No abstract

SummaryThe effect of soybean protein on coprostanol production and cholesterol metabolism was studied in cholesterol-fed rats.Plasma cholesterol was decreased in the soybean protein diet group compared to the casein diet group. Although coprostanol was produced more in rats fed soybean protein than in those fed casein, no difference was observed in the levels of total neutral steroids at any part of the intestine.The activity of microbial conversion from cholesterol to coprostanol was evidently high in rats fed soybean protein.The total amount of neutral steroids excreted in feces had a tendency to increase. These data seem to indicate that the increase of the unabsorbed soybean protein causes the increase of intestinal coprostanol production.

The effects of casein and soybean protein on plasma lipoproteins, apoproteins and liver lipids in cholesterol-fed rats were studied. 1) The diet composition for the standard group was (%): casein 20, corn oil 5, vitamin mix. 1, salt mix. 4, choline chloride 0.2 and corn starch to 100%. The control diet contained 0.5% of cholesterol and 0.3% of sodium cholate and 5% of lard replaced for corn oil. In rats given a control diet, the concentration of total cholesterol was higher in VLDL and LDL and lower in HDL2, and the concentration of ApoC in VLDL, ApoE, ApoA-1 and ApoC in HDL2 and ApoE in HDL3 were lower than in the animals given a standard diet. On feeding the control diet, much cholesterol and triglyceride were stored in the liver. 2) In order to investigate the effects of qualities and quantities of proteins, the diets containing 5% of lard, 0.5% of cholesterol and 0.125% of sodium cholate was used. The concentrations of serum total cholesterol was 134.7, 108.5, 95.5 and 81.6mg/dl on the diets of casein 20%, casein 40%, soybean protein 20% and soybean protein 40%, respectively. Especially in rats fed soybean protein diets the concentration of triglyceride also decreased. On the pattern of polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis of serum lipoproteins, the percentage of

Abstract-Effects of D-penicillamine-L-cysteine disulfide (P-C) on some immunological parameters were examined in normal and immunity-impaired mice and rats. P-C enhanced the DNA synthesis in concanavalin A-stimulated mouse spleen cell cultures in vitro. In vivo, administration of P-C produced either enhancement or depression of plaque forming cell (PFC) response and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) in low responder mice to SRBC, depending on the dose of P-C. P-C restored the impaired PFC response in hydrocortisone-pretreated mice. The enhancing effect of P-C was not shown in high responder mice to SRBC, but an in hibiting effect was observed. P-C inhibited the suppressor cell induction on PFC response in mice immunized with a supraoptimum dose of antigen. In adjuvant arthritic rats, P-C induced severe arthritis by eliminating the suppressor cells regulating this disease process. The relevance of these findings and mode of action of D-penicillamine in rheumatoid arthritis is discussed.