Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) is an antioxidative substance which is derived from curcumin by hydrogenation. Curcumin is the main component of turmeric and is responsible for the yellow color of curried foods.First, LDL derived from a normal human volunteer was incubated in the presence of an antioxidant with 10 microM CuSO(4) at 37 degrees C for 2 hours.All antioxidants tested (THC, curcumin, probucol, and alpha-tocopherol) dose-dependently (1-10 microM) inhibited the oxidative modification of LDL. Probucol was the strongest, followed by THC, alpha-tocopherol, and curcumin.Next, in order to evaluate the antioxidative activity of THC in vivo, we fed rabbits diets containing 1% cholesterol with or without 0.5% THC and examined their effects on oxidative stress and atherosclerosis. Animals were divided into two groups: the control group rabbits (n = 12) were fed a normal chow diet and the experimental group (n = 12) was fed a diet containing 0.5% THC for one week.Then, 1% cholesterol was added to the diets and the animals were allowed to feed further for either 6 (n = 4 for each group) or 12 weeks (n = 8 for each group). Although serum cholesterol levels rapidly increased after starting the high cholesterol diet, no difference was observed between the control and THC groups.TBARS formation in the absence of added copper ion was inhibited in the LDL separated from THC-treated animals compared with that from control animals.THC treatment tended to inhibit the area covered with atherosclerotic lesions compared with the control, although this was not significant (28.8 +/- 17.5% vs. 40.0 +/- 23.7%, p = 0.2). Formation of N(epsilon)-(hexanoyl) lysine, 4-hydroxynonenal and dityrosine in liver and kidney also had a tendency to be inhibited by THC treatment. Although free THC was not detected in serum and liver, THC was detected in samples treated with beta-glucuronidase and sulfatase, suggesting that THC is present as a conjugate with glucuronic acid or sulfate. In conclusion, the present results suggest that curcuminoids, particularly THC, which are contained in turmeric, may be useful as a functional food factor.

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Objective We studied the relationship between the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) pattern of lipoproteins and other indicators of lipid metabolism. Materials and Methods Fasting serum lipid was analyzed in 108 Japanese hyperlipidemic and normolipide-mic subjects (39 males and 69 females, 63.5±6.4 years old). We classified the lipoprotein profile by PAGEinto the following four types (SAND); Type S (symmetric), Type A (asymmetric), Type N (nodular), and Type D (disrupted). The relationship between WHOclassifica-tion of hyperlipidemias and SANDclassification was analyzed .

A case of Behçet's disease with peripheral nervous system involvement is described. A 58-year-old female with a 16-year history of Behçet's disease was admitted to our hospital because of numbness in multiple areas in both the upper and lower extremities. A biopsy of the sural nerve revealed degeneration of the axons and a capillary lesion. This finding was compatible with mononeuritis multiplex. This case of Behçet's disease with biopsy-proved mononeuritis multiplex is a very rare one.

Fermented fresh coffee bean, soybean and rice bran extracts (FCSRE, Guardox TM) is a mixture of aqueous extract of fresh coffee beans, rice bran, and soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis Natto. Superoxide anion and hydroxy radical were effectively trapped by FCSRE, as shown by electron spin resonance experiments. Thiobarbituric acid reacting substance (TBARS) formation in human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) induced by copper ion was inhibited by adding FCSRE (0.1 mg/dl) in vitro. Male New Zealand white rabbits were assigned to two groups, control rabbits (n‫)8؍‬ were fed a diet containing 1% cholesterol for 12 weeks, and experimental rabbits (n‫)8؍‬ were fed a 1% cholesterol diet with added 5% FCSRE (2 g/kg body weight/day). Although plasma cholesterol levels rapidly increased after initiation of the high cholesterol diet, no statistical difference was observed between the control and experimental groups. After 12 weeks, sera were sampled, rabbits were sacrificed, and aortas were removed. TBARS formation in LDL induced by copper ion was significantly lower in the experimental group compared with the control group. Lag time of LDL oxidation was also significantly longer in the experimental group. FCSRE administration significantly inhibited the TBARS formation in the aorta compared with the control animals. There was a significant difference in the aortic area covered with atherosclerotic lesions between the experimental and the control groups (53.7؎16.3 % vs. 36.2؎8.18%, pϽ Ͻ0.05). These results suggest that FCSRE may be a promising material for the prevention of atherosclerosis.