A relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and intestinal flora has been suggested since development of analysis technology for intestinal flora. An animal model of T2DM is important for investigation of T2DM. Although there are some animal models of T2DM, a comparison of the intestinal flora of healthy animals with that of T2DM animals has not yet been reported. The intestinal flora of Tsumura Suzuki Obese Diabetes (TSOD) mice was compared with that of Tsumura, Suzuki, Non Obesity (TSNO) mice in the present study. The TSOD mice showed typical type 2 diabetes symptoms, which were high-fat diet-independent. The TSOD and the TSNO mouse models were derived from the same strain, ddY. In this study, we compared the intestinal flora of TSOD mice with that if TSNO mice at 5 and 12 weeks of age. We determined that that the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was significantly higher in the cecum of TSOD mice than in that of TSNO mice. The intestinal flora of the cecum and that of the feces were similar between the TSNO and the TSOD strains. The dominant bacteria in the cecum and feces were of the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. However, the content of some bacterial species varied between the two strains. The percentage of Lactobacillus spp. within the general intestinal flora was higher in TSOD mice than in TSNO mice. In contrast, the percentages of order Bacteroidales and family Lachnospiraceae were higher in TSNO mice than in TSOD mice. Some species were observed only in TSOD mice, such as genera Turicibacter and SMB53 (family Clostridiaceae), the percentage of which were 3.8% and 2.0%, respectively. Although further analysis of the metabolism of the individual bacteria in the intestinal flora is essential, genera Turicibacter and SMB53 may be important for the abnormal metabolism of type 2 diabetes.

SummaryDried fruiting bodies of Agaricus blazei Murill (A. blazei) and its extracts have generally used as complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs). Here, we report that the oral administration of A. blazei augmented cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells in wild-type (WT) C57BL/6, C3H/HeJ, and BALB/c mice. Augmented cytotoxicity was demonstrated by purified NK cells from treated wild-type (WT) and RAG-2-deficient mice, but not from interferon-c (IFN-c) deficient mice. NK cell activation and IFN-c production was also observed in vitro when dendritic cell (DC)-rich splenocytes of WT mice were coincubation with an extract of A. blazei. Both parameters were largely inhibited by neutralizing anti-interleukin-12 (IL-12) monoclonal antibody (mAb) and completely inhibited when anti-IL-12 mAb and anti-IL-18 mAb were used in combination. An aqueous extract of the hemicellulase-digested compound of A. blazei particle; (ABPC) induced IFN-c production more effectively, and this was completely inhibited by anti-IL-12 mAb alone. NK cell cytotoxicty was augmented with the same extracts, again in an IL-12 and IFN-c-dependent manner. These results clearly demonstrated that A. blazei and ABPC augmented NK cell activation through IL-12-mediated IFN-c production.

Measurements of the singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) quenching rates (k Q (S)) and the relative singlet oxygen absorption capacity (SOAC) values were performed for 11 antioxidants (AOs) (eight vitamin E homologues (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols and -tocotrienols (-Tocs and -Toc-3s)), two vitamin E metabolites (α-and γ-carboxyethyl-6-hydroxychroman), and trolox) in ethanol/chloroform/D 2 O (50:50:1, v/v/v) and ethanol solutions at 35°C. Similar measurements were performed for five palm oil extracts 1-5 and one soybean extract 6, which included different concentrations of Tocs, Toc-3s, and carotenoids. Furthermore, the concentrations (wt%) of Tocs, Toc-3s, and carotenoids included in extracts 1-6 were determined. From the results, it has been clarified that the 1 O 2 -quenching rates (k Q (S)) (that is, the relative SOAC value) obtained for extracts 1-6 may be explained as the sum of the product {Σ k Q AO-i (S) [AO-i]/100} of the rate constant (k Q AO-i (S)) and the concentration ([AO-i]/100) of AO-i (Tocs, Toc-3s, and carotenoid) included.

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