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Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) is a 15-kDa protein found in high abundance in the cytosol of adipose cells. To better understand the role of this protein in intracellular free fatty acid (ffa) transport, the mechanism of ffa transfer from A-FABP to model membranes was examined by monitoring the transfer of fluorescent anthroyloxy ffa (AOffa) to small unilamellar phospholipid vesicles, using a resonance energy transfer assay. Structural features of ffa that increase aqueous solubility, such as shorter chain length and unsaturation, did not increase the AOffa transfer rate. In addition, solution conditions that increase the aqueous solubility of ffa, such as decreasing ionic strength and increasing pH, had little effect on AOffa transfer from A-FABP to membranes. These results suggest that AOffa do not transfer through the aqueous phase. The small entropic contribution to the free energy of the transfer process provides further evidence that AOffa may not travel through the surrounding aqueous environment when transferred from A-FABP to phospholipid membranes. Finally, the rate of AOffa transfer from A-FABP was directly dependent on the concentration of the acceptor membranes. These studies suggest that AOffa transfer from A-FABP to phospholipid vesicles may occur via transient collisional interactions between the protein and membranes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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IntroductionSince 2008, several states and municipalities have implemented regulations requiring provision of nutrition information at chain restaurants to address obesity. Although early research into the effect of such labels on consumer decisions has shown mixed results, little information exists on the restaurant industry’s response to labeling. The objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate the effect of menu labeling on fast-food menu offerings over 7 years, from 2005 through 2011.MethodsMenus from 5 fast-food chains that had outlets in jurisdictions subject to menu-labeling laws (cases) were compared with menus from 4 fast-food chains operating in jurisdictions not requiring labeling (controls). A trend analysis assessed whether case restaurants improved the healthfulness of their menus relative to the control restaurants.ResultsAlthough the overall prevalence of “healthier” food options remained low, a noteworthy increase was seen after 2008 in locations with menu-labeling laws relative to those without such laws. Healthier food options increased from 13% to 20% at case locations while remaining static at 8% at control locations (test for difference in the trend, P = .02). Since 2005, the average calories for an à la carte entrée remained moderately high (approximately 450 kilocalories), with less than 25% of all entrées and sides qualifying as healthier and no clear systematic differences in the trend between chain restaurants in case versus control areas (P ≥ .50).ConclusionThese findings suggest that menu labeling has thus far not affected the average nutritional content of fast-food menu items, but it may motivate restaurants to increase the availability of healthier options.