Effects of anthocyanin-rich purple potato flakes on antioxidant status in F344 rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet

We examined the antioxidant effects of polyphenol/anthocyanin-rich potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Shadow-Queen) flakes in male rats fed a high-cholesterol diet. The rats were served either a high-cholesterol (0.5% cholesterol plus 0.125% sodium cholate) diet, or a high-cholesterol diet containing a mixture of 243 g alpha-maize starch/kg supplemented with one of the following (per kg diet): 300 g medium purple potato (Shadow-Queen), 300 g white potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Toyoshiro) or 300 g dark purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Ayamurasaki) flakes for 28 d. We analysed thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels in the serum and liver, and antioxidant enzyme activities in the liver. At this dosage, TBARS levels in the serum and liver of the Shadow-Queen and Ayamurasaki groups were significantly lower than those in the control and Toyoshiro groups. The serum urate levels in all the flake groups were significantly lower than that in the control group. The hepatic glutathione levels in the Shadow-Queen and Ayamurasaki groups were significantly higher than in the control and Toyoshiro groups. The activities of hepatic glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase in the Shadow-Queen and Ayamurasaki groups were significantly greater than those in the control group. These results show that modulation of antioxidant enzymes and oxidative status in the serum and liver by the purple potato flake diet (Shadow-Queen) containing polyphenols/anthocyanins may play an important role in the protection against adverse effects related to oxidative damage in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet.     

Effect of dietary glycine on methionine metabolism in rats fed a high-methionine diet

The alleviation mechanism of methionine toxicity by dietary glycine was investigated in weanling rats fed a high-methionine diet. When rats were fed a 10% casein diet containing 2% methionine, the activities of methionine adenosyltransferase, cystathionine beta-synthase, and cystathionine gamma-lyase, which participate in the methionine metabolism in the transsulfuration pathway, were significantly enhanced. But the addition of 2% glycine to the high methionine diet did not cause further increase in these enzyme activities; the activities of methionine adenosyltransferase and cystathionine beta-synthase were rather decreased while cystathionine gamma-lyase activity was not altered. Methionine transaminase activity was essentially insensitive to the dietary addition of methionine and glycine. In rats fed a high methionine diet, the hepatic methionine level was significantly increased with a concomitant decrease in the levels of glycine, serine, and threonine. The addition of glycine to the high methionine diet effectively suppressed the enhancement of the hepatic methionine level and almost completely restored the glycine level, but it only partially restored the serine level and further decreased the threonine level. From these results, it is suggested that the alleviating effect of dietary glycine on methionine toxicity is primarily elicited by the restoration of the hepatic glycine level rather than by an increase in hepatic enzyme activity.     

Less body fat accumulation in rats fed a safflower oil diet than in rats fed a beef tallow diet

The effects on body fat accumulation of long-term feeding of high fat diets of differing fatty acid composition were studied in rats. The rats were meal-fed isoenergetic diets based on safflower oil or beef tallow for 4 mo. Each diet was freshly prepared every day throughout the experimental period. Oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production for 6 h after meals were measured between the 50th and 54th d of the experimental period. Oxygen consumption for 3 h after meals was significantly greater in the safflower oil diet group than in the beef tallow diet group, indicating greater diet-induced thermogenesis in the former group. From the assessment of respiratory quotient, the fat oxidation rate was also higher in the former. After the experimental period (4 mo), body fat accumulation was significantly less in the rats fed safflower oil. This difference was, at least in part, ascribed to increased diet-induced thermogenesis and fat oxidation. Serum triacylglycerol level was markedly lower in the rats fed safflower oil than in those fed beef tallow. The lipoprotein lipase activities in heart and soleus muscle after meals appeared to be higher in the former than in the latter. These results suggest that the consumption of the safflower oil diet increased lipoprotein lipase activity in heart and skeletal muscle, resulting in the elevation of fat oxidation rate and the depression of serum triacylglycerol level.     

Effects of taurine supplementation on bone mineral density in ovariectomized rats fed calcium deficient diet

Taurine supplementation has been shown to have a beneficial effect on femur bone mineral content in ovariectomized rats. It therefore seemed desirable to find out whether the beneficial effect of taurine on ovariectomized rats fed calcium deficient diet could also be reproduced. Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups. One group was OVX and the other group received sham operation (SHAM), and received either control diet or a taurine supplemented diet for 6 weeks. All rats were fed on calcium deficient diet (AIN-93: 50% level of calcium) and deionized water. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured in spine and femur. The serum and urine concentrations of calcium and phosphorus were determined. Bone formation was measured by serum osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentrations. Bone resorption rate was measured by deoxypyridinoline (DPD) crosslinks immunoassay and corrected for creatinine. Urinary calcium and phosphorus excretion, osteocalcin in blood and cross link value were not significantly different among the groups. Within the OVX group, the taurine supplemented group had not higher femur bone mineral content than the control group. This study established the need for a study on the taurine effect on bone with different calcium levels.     

Comparative effects of choline chloride and phosphatidylcholine on plasma and liver lipid levels in rats fed a choline-deficient high cholesterol diet

The effects of dietary choline chloride and phosphatidylcholine (PC) on plasma and liver lipid levels were investigated with rats fed a choline-deficient high cholesterol diet. The plasma cholesterol level significantly increased as the dietary level of choline chloride was increased. The addition of PC to the choline-free diet also resulted in an increase in the plasma cholesterol level, but the magnitude of the increase was significantly lower than that by choline chloride. There was no difference, on the other hand, in the effect of choline chloride and PC on the plasma triglyceride level. The contents of cholesterol and triglyceride in the liver markedly decreased in rats fed a diet containing PC at a high level. The fecal excretion of neutral sterol significantly increased by the addition of PC at a high level, but not at a low level. The results indicate that the plasma cholesterol level, but not triglyceride, is differentially influenced by dietary choline chloride and PC, and that PC has both hyper- and antihypercholesterolemic effects when compared with a choline-free diet and a diet supplemented with choline chloride, respectively.     

Body fat accumulation is greater in rats fed a beef tallow diet than in rats fed a safflower or soybean oil diet

The effects of dietary fats , consisting of different fatty acids, on body fat accumulation and uncoupling protein (UCP) in interscapular brown adipose tissue were studied in rats. Metabolisable energy in experimental diets based on safflower oil, soybean oil or beef tallow was measured strictly (experiment 1). Male Wistar rats were then meal-fed an isoenergetic diet for 8 weeks (experiment 2). Each group of rats showed the same weight gain during the 8-week experimental period. Carcass fat content was greater in rats fed the beef tallow diet than in those fed the with the safflower or soybean oil diets, whereas the weight of abdominal adipose tissue was the same for all three dietary groups. Gene expression of UCP1 and the UCP content of the interscapular brown adipose tissue was lower in the beef tallow diet group than in the other dietary groups. A negative correlation was observed between carcass fat content and n-6 unsaturated fatty acid content in dietary fats. These results suggest that the greater body fat accumulation in rats fed the beef tallow diet results from lower expression of UCP1 mRNA and lower UCP content in brown adipose tissue. n-6 Polyunsaturated fatty acids may be the most effective fatty acids in limiting body fat.     

Effect of corn gluten and its hydrolysate consumptions on weight reduction in rats fed a high-fat diet

This study examined the effects of corn gluten (CG) and its hydrolysate consumptions on weight reduction in rats fed a high-fat diet. Eight-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=40) were fed a high-fat diet (40% calorie as fat) for 4 weeks. They were then randomly divided into four groups and fed the isocaloric diets with different protein sources for 8 weeks. The protein sources were casein (control group), intact CG (CG group), CG hydrolysate A (CGHA group, 30% of protein as peptides and 70% as free amino acids) and CG hydrolysate P (CGHP group, 93% of protein as peptides and 7% as free amino acids). Body weight gain, adipose tissue weights, nitrogen balance, absorptions of energy, protein and fat, lipid profiles in plasma, liver and feces and hepatic activities of carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT), fatty acid synthase (FAS), malic enzyme (ME) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) were assessed. The CGHA diet had the highest amount of BCAAs, especially leucine, and most of them existed as free amino acid forms. The CGHA group showed significant weight reduction and negative nitrogen balance. Protein absorption and apparent protein digestibility in the CGHA group were significantly lower than those in other groups. Adipose tissue weights were the lowest in the CGHA group. Activity of CPT tended to be higher in the CGHA group than in other groups and those of FAS, ME and G6PDH were significantly lower in the CGHA group than in other groups. In conclusion, the CGHA diet which had relatively high amounts of free amino acids and BCAAs, especially leucine, had a weight reduction effect by lowering adipose tissue weight and the activities of FAS, ME and G6PDH in experimental animals, but it seemed to be a negative result induced by lowering protein absorption, increasing urinary nitrogen excretion and protein catabolism.     

Effect of dietary safflower phospholipid on plasma and liver lipids in rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet.

The effect of safflower phospholipid (SP) on plasma and liver lipids in rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet was examined. Triglyceride mixture (SPO) of safflower oil and palm oil (8:2) containing almost comparable amounts of linoleic acid to safflower phospholipid was used as a control diet. Similarly, the effect of paste safflower phospholipid (PSP) which contains approximately 45% of neutral lipid was also compared to safflower oil (SO). Concentrations of total cholesterol in plasma and liver of rats fed the SP diet were markedly decreased in comparison with those of the other diets, but a slight reduction of total cholesterol in plasma and liver was observed in rats fed PSP diet. SP and PSP induced a reduction in the plasma level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as well as an increase in the level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The activity of plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) was greatly increased in rats fed SP diet. These results suggest that the safflower phospholipids suppress the elevation of plasma and liver cholesterol and that this effect may depend on the phospholipid content in dietary lipid.     

Effect of individual amino acids on plasma cholesterol level in rats fed a high cholesterol diet

The effect of individual amino acids added to a cholesterol containing casein diet on the plasma cholesterol level of rats was systematically investigated with objective of confirming the possibility that specific amino acids are responsible for the regulation of plasma cholesterol level by dietary proteins. Half the amino acids tested were effective to some degree in influencing the plasma cholesterol level when amino acids were added singly to the diet at a 5% level. However, only sulfur containing amino acids had significant effects when added to the diet at a 1% level; Met enhanced and Cys reduced the plasma cholesterol level. In addition, the results of an experiment with amino acid mixture diets with different Met, Cys, and/or Gly contents indicated the importance of sulfur amino acids and also of Gly in plasma cholesterol regulation. The results obtained here support the notion that the plasma cholesterol level of rats can be influenced by specific amino acids or amino acid compositions of dietary proteins, at least under the experimental conditions used.     

Immune dysfunction in rats fed a diet deficient in copper

Rat pups maintained on copper (Cu)-adequate (6ppm), Cu-deficient (2 ppm) or Cu-depleted (0 ppm) diets from parturition were killed at 8-wk. Liver Cu and serum-ceruloplasmin levels confirmed that on the 0- and 2-ppm diets, a Cu-deficient state was induced. Although body weight was unaffected by the deficiency, the liver, heart, and thymus weights (% body weight) were altered. Hepatomegaly occurred in females fed 0-ppm Cu and males fed 2-ppm Cu. Heart weights increased in both sexes fed 0-ppm Cu. Thymus weights decreased in male rats fed 0-ppm Cu. Antibody titers and natural killer-cell cytotoxicity were markedly suppressed in the animals fed 0-ppm Cu. Male rats given 2-ppm Cu showed reduced antibody titer. Delayed-type hypersensitivity and prostaglandin E2 levels were not significantly affected. These studies suggest that certain components of the immune system are Cu dependent.     

Effect of cold exposure on energy balance and liver respiratory capacity in post-weaning rats fed a high-fat diet

Variations in energy balance, body composition, and nutrient partitioning induced by high-fat feeding, cold exposure or by concomitant high-fat feeding and cold exposure were studied in young Wistar rats. Changes in hepatic metabolism as well as in serum free triiodothyronine and leptin levels were also evaluated. Rats were exposed to either 24 or 4 degrees C and fed either a low- or high-fat diet (10 % or 50 % energy respectively) for 2 weeks. Relative to low-fat feeding at 24 degrees C, both energy intake and expenditure were increased by high-fat feeding or by cold exposure, and these changes were accompanied by increased serum triiodothyronine levels. In response to concomitant high-fat feeding and cold exposure, serum triiodothyronine tended to be further elevated, but no further increases in energy intake or energy expenditure were observed. Independently of diet, the increased energy expenditure in cold-exposed rats was not completely balanced by adaptive hyperphagia, with consequential reductions in protein and fat gain, accompanied by marked decreases in serum leptin. Furthermore, unlike high-fat feeding at 24 degrees C, cold exposure enhanced hepatic mitochondrial oxidative capacity both in the low-fat- and high-fat-fed groups. It is concluded that in this strain of young Wistar rats, despite similarly marked stimulation of energy expenditure by high-fat feeding at 24 degrees C, by cold exposure and by concomitant high-fat feeding and cold exposure, an increased hepatic oxidative capacity occurred only in the presence of the cold stimulus.     

Effect of methionine and threonine on the hypercholesterolemia induced by polychlorinated biphenyls in rats fed a nonprotein diet

It was previously reported that the hypercholesterolemia induced by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) was influenced by dietary protein quantity and quality. On the other hand, the supplementation of methionine and threonine to a nonprotein diet ameliorated the body weight loss and decreased the urinary urea excretion in rats. We examined the effect of methionine and threonine supplements on the hypercholesterolemia induced by PCB in rats fed a nonprotein diet. The administration of PCB increased plasma cholesterol concentration and the supplements of methionine and threonine to the nonprotein diet significantly accelerated the elevation of plasma level of cholesterol due to PCB feeding. Liver microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in rats fed the nonprotein diet was also elevated by PCB administration and the supplementation of methionine and threonine caused further inducing effect.     

Effect of Chlorella vulgaris on lipid metabolism in Wistar rats fed high fat diet

This study was performed to investigate effects of Chlorella vulgaris on lipid metabolism in rats fed high fat diet. Sixty 6-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into two groups; normal diet group and high fat diet group, then the rats in each group were further divided into three subgroups and fed 0%, 5% and 10% (w/w) chlorella-containing diets, respectively, and raised for 9 weeks. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and total protein and albumin concentration were not different among groups. Serum total lipids and liver TG concentration were significantly lower in 5% and 10% chlorella groups than 0% chlorella group in high fat diet groups (p<0.05). Serum TG, serum total cholesterol, liver total lipid and liver total cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in 10% chlorella groups than 0% chlorella group in high fat diet groups (p<0.05). Fecal total lipid, TG and total cholesterol excretions were significantly higher in 5% and 10% chlorella groups than 0% chlorella groups in normal diet and high fat diet groups, respectively (p<0.05). These results suggest that Chlorella vulgaris is effective for prevention of dyslipidemia which may be due to the modulation of lipid metabolism and increased fecal excretion of lipid.