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This study examined the effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that were supplemented with vitamin E on lipid peroxidation, glutathione-dependent detoxifying enzyme system activity, and lipogenic fatty acid synthase (FAS) expression in rat liver. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed semipurified diets containing either 1% (w/w) corn oil or 10% each of beef tallow, corn oil, perilla oil, and fish oil for 4 wk. Alpha-tocopherol was supplemented in perilla oil (0.015%) and fish oil (0.019%). Hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, an estimate of lipid peroxidation, were not significantly different among the dietary groups. The glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferase activities were all elevated by the polyunsaturated fats, especially fish oil. The activity of FAS was reduced in the polyunsaturated fat-fed groups in the order of fish oil, perilla oil, and corn oil. The mRNA contents decreased in rats that were fed the 10% fat diets, particularly polyunsaturated fats, compared with the rats that were fed the 1% corn oil diet. Similarly, the inhibitory effect was the greatest in fish oil. These results suggest that lipid peroxidation can be minimized by vitamin E; PUFA in itself has a suppressive effect on lipogenic enzyme.

Background: Obesity is a serious problem, and there have been various studies to elucidate its causes. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between obesity and proportion of supper and late-night meals among the Korean general population. Methods: The total analyzed population was 15,757 people (mean age 44.6 years). The criterion for abdominal obesity as defined by waist circumference was follows: men ≥ 90 cm, women ≥ 85 cm. Supper and late-night meals are defined as meals eaten between 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. Calories of supper and late-night meal were divided by the total calorie intake of the day and categorized into quintiles. Various variables that can affect obesity were corrected for in the model, and logistic regression models were used to confirm the relationship between supper and late-night meals and waist circumference. Results: Comparing the first quintile to the second, the third, and the fifth showed statistically significant results (Odds ratio: 1.19, 1.25, and 1.21, respectively). We also compared the breakfast group and the no breakfast group. Only the breakfast group showed statistically significant results (Odds ratio: 1.28, 1.30, 1.22, and 1.21, respectively). Conclusion: Risk of abdominal obesity will be decreased if one reduces the proportion of supper and late-night meals to half of the recommended calorie intake.

We investigated whether 14 phenolic compounds isolated from Artemisia argyi could prevent the apoptotic damage caused by iodixanol, an iodinated contrast agent, on LLC-PK1 cells. Iodixanol was used to induce cytotoxicity in LLC-PK1 cells. Apoptotic cell death was observed as the fluorescence intensity emitted by annexin V and Hoechst 33342 stains. Western blotting was used to detect specific proteins. Seven phenolic compounds protected against iodixanol-induced LLC-PK1 cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. Among them, methyl caffeate exerted the strongest protective effect, and co-treatment with 50 and 100 μM methyl caffeate decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species elevated by 25 mg/mL iodixanol. In addition, the treatment of LLC-PK1 cells with iodixanol resulted in an increase in apoptotic cell death, which decreased by co-treatment with methyl caffeate. Iodixanol caused a cytotoxicity-related increase in the phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and P38; and a similar increase in the expression levels of kidney injury molecule-1 and cleaved caspase-3. However, the up-regulation of these proteins was reversed by co-treatment with methyl caffeate. These findings suggest that phenolic compounds isolated from A. argyi play an important role in protecting kidney epithelium cells against apoptotic damage caused by iodixanol.

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