Effects of highly hydrogenated soybean oil and cholesterol on plasma,liver cholesterol,and fecal steroids in rats

We investigated the relationship between dietary highly hydrogenated soybean oil (HSO) and cholesterol transport in rats. In the first study, to examine the effects of cholesterol transport of different concentrations of HSO in dietary oil, rats were given one of the three diets containing 0, 25, or 50% HSO in dietary oil with cholesterol (5 g/kg diet) or a diet without HSO and cholesterol for 22 d. Feeding the high concentration of HSO prevented the increase in plasma total cholesterol, hepatic total lipids, and cholesterol and the decrease in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, which were caused by dietary cholesterol. Moreover, HSO increased the fecal excretion, fecal lipids, and steroids in a dose-dependent manner. In the second study, to examine the effects on cholesterol transport of redistribution of stearic acid in the triacylglycerol species contained in HSO, rats were given one of the six diets containing HSO (distearoylmonoacylglycerol and tristearoylglycerol)-rich, monostearoylglycerol-rich, or palmitic acid-rich oil with/without cholesterol (5 g/kg diet), for 30 d. Whereas the accumulation of cholesterol in the body was reduced, cholesterol excretion was enhanced effectively in rats given the HSO-rich diet compared with rats given the monostearoylglycerol-rich diet. These results suggested that not only the high concentration of stearic acid but also its uneven distribution in HSO-triacylglycerol contributed to the reduction in intestinal cholesterol absorption in rats.     

Minimum chemical requirements for adhesin activity of the acid-stable part of Candida albicans cell wall phosphomannoprotein complex

This study was conducted to define adhesive characteristics of the acid-stable moiety of the Candida albicans phosphomannoprotein complex (PMPC) on adherence of this fungus to marginal zone macrophages of the mouse spleen. Complete digestion of the acid-stable moiety (Fr.IIS) of the C. albicans PMPC with an alpha-mannosidase or hydrolysis with 0.6 N sulfuric acid destroyed adhesin activity, as determined by the inability of the soluble digests to inhibit yeast cell adherence to the splenic marginal zone. Fr.IIS adhesin activity was decreased following digestion with an alpha-1,2-specific mannosidase. Oligomannosyls consisting of one to six mannose units, which were isolated from the acid-stable part of the PMPC, did not inhibit yeast cell binding and thus do not function alone as adhesin sites in the PMPC. To gain more insight into the minimum requirements for adhesin activity, PMPCs were isolated from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type strain and from mutant strains mnn1, mnn2, and mnn4; the PMPCs were designated scwt/Fr.II, scmn1/Fr.II, scmn2/Fr.II, and scmn4/Fr.II, respectively. S. cerevisiae scmn2/Fr.II lacks oligomannosyl side chain branches from the outer core mannan, and scmn2/Fr.II was the only PMPC without adhesin activity. S. cerevisiae scwt/Fr.II, scmn1/Fr.II, and scmn4/Fr.II showed adhesin activities less than that of C. albicans Fr.II. These three S. cerevisiae PMPCs are generally similar to Fr. IIS, except that the S. cerevisiae structure has fewer and shorter side chains. Immunofluorescence microscopy show that the acid-stable part of the PMPC is displayed homogeneously on the C. albicans yeast cell surface, which would be expected for a surface adhesin. Our results indicate that both the mannan core and the oligomannosyl side chains are responsible for the adhesin activity of the acid-stable part of the PMPC.     

Effects of age and sex on sodium chloride sensitivity: association with plasma renin activity

The mechanism by which excessive NaCl intake raises blood pressure has not been fully clarified. The present study was undertaken in 87 Japanese inpatients with essential hypertension to investigate the interrelation among effects of age, sex and the renin-angiotensin system on NaCl sensitivity. After ingesting a regular NaCl diet (170 mmol/day) for one week, subjects were placed sequentially on a week of low NaCl diet (50 mmol/day) and a week of high NaCl diet (340 mmol/day). NaCl sensitivity defined as the difference in mean blood pressure between the low and high NaCl diets did not differ between genders. NaCl sensitivity was positively correlated with age and the change in PRA. The fall in PRA after NaCl loading was significantly smaller in women than in men. By multiple regression analysis, age and the change in PRA independently contributed to the change in mean blood pressure. Furthermore, the interaction between sex and the change in PRA was selected as a statistically significant variable. In conclusion, NaCl sensitivity of blood pressure is independently associated with age and the inadequate suppression of the renin-angiotensin system. Because the contribution of the change in PRA to NaCl sensitivity was greater in women than in men, the mechanism of blood pressure elevation after NaCl loading may differ between genders.     

Crystallographic Properties of Ge/Si Heterojunctions Fabricated by Wet Wafer Bonding

Ge/Si heterojunctions formed by wet wafer bonding were observed using transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. For the samples annealed at 880°C, there was a transition layer at the heterointerface with modified regions in the Si and Ge extending 20 nm to 30 nm from the interface. In these modified regions, crystal defects were observed, and a large amount of Ge was detected on the Si side of the junction. For the samples annealed at 250°C or 350°C, the transition layers had an amorphous-like structure with a thickness of about 10 nm. No modified layer or enlargement of lattice spacing was observed.     

A Nifedipine Coground Mixture with Sodium Deoxycholate. II. Dissolution Characteristics and Stability

Nifedipine is a poorly water soluble drug that demonstrates low bioavailability. In a previous study, a coground mixture of nifedipine with sodium deoxycholate (DCNa), a bile salt, immediately produced colloidal particles when dispersed in water. In this study, the effect of the weight fraction of DCNa, grinding time, dissolution media, and storage conditions on colloidal particle formation in solution was investigated. The coground mixture was prepared with a vibration rod mill, and its solid state was characterized using powder X-ray diffraction. A laser diffraction particle size analyzer was used to determine the particle size distribution curve in water. The size of particles formed in solution decreased with an increase in the weight fraction of DCNa and grinding time. A nifedipine-DCNa (1 : 2 w/w) mixture coground for 30 min was used in the experiments. Colloidal particle formation from the coground mixture was also observed in dissolution media of water and a pH 6.8 buffer solution at 37°C. Most precipitates passed through a filter with a pore size of 0.8 μm, but the particle size distribution in water was different from that in the pH 6.8 buffer solution. DCNa exhibited not only micellar solubilization for drug crystals, but also a retarding effect on drug crystal growth in a supersaturated solution. The latter effect could serve to form colloidal particles in solution. When stored under 75% relative humidity at 40°C for 1 month, the amorphous coground mixture crystallized, and the particle size in water markedly increased. Therefore, the weight fraction of DCNa, grinding time, dissolution media, and humidity during storage influence the dissolution characteristics of nifedipine from a coground mixture.     

Control of nano-sized interlayer space of lamellar vanadyl benzylphosphate

Nano-sized interlayer space of lamellar vanadyl benzylphosphate was controlled by water content in starting solution. Depending on the water content, three types of lamellar vanadyl benzylphosphate having basal spacings of 1.4 nm, 1.9 nm and 2.3 nm were obtained. It was suggested that the difference in the concentrations of benzyl and hydroxyl groups in the interlayer leads to the variation of the interlayer space.     

Distributed crossbar architecture for area-efficient combined data/instruction caches with multiple ports

A proposal to improve the low access bandwidth of conventional one-port caches by utilising a multi-bank structure with distributed crossbar to increase port number at small additional area cost is presented. This enables combination of data and instruction caches into a single multi-port cache as well as different wordlength for each port. Through dynamically scheduling the storage space used for data and instructions, 25% smaller storage capacity is sufficient for a given maximum cache-miss probability.     

Interactions between sodium tetradecyl sulfate and a series of homogeneous polyoxyethyleneglycol- n- dodecyl ethers

The surface tensions of a mixed system of sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) and a series of polyoxyethyleneglycol-n-dodecyl ethers (nED) were measured at temperatures of 30 and 40 C, respectively. When the STS concentration was fixed, the surface tension curves of the mixed system showed a flat portion in the range of which the mixed micelles would be formed. With a decrease of the added STS concentration, the length of the flat portion in these curves decreased gradually, and finally disappeared in the presence of 0.05 mM STS. Furthermore, when the concentration of STS was fixed at 1.0 mM, which is below the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the flat portion length in the surface tension curves de-creased with decreasing ethylene oxide chain length in nED and with increasing temperature. The influence of increment of temper-ature was comparable to that for reducing the length of ethylene oxide chain in nED.