were fed either a B diet or a diet containing 30 en% fish oil (F diet). Each group was further divided into two groups which were administered PPARα and γ antagonists or vehicle once a day for three weeks.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The F diet groups showed lower triglyceride levels in plasma and liver than the B diet groups, but PPARs antagonists did not affect the triglyceride levels in either diet groups. The F diet groups also showed improvement of glucose tolerance compared with the B diet groups. However, PPARs antagonists made glucose tolerance worse in the F diet group but improved it in the B diet group. Therefore, by the administration of antagonists, glucose tolerance was inversely regulated between the B and F diets, and hypolipidemic action in the plasma and liver of the F diet group was not affected.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that fish oil decreases lipid levels in plasma and liver via PPARs pathway-independent mechanism, and that glucose tolerance is inversely regulated by PPARs antagonists under diets containing different oils.</p

Liver-specific γ-glutamyl carboxylase-deficient mice display bleeding diathesis and short life span

Liver-Specific γ-Glutamyl Carboxylase-Deficient Mice Display Bleeding Diathesis and Short Life Span. Azuma K, Tsukui T, Ikeda K, Shiba S, Nakagawa K, et al. PLOS ONE. 2014. 9(2) doi:10.1371/journal.pone.008864

Glaucomatous Visual Field Defect Severity and the Prevalence of Motor Vehicle Collisions in Japanese: A Hospital/Clinic-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose. This study examined the association between the severity of visual field defects and the prevalence of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) in subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods. This is a cross-sectional study. Japanese patients who have had driver’s licence between 40 and 85 years of age were screened for eligibility. Participants answered a questionnaire about MVCs experienced during the previous 5 years. Subjects with POAG were classified as having mild, moderate, or severe visual field defect. We evaluated associations between the severity of POAG and the prevalence of MVCs by logistic regression models. Results. The prevalence of MVCs was significantly associated with the severity of POAG categorized by worse eye MD (control: 30/187 = 16.0%; mild POAG: 17/92 = 18.5%; moderate POAG: 14/60 = 23.3%; severe POAG: 14/47 = 29.8%; P=0.025, Cochran-Armitage trend test). Compared to the control group, the adjusted OR for MVC prevalence in subjects with mild, moderate, or severe POAG in the worse eye was 1.07 (95% CI: 0.55 to 2.10), 1.44 (95% CI: 0.68 to 3.08), and 2.28 (95% CI: 1.07 to 4.88). Conclusions. There is a significant association between the severity of glaucoma in the worse eye MD and the prevalence of MVCs

Comparison of nitrate content and antioxidant capacity in beetroot juice made in Japan and the UK

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A tumor-environment-responsive nanocarrier that evolves its surface properties upon sensing matrix metalloproteinase-2 and initiates agglomeration to enhance T2 relaxivity for magnetic resonance imaging.

We designed and synthesized a modified ferritin as a tumor-environment-responsive nanocarrier. We found that this nanocarrier could evolve its surface properties upon sensing a tumor-associated protease, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), which initiated agglomeration, resulting in the enhancement of T2 relaxivity for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The designed ferritin contained a triad of modifiers composed of (i) a "sensing" segment (substrate peptide of MMP-2), (ii) "hydrophobic" segments and (iii) a "hydrophilic" segment of polyethylene glycol (PEG). The hydrophilic segment ensured the particles\u27 monodispersibility in aqueous conditions. In the presence of MMP-2 activity, the "sensing" segment was cleaved by the enzyme and its submerged "hydrophobic" segments were exposed on the surface, resulting in the initiation of aggregation. Because ferritin contains ferrihydrite in its inner space, this multimerization resulted in the enhancement of T2 relaxivity, suggesting that this nanocarrier may be useful as a contrast agent in MRI