O. Effect of exercise intensity and AICAR on isoform-specific expressions of murine skeletal muscle PGC-1␣ mRNA: a role of  2-adrenergic receptor activation.
We investigated the digestion of cerebrosides of plant origin prepared from maize, focusing especially on the digestive fates of trans-4, cis-8- and trans-4, trans-8-sphingadienine, which are common in higher plants. In the small intestinal mucosa and cecal contents of rats, the cerebrosidase activity at pH 5.2 toward the glucosyl linkage in maize cerebrosides (glucosylceramides) was similar to that in cerebrosides of mammalian origin. Similarly, the ceramidase activity toward the amide linkage in ceramides prepared from maize cerebrosides at pH 7.0 was the same as that toward ceramides of mammalian origin. In addition, maize cerebrosides were hydrolyzed to ceramide and free sphingoid bases in the digestive tract of rats after oral administration. To further evaluate the uptake by enterocytes of 4,8-sphingadienine, we used differentiated Caco-2 cells, derived from human colonic carcinoma, as a model of intestinal epithelial cells. The accumulation of sphingoid bases in Caco-2 cells incubated with each isomer of sphingadienine was lower than that after incubation with sphingosine (P < 0.05). Verapamil, a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, increased the accumulation of each sphingadienine but not of sphingosine, suggesting that the efflux of sphingadienine of plant origin, but not sphingosine of mammalian origin, was affected by P-glycoprotein. The digestibility of maize cerebrosides appears similar to that of cerebrosides of mammalian origin, but the metabolic fate of sphingoid bases of plant origin within enterocytes differs from that of sphingosine. Isomers of 4,8-sphingadienine degraded from dietary plant cerebrosides appear to be poorly absorbed from the digestive tract.
In the early 1980s the Japanese scientific academy defined a functional food as a food having a tertiary or physiologically active function. The current Japanese "Food with Health Claims" include 2 categories. For the first category, "Food with Nutrient Function Claims," the label may be freely used if a product satisfies the standard for the minimum and maximum levels per daily portion usually consumed. The second category is defined as "Food for Specified Health Uses" (FOSHU). FOSHU foods are those that contain dietary ingredients that have beneficial effects on the physiological functions of the human body, maintain and promote health, and improve health-related conditions. Health claims on these foods correspond to the category of "other" function claims of the Codex Alimentarius. However, claims of disease-risk reduction are not currently allowed under FOSHU with an exception for calcium and folic acid. Manufacturers can emphasize the characteristics of their products and promote sales by labeling or claims. Therefore, the labeling should be clear and correct and avoid any chance of misinterpretation. The labeling of health claims on foods should always be based on scientific evidence. Any manufacturer who applies to the government for approval under the FOSHU code for its product must tabulate both published available publications and internal reports on the effectiveness of the product and/or its ingredients and provide a summary of each available publication or report. The tabulation must include in vitro metabolic and biochemical studies, in vivo studies, and randomized controlled trials on Japanese people. The overall philosophy of the Ministry is to maintain and improve the health status of people and to prevent chronic noncommunicable diseases through an approach that involves a well-balanced diet as well as through the use of "health foods" including "Food with Health Claims."
The effects of various structured triglycerides containing medium-chain (caprylic or capric acids) and long-chain (linoleic acid) fatty acids on fatty acid and cholesterol absorption were studied in lymph-cannulated rats. A considerable portion of capric and caprylic acid was absorbed through the lymph duct, although to a lesser extent than was linoleic acid. Capric and linoleic acid located at the 2-position of 2-decanoyl-1,3-dilinoleoyl-glycerol (18:2/10:0/18:2) and 2-linoleoyl-1,3-didecanoyl-glycerol (10:0/18:2/10:0), respectively, tended to be absorbed more efficiently than those located at the 1- and 3-position or those from tricaprin (10:0/10:0/10:0) or trilinolein (18:2/18:2/18:2). A similar trend was observed when the medium-chain fatty acid was caprylic acid instead of capric acid. Caprylic acid absorption from 2-octanoyl-1,3-dilinoleoyl-glycerol (18:2/8:0/18:2) was significantly greater (p less than 0.05) than from 2-linoleoyl-1,3-dioctanoyl-glycerol (8:0/18:2/8:0) or tricaprylin (8:0/8:0/8:0). Preferential absorption of caprylic and linoleic acid was not observed when the 1 to 2 and the 2 to 1 mixtures of 8:0/8:0/8:0 and 18:2/18:2/18:2, respectively, were administered. The structured lipids did not affect the lymphatic absorption of cholesterol. The results suggest that structured triglycerides composed of medium-chain fatty acids and linoleic acid may be more useful for the treatment of lipid malabsorption than are mixtures of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) and long-chain triglyceride (LCT).
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