Tomoko Kayashima

Oxalic acid is available as a natural antioxidant in some systems

Oxalic acid is found in a wide variety of plants. This study showed that oxalic acid suppressed in vitro lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, oxalic acid reduced the rate of ascorbic acid oxidation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and Cu(2+). These results suggest that oxalic acid is available as a natural antioxidant.

1,4-Naphthoquinone is a potent inhibitor of human cancer cell growth and angiogenesis

Angiogenesis inhibitors are beneficial for the prevention and treatment of angiogenesis-dependent diseases including cancer. Vitamin K2 and K3, which are naphthoquinone derivatives, inhibit angiogenesis. We examined the anti-cancer and anti-angiogenic effects of naphthoquinones and its structurally related compounds. Among these 13 compounds, 1,4-naphthoquinone strongly inhibited both human colon cancer cell (HCT116) growth and angiogenesis. To clarify the anti-angiogenic mechanism, the effects of 1,4-naphthoquinone on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tube formation, proliferation and chemotaxis were examined. Consequently, 1,4-naphthoquinone inhibited HUVEC functions. These results suggest that 1,4-naphthoquinone may be useful to cancer therapy.

Antiangiogenic Effect of Carnosic Acid and Carnosol, Neuroprotective Compounds in Rosemary Leaves

Carnosic acid, a diterpene in rosemary, is considered to be beneficial in the prevention of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, it has been found that drugs with antiangiogenic activity lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Thus it is of interest whether carnosic acid has antiangiogenic activity. In this study, carnosic acid suppressed microvessel outgrowth on ex vivo angiogenesis assay using a rat aortic ring at higher than 10 μM. The antiangiogenic effect of carnosic acid was found in angiogenesis models using human umbilical vein endothelial cells with regard to tube formation on reconstituted basement membrane, chemotaxis and proliferation. Although the carnosol in rosemary also suppressed angiogenesis, its effect was not more potent than that of carnosic acid in the ex vivo model. These results suggest that carnosic acid and rosemary extract can be useful in the prevention of disorders due to angiogenesis, and that their antiangiogenic effect can contribute to a neuroprotective effect.

Cecal Succinate Elevated by Some Dietary Polyphenols May Inhibit Colon Cancer Cell Proliferation and Angiogenesis

This study demonstrated that 0.5% dietary rutin, ellagic acid, or curcumin markedly increased cecal succinate levels in rats fed a high-fat diet, whereas catechin, caffeic acid, and quercetin did not. Other organic acids were modestly or hardly affected by polyphenols. To clarify the effects of succinate levels increased by polyphenols, this study examined the effects of succinate on the growth and proliferation of colon cancer cells and angiogenesis. The growth and proliferation of HT29 human colon cancer cells and angiogenesis in an ex vivo model were significantly inhibited by succinate at a dose close to that in the cecum of rats fed polyphenols. Furthermore, succinate inhibited the migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. These findings suggest that the consumption of some polyphenols affects the health and diseases of the large intestine by elevating succinate.

Effect of Dietary Phytic Acid on Hepatic Activities of Lipogenic and Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes in Rats Fed 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (P-chlorophenyl) Ethane (DDT)

This study was conducted to examine the influence of dietary sodium phytate (10.2g/kg diet) on hepatic activities of lipogenic and drug-metabolizing enzymes in rats fed 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (P-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) (0.7g/kg diet). Dietary DDT enhanced hepatic lipids, elevated hepatic activities of lipogenic enzymes, increased serum levels of cholesterol and phospholipid, and raised hepatic activities of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Dietary phytate significantly decreased the rises in hepatic lipids and the activities of lipogenic enzymes due to DDT feeding. The enhancement in hepatic activity of phase II drug-metabolizing enzyme, glutathione S-transferase, that had been caused by DDT feeding was significantly enhanced with dietary phytate. These results suggest that dietary phytate can protect DDT-fed animals against an accumulation of hepatic lipids, by depressing of hepatic lipogenesis. The present study also implies that dietary phytate might improve the function of drug-metabolizing enzymes exposed to DDT.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of vitamin K derivatives as angiogenesis inhibitor

Ten vitamin K(3) derivatives were synthesized and screened for anti-angiogenic activity. Results indicated that amine derivatives (1a-d) exerted a stronger inhibition effect on angiogenesis compared to alkyl derivatives (2a-d). In addition to being the most potent inhibitor, 1b also suppressed human umbilical vein endothelial cell tube formation and proliferation. These results suggest that vitamin K(3) amine derivatives with shorter alkyl chains, such as 1b, could be useful for developing anti-angiogenic agents.

Carnosic acid protects starvation-induced SH-SY5Y cell death through Erk1/2 and Akt pathways, autophagy, and FoxO3a

Abstract Carnosic acid (CA) is recognized as a unique neuroprotective compound in the herb rosemary, since it induces expression of antioxidant enzymes including heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), γ-glutamylcysteine synthase (γ-GCS), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) via activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which is a nuclear transcription factor. In this study, we examined the cytoprotective effects of CA against starvation. We found that CA protected starvation-induced SH-SY5Y cell death by activating Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2). Interestingly, CA induced moderate autophagy and dephosphorylation of a transcriptional factor, the forkhead box protein O3a (FoxO3a). These effects of CA play an important role in cytoprotection.

Soy Protein Isolate Suppresses Lipodystrophy-induced Hepatic Lipid Accumulation in Model Mice

Lipodystrophies are acquired and genetic disorders characterized by the complete or partial absence of body fat with a line of metabolic disorders, including hepatic steatosis. Because soy protein isolate (SPI) has been reported to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in animals and humans, we explored the effect of SPI on the pathophysiology of hepatic lipid accumutaion in a diet-induced lipodystrophy model mice. Four weeks of the lipodystrophy model diet induced hepatic lipid accumulation concomitant with marked deficiencies of adipose tissue and serum adipocytokines in mice. However, supplementing the lipodystrophy model diet with SPI could alleviate the hepatic lipid acculation without affecting the lipoatrophic effect of the diet. Enhanced lipogenesis is the principal mechanism of hepatic steatosis in this model, but SPI supplementation significantly attenuated the increase in enzyme activity and/or mRNA expression. Additionally, SPI supplementation upregulated the hepatic mRNA expression of an enzyme involved in cholesterol catabolism. In conclusion, our results indicate the possibility of dietary SPI to attenuate lipodystorophy-induced hepatic steatosis through the direct reduction of hepatic lipogenesis without affecting adipocytokine production.

家庭科における食情報に関する学習内容と指導方法の検討(III) : 家族への伝言をイメージする授業

生活者の食品の機能性に対する関心は高い一方で, 食情報に対する理解不足が原因となり健康被害が生じた事例も報告されている。家庭科では, このような現状を食生活の問題として捉え, 問題解決的な思考を通してよりよい食生活を営む実践的な態度を養う必要がある。これまで申請者らは, 平成19年度と20年度の学部・附属学校共同研究において, 学習者の食情報に対する主体的な判断を促すことをねらいとして家庭科の授業設計を行った。本研究では, 食情報について考える授業を設計するにあたり, 食品の機能性に関する情報の信頼性を考える活動と, 家庭科の学習内容を家族に伝えることをイメージさせる活動を取り入れた。授業を通じて, 生徒に食情報の信頼性を判断する意識が生まれていた。学習内容を家族に伝達することをイメージする活動については, 多くの生徒が多様な気付きをみせた。今後の課題として, 生徒が実際に家族に学習内容を伝え交流を行うための工夫, 生徒に家族の食生活の問題を気付かせるための指導が必要であると考えられた。今後は食情報を対象として, 他分野や他教科との連携, 家族との連携を意図した授業の設計・実践をめざしたい。

家庭科における食情報に関する学習内容と指導方法の検討(II) : 主体的な判断を促す授業

本研究では, 食情報を受け取る側と食情報を提供する側から食情報の問題を捉え, 読み取り方を考えることにより, 食情報を主体的に判断することを促す授業の設計を試みた。作成した授業を「家庭基礎」を選択している附属福山高等学校1年生を対象として2008年11月に実施した。授業評価として, ブルームの認知領域の学習水準を基に評価の観点を作成し, ワークシート記述から読み取った生徒の意見を分類した。ほぼ全員の生徒が食情報を主体的に判断することの重要性に気付き, さらに8割程度の生徒がその読み取り方を「理解」以上の水準で認識していた。食情報を主体的に判断することに対する認識と実践にはずれがみられたが, 食情報を主体的に判断することに対する認識が高い者は実践への意識も高い傾向があった。以上より, 本研究で提案した授業から, 食情報の主体的判断の認識と連動して, 食情報を主体的に判断することに対する実践力を高める工夫を行うことが今後の課題として考えられた。