Combination of lipids and emulsifiers enhances the absorption of orally administered quercetin in rats

The effects of lipids, emulsifiers, and ethanol on the absorption of orally administered quercetin in rats were investigated for its efficient intestinal absorption. Rats were administered 150 micromol/kg quercetin in water supplemented with lipids and/or emulsifiers, or ethanol, and blood was collected from the tail for 6 h after administration. Co-administration of lipids such as lecithin and soybean oil or emulsifiers including sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, and sodium taurocholate had no statistically significant effects on quercetin absorption, although these constituents rather increased the accumulation of conjugated forms of quercetin and those of isorhamnetin in rat plasma. However, the combination of lipids and emulsifiers enhanced the absorption of quercetin significantly. Thirty and fifty percent (v/v) of the ethanol in the vehicle raised the efficiency of quercetin absorption in a concentration-dependent manner. Quercetin absorption-enhancing effects of these constituents seemed to be affected by quercetin's solubility in respective vehicles used for the administration. Ethanol is not helpful for the effective absorption of quercetin, as a high concentration is required. In conclusion, a combination of lipids and emulsifiers is necessary for enhancing quercetin absorption.     

The influence of barley malt protein modification on beer foam stability and their relationship to the barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-I (BDAI-I) as a possible foam-promoting protein

The foam stability of beer is one of the important key factors in evaluating the quality of beer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of malt modification (degradation of protein, starch, and so on) and the beer foam stability. This was achieved by examining foam-promoting proteins using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). We found that the foam stability of beer samples brewed from the barley malts of cultivars B and C decreased as the level of malt modification increased; however, the foam stability of cultivar A did not change. To identify the property providing the increased foam stability of cultivar A, we analyzed beer proteins using 2DE. We analyzed three fractions that could contain beer foam-promoting proteins, namely, beer whole proteins, salt-precipitated proteins, and the proteins concentrated from beer foam. As a result, we found that in cultivar A, some protein spots did not change in any of these three protein fractions even when the level of malt modification increased, although the corresponding protein spots in cultivars B and C decreased. We analyzed these protein spots by peptide mass finger printing using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. As a result, all of these spots were identified as barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-I (BDAI-I). These results suggest that BDAI-I is an important contributor to beer foam stability.     

Characterization of new photosynthesis-inhibiting imidazolidine derivatives. 1. Interpretation of post-emergence herbicidal performance from photosynthesis-inhibiting activity and systemicity

An attempt was made to account for quantitatively measured herbicidal performance of foliage-applied 5-hydroxy-3-methyl-2–oxo-imidazolidine-1-carboxamide derivatives by their photosynthesis-inhibiting activity and systemicity. Photosynthesis-inhibiting activity was estimated from the increase of chlorophyll fluorescence intensity in Chlorella vulgaris Beijer cells measured by a microplate scanner, and systemicity was also evaluated by computer-aided chlorophyll fluorescence imaging. The highest herbicidal performance was recorded for N-cyclohexyl-5-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-oxo-imidazo～idine-l-carboxamide, a compound with the second strongest photosynthesis-inhibiting activity and intermediate systemicity. Though neither photosynthesis-inhibiting activity nor systemicity showed significant correlation with the actual herbicidal performance in simple regression analyses, a high predictability was found for a multiple regression on both parameters as two independent variables, suggesting that these two factors work cooperatively in the field performance.     

Physicochemical properties of akabane virus: A member of the simbu arbovirus group of the family bunyaviridae

The multiplication of Akabane virus was not inhibited in the presence of 5-iodo-2′-deoxyuridine, indicating the presence of RNA. The virus was considered to have an envelope, as it was sensitive to ether and chloroform. It was readily inactivated by deoxycholate and trypsin, but was not precipitated by protamine sulphate. The virus was very labile at pH 3 and also rather heat-labile. Akabane virus was readily filtered through membrane filters of 200 or 100-nm pore size, but not through 50-nm filters. Equilibrium centrifugation in a CsCl density gradient gave a peak of infectivity and hemagglutinin at a density of 1.22 g/ml. The peak fractions thus obtained contained numerous virus particles, roughly spherical, variable in size, 70 to 130 nm in diameter, and mostly having a ragged, closely adherent envelope with projections, when examined, following phosphotungstic acid negative staining, in an electron microscope.     

Matrix-metalloproteinases-2 and -9 production in bovine endometrial cell culture

In vitro cell culture is a convenient tool for studying cellular mechanisms. In the present study, production of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) in bovine endometrial (containing both epithelial and stromal cells) monolayer cells was examined. Blastocysts attached to the endometrial cells in a monolayer culture were examined for their effects on MMP-2 production. Initial attachment of blastocysts to the monolayer inhibited MMP-2 production by endometrial cells. But once trophoblast cells began to migrate into the endometrial cell layer, MMP-2 production increased, and at the same time MMP-9 production also became evident in the medium. In order to understand how blastocysts affected MMP-2 production, we examined the effect of progesterone, estradiol, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), tumor necrosis factors (TNFs), and interferon-tau (IFN-tau) supplementation. It was IFN-tau that inhibited the production of MMP-2. In addition, progesterone at a lower dose appeared to inhibit MMP-2 production. Both TNF-alpha and TNF-beta strongly stimulated the production of MMP-2 and MMP-9, whereas IGFs had no effect. Based on these findings, it appears that conceptus has the capacity to inhibit MMP activity.     

Matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 activities in bovine follicular fluid of different-sized follicles: relationship to intra-follicular inhibin and steroid concentrations

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play very important roles in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling during ovarian follicular development, ovulation and atresia. The aim of the present study was to determine the content of gelatinases in follicular fluid in various sized bovine follicles. Bovine ovaries were collected from local slaughterhouse and follicular fluid from follicles of 2 to over 25 mm in diameter was collected. Gelatinase activity within the follicular fluid was analyzed by gelatin zymography. The concentration of inhibin in the follicular fluid was also measured by immunoblot analysis. The proMMP-2 and alpha-subunit (alphaN) inhibin was detected in all follicles regardless of their size. The abundance of proMMP-2 varied with follicular size, while alphaN inhibin increased significantly (P<0.01) in follicles of 10-14 and 15-20 mm in size. There was a positive and negative correlation between estradiol (E(2)) and progesterone (P(4)) concentrations with abundance of proMMP-2, respectively. Follicles of diameter over 25 mm had greater proMMP-9 activity than other follicles. These same follicles had significantly (P<0.01) lower inhibin levels than follicles of 10-14 and 15-20 mm in size. In conclusion, these results suggest a significant role of these proteases in growth and development of bovine follicle, particularly proMMP-2 and active MMP-2 activities in the follicular fluid could serve as markers of follicular health while abundance of proMMP-9 may possibly denote a follicular cyst.     

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid findings in the atelectatic regions of anesthetized horses

To evaluate the effects of compression atelectasis on the composition of pulmonary secretions in anesthetized horses, cytological and biochemical examinations were performed on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids obtained from both dependent and independent lung regions. Six horses were anesthetized with isoflurane and oxygen for 120 min, and were positioned in right lateral recumbency. Percentage of neutrophils and total protein concentration in BAL fluids significantly increased at the end of anesthesia, and total phosphorous concentration significantly decreased at 72 hr after anesthesia in dependent lung. Such changes were not observed within 168 hr after anesthesia. These findings suggest that the effects of compression atelectasis on the composition of pulmonary secretions may be eliminated within 168 hr after anesthesia.