Yasuko Sone

Use of high-normal levels of haemoglobin A1C and fasting plasma glucose for diabetes screening and for prediction: a meta-analysis

Using high‐normal levels of haemoglobin A1C (Abnormal‐A1C) or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (Abnormal‐FPG) for diabetes screening are expected to improve the ability to detect persons with or at high risk of diabetes. We assessed the diagnostic and predictive capacity for diabetes of Abnormal‐A1C and Abnormal‐FPG. We compared these to the combined use of the two measures to the single use of either measurement.

Changes in the phospholipid fatty acid composition of the lipid droplet during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are independent organelles in adipocytes that are composed of a lipid ester core surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer. The fatty acid composition of the phospholipid monolayer should determine the metabolism and dynamics of LDs. In this study, we examined the fatty acid composition of phospholipid monolayer in LDs during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), such as 16:0 and 18:0, in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) of LDs decreased during differentiation. In contrast, the levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) such as 16:1n-7 and 18:1n-9 in PC and PE of LDs and the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as 20:3n-6, 20:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 in PE of LDs increased during differentiation. These results suggest that the phospholipid monolayer in mature LDs is more fluid than that in nascent LDs. The fatty acid compositions of the LD monolayer were different from those of the microsome bilayer in the early stage of differentiation, but similar to those of the microsome bilayer in the late stage of differentiation. These data provide evidence that biophysical properties of the phospholipid monolayer in LDs change during adipocyte differentiation.

Isolation and Antioxidant Activity of Zeylaniin A, a New Macrocyclic Ellagitannin from Syzygium zeylanicum Leaves

Methanol extract obtained from Syzygium zeylanicum leaves exhibited potent antioxidant activity. The water extract obtained from this methanol extract by sequential extraction with hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, and n-butanol also showed the strongest antioxidant activity among extracts. This water extract was further fractionated by column chromatography with various concentrations of methanol solutions. Among the 6 resultant fractions, the fraction developed with 20% methanol exhibited the most potent antioxidant activity. The one peak among the three major HPLC peaks in this fraction was isolated and purified using a preparative HPLC. The structure of a pure compound was elucidated as a novel macrocyclic ellagitannin using a (1)H/(13)C NMR and a high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometer. This newly isolated compound, which was named zeylaniin A, exhibited potent antioxidant activities in the assays of DPPH, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and malonadehyde/gas chromatography. S. zeylanicum leaves can be a possible source of natural antioxidants.

Quality and accuracy of Internet information concerning a healthy diet

Abstract The Internet is used by many consumers interested in healthy living. The aim of the present study was to explore the variations among Internet information concerning a healthy diet and to evaluate the potential for misleading information. To conduct a descriptive analysis, the search term “healthy diet” was entered into three search engines and the first 100 results were examined. Of the evaluated 48 websites, 5, 26 and 11, respectively, gave references, date when information was updated and cautioned users. For assessment of accuracy, six dietary guidelines were used as references and the website was scored according to the number of recommended dietary features that matched the guidelines. Websites that specified their objectives scored significantly higher when matched with each guideline than the websites that did not state four guidelines (p < 0.05). Internet information on a “healthy diet” was likely to only partially follow recommendations of the guidelines.

The Level of Orally Ingested Vitamin C Affected the Expression of Vitamin C Transporters and Vitamin C Accumulation in the Livers of ODS Rats

We investigated the effects of vitamin C administration on vitamin C-specific transporters in ODS/ShiJcl-od/od rat livers. The vitamin C-specific transporter levels increased in the livers of the rats not administered vitamin C and decreased in the livers of those administered vitamin C at 100 mg/d, indicating that these transporter levels can be influenced by the amount of vitamin C administered.

Curricular evaluation of “SHOKUIKU program” as a postgraduate minor course of food and nutrition education using a text-mining procedure

Background“SHOKUIKU”, food and nutrition education, is a national promotion to enable people to acquire an adequate knowledge of SHOKU (which include food, nutrition, dietary habits, etc.) in Japanese society and to allow people to make appropriate SHOKU choices in Japan. In order to educate SHOKUIKU experts who can promote evidence-based SHOKUIKU with advanced professional knowledge and skills, an original “SHOKUIKU program” was established. To evaluate this program, a short answer questionnaire was given to students. Results were objectively analyzed by text mining procedures.MethodsFive hundred forty four comment papers submitted by a total of 52 consenting students after each lecture in the 12 omnibus-style lectures were examined as cross-sectional data. A total of 2507 sentences were decomposed into words, and word classes of morpheme in Japanese were properly specified. Subsequently, on the basis of a constructed keyword data base, 123 morphemes with high frequency were investigated with co-occurrence network analysis. Furthermore, multivariate network analyses according to the student’s major were performed.ResultsStudents majoring in food and nutritional sciences recognized that evidence-based SHOKUIKU is “difficult” but “necessary” to “convey” reliable information at “actual” SHOKUIKU sites. On the other hand, students studying other majors not only got an “interesting” opportunity to “learn” “nutrition” and “eating habits” but also thought about their own SHOKUIKU promotion in relation to their major.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the students of the Food Course assumed that they would practice the evidence-based SHOKUIKU themselves, while the students of other courses learned new knowledge more passively. The results also confirmed that students comprehensively grasped the 12 omnibus-style lectures and understood the significance of evidence-based SHOKUIKU regardless of their major. Our original educational program could be valuable for postgraduate students to promote SHOKUIKU.

Dose of 3-methylcholanthrene enhances vitamin C accumulation and mRNA expression of its transporter in the liver of ODS rats and in HepG2 cells

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds including 3‐methylcholanthrene induce harmful reactive intermediates and reactive oxygen species. This study reports the effect of 3‐methylcholanthrene on the accumulation of vitamin C and the expression of vitamin C transporters. ODS rats were given l‐ascorbic acid daily and intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg 3‐methylcholanthrene in total. On day 10, vitamin C concentrations and the expression of vitamin C transporter in the tissues were measured. As a result, the levels of sodium‐dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCTs) 1 and the l‐ascorbic acid concentration in 3‐methylcholanthrene‐treated livers and hepatocytes have increased significantly. However, the content of vitamin C in the urine and TBARS in the liver have not changed. These results suggest that the administration of 3‐methylcholanthrene elevates the requirement for vitamin C via (SVCTs) 1 due to xenobitics‐metabolizing, such as the induction of cytochrome P450 family.

Effects of oxygen concentration on the expression of an antioxidant gene in HepG2.

To clarify the effects of O2 concentration (cO2) on antioxidant gene expression in human hepatocytes, mRNA expression of HepG2 cells cultured at 1, 3, and 5% cO2 and atmospheric gas-phase, was measured. The expression of some genes fluctuated depending on the cO2 in the incubator. This indicates that cO2 is a critically important factor in the investigation of human biological mechanisms.