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Numerous attempts have been made to find the mechanism and component of the cholesterol lowering activity of soybean. In this study, it was proved that the peptides in soybean protein hydrolysate (SPH) made by certain proteases have a hypocholesterolemic effect. Among the mechanisms suggested, that is, blockage of bile acid and/or cholesterol absorption, inhibition of cholesterol synthesis, and stimulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) transcription, SPH appeared to stimulate LDL-R transcription. When Hep T9A4 cells were incubated with soy protein hydrolysates by using the proteases from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FSE-68, LDL-R transcription was strongly stimulated, but the other mechanisms were not affected. Among the six types of SPH, F1-15, hydrolyzed with the neutral protease to a degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 15%, showed the highest LDL-R transcription. The fractions of molecular weight of 200 and 3000 Da showed LDL-R transcription stimulating activity. The bioactivity is due to soybean peptides because the ethanol extract of soybean protein which contains isoflavones does not stimulate LDL-R transcription. In conclusion, dietary upregulation of LDL-R transcription by soybean may be consequent to an enhanced catabolism or a reduced synthesis of intracellular cholesterol. Therefore, we suggest that soy peptides can effectively stimulate LDL-R transcription in the human liver cell line and reduce blood cholesterol level.

We have developed a three‐dimensional inverse scheme for carrying out DC resistivity surveys, incorporating complicated topography as well as arbitrary electrode arrays. The algorithm is based on the finite‐element approximation to the forward problem, so that the effect of topographic variation on the resistivity data is effectively evaluated and incorporated in the inversion. Furthermore, we have enhanced the resolving power of the inversion using the active constraint balancing method. Numerical verifications show that a correct earth image can be derived even when complicated topographic variation exists. By inverting the real field data acquired at a site for an underground sewage disposal plant, we obtained a reasonable image of the subsurface structures, which correlates well with the surface geology and drill log data.